Oakland, I WANT YOU TO KNOW...

July 23–October 30, 2016

OAKLAND, I WANT YOU TO KNOW... explored West Oakland during a time of accelerating social, economic, and demographic change as seen through the eyes of the community. A series of environments inspired by iconic West Oakland buildings—a classic Victorian home, a contemporary loft, a community garden, and the now-shuttered historic Esther’s Orbit Room—played host to a series of conversations with longtime residents, newcomers, artists, activists, and community leaders.

This community-led exhibition guided by artist Chris Treggiari and OMCA Curator of Public Practice Evelyn Orantes featured work by artists and contributors including Alex Frantz Ghassan, Fantastic Negrito, Julie Plasencia, Michael Wertz, Querido Galdo, Angie Wilson, and organizations such as City Slicker Farms, Youth Radio, Acta Non Verba, Town Park, and Visual Element.

I was contracted to provide a book design, various maps, and some thematic design elements.

Graphic Design  |  Editorial Design + Layout  |  Cartography

IN GALLERY

Amanda Boesen was the lead graphic designer on the exhibit, which featured several constructed environments suggesting West Oakland in a more abstract, fractured way.

Beginning with a scan of a vintage Thomas Brothers map of the East Bay, I created a master graphic that overlaid a color key of housing by property value.

Foreclosure maps were then printed on plexiglass so that visitors could correlate the housing crisis by neighborhood.

For one wall, a large span of bookshelves were needed. I designed a series of book spines, with titles coming from streets and place names in West Oakland.

I was directed to limit the color palette and typographic choices, and then create endless variations.

A photographer's series of the residents of Chester Street occupied a single wall.

I designed a book of all the photographs, along with commentary, to accompany this portion of the exhibit.

The neutral gray-purple colors were selected to match the gallery walls. 

The final books were printed using blurb.