OMCA DIRECTOR'S DINNER

FALL 2015

Director-level Donors gather once a year at a private seated dinner in a unique setting to gain an annual update on the state of the Oakland Museum of California, in appreciation of the critical annual philanthropic support they provide.

I don't typically work on these kinds of projects, but I was honored to be asked to develop a completely new framework for this elegant annual event. I served as the lead creative on the project, from concept to production, developing the invitation and associated collateral.

Creative Direction  |  Illustration|  Graphic Design

COLLATERAL

The motif for the event was essentially meditations on the "Oakland Tree" logo, which was designed and created in the mid-seventies by the Assistant to the City Manager, Walter E. Carroll. Because the design has never been trademarked, it has become the source of many reinterpretations by Oaklandish, and others, within the local public arts community.

The stakeholders for this event conveyed that the core message was "new meets old," meaning that the Director's Dinner is an opportunity for older, more established donors to mingle with an up-and-coming philanthropy base.

Explorations included the tree as brain, roots and branches as tendrils, DNA strands, and transit maps.

Two primary iterations formed the backbone of the event's identity; the roots reaching up, and the tendrils reaching down.

"Extending Our Impact" was the lead tag for the event. The invitation opens from a 2/3 gatefold, revealing the two primary tree elements inside. The roots in the lower left corner represent the institution's older, established donor base. This group is reaching out to connect with the element in the the upper right; the younger, newer crowd.

Although I wasn't on the guest list, my name naturally served as a placeholder for the menu template.