Background
The Lawrence Arts Center is a public and private partnership, a regional center for visual and performing arts, contemporary exhibitions, film, and lectures. These programs are complemented by fully developed curricula in ballet and modern dance, theater performance, and visual arts. The Arts Center employs over 120 teaching artists whose courses observe Kennedy Center standards for visual and performing arts. 10,000 students take courses annually, and the Arts Center greets over 200,000 visitors each year.
Its mission is to enrich and invigorate the community by offering the best in contemporary exhibitions, performance, and visual and performing arts education.
Challenge
The arts center produces a signature gallery exhibition each year, usually featuring the work of one artist. In 2013, four artists shared the bill and put on a show called VIM, which celebrated their connection of energy, color and expression. Lisa Lala, Ben Ahlvers, Archie Scott Gobber and Kent Michael Smith are Kansas City-area artists who are close in age and share an "up-and-coming" status among critics.
Solution
Because this show was a unique grouping of artists confident about making a bold splash, I produced a catalog and promotional materials with a magenta, black and white palette. Once inside the book and the show, the palette neutralized to allow the richness and juxtaposition of their work to come forward.
Art direction and design // Chris Ralston Exhibition photography // Jon Hardesty
