MURAL ARTS PHILADELPHIA
WORK SAMPLES

Seasonal Catalogs

When I first arrived at Mural Arts, the organization’s traditional biannual print magazine focused on upcoming events, a model that had become challenging to pull off. With all the shifting timelines involved in community art-making, logistics shifted nonstop and the publication was outdated by the time it hit mailboxes.

In 2016, I developed the idea and execution of a new seasonal print catalog, inspired by the world of book publishing, with writing that previewed upcoming projects, focused on the substance of the work rather than a calendar of events, and provided a sense of cohesion amongst the broad range of programs under Mural Arts’ roof. The publication, designed by J2 Design, received incredibly positive feedback from Mural Arts’ network and is still in use today.

Departmental Brochures

After stewarding Mural Arts’ 2016 rebrand, I re-envisioned Mural Arts’ print publications. One of the highlights was new department-specific brochures that were developed to engage a program’s respective target audiences, including both community stakeholders and donors, and which staff could hand out at events. I worked with my team to develop all new copy for these pieces, focusing on qualitative and quantitative information about the work, and they were beautifully designed by our collaborators at J2 Design.

Annual Reports

Revamped annual reports brought the latest and greatest to Mural Arts’ donors and friends each year: engaging writing about new projects and initiatives, striking photography, and astounding numbers and statistics that reflected the impact of the work on Philadelphia’s neighborhoods and denizens.

E-News Revamp

After the organizational rebrand, I revamped our e-news strategy, creating a friendlier tone and positioning myself as the voice behind our outreach, putting a face and a name behind the messaging. I (re-)introduced myself at the start of every e-news blast, and provided a clear and concise overview of our latest project and how it related to our mission and values. Our open and click-through rates steadily increased and it wasn’t long before people started recognizing my name when they met me in person: “Oh, I know you! I get your emails all the time.”

Open Source

In 2015, Mural Arts produced Open Source, a citywide public art exhibition of 13 new commissions from artists around the world. As Director of Communications & Brand Management, I managed the festivities around the exhibition as well as the look and feel of the project materials and experience. Working closely with J2 Design, we created a stunning storefront hub in Center City (above) and an exhibition and event guide (below) that was the must-have pocket candy of fall 2015. After the project wrapped, I edited and produced most of the writing for the resulting exhibition catalog, designed by J2 and distributed globally (below).

Op-Eds

In addition to penning daily talking points for Mural Arts’ executive director (we produced 150-200 events per year!), I worked on several op-ed pieces that were published in the Philadelphia Inquirer and elsewhere. These op-eds usually served as public commentary on current events and social issues in Philadelphia, as well as promotion for projects and events.