Project Summary
In my opinion, art has needed a facelift in many cities for many years. Our team was given the keys to an abandoned building in the bustling Amazon headquartered neighborhood, South Lake Union. Over the course of 9 months, our team transformed the space into one of Seattle’s most talked-about art experiences to date. Making the intersection between expressive art mediums and experience-deprived consumers merge together in harmony. Showcasing 70+ local artists and ringing in well over $100k in art sales.
Project Title: SERIES 001
Role: Logistics Manager, Graphic Designer, Inventory/Contracts
Team Members: Colton Dixon Winger, Julianne Johnson, Arne Pihl, Austin Hicks, Charlie Landefeld
Tools: Shopify, Office 365, Adobe Suite, Slack
Project Duration: 9 months
“We were literally handed keys to an old food manufacturing building, set to be demolished in 1 year with total free reign. We didn’t know exactly what we were setting out to accomplish, but we started smashing down walls.”
The Project Timeline
The Scope
The team set a goal to open our doors to the first event on June 18th, 2021. We received keys to the space in March or 2021. Since this was conceptualized as a passion project, the team used each Sunday of every week to gut the building, re-wire electricity, build walls, and paint.
Once the space started coming together, I became drumming up the brand identity. With this project, we wanted the contents in the building to do all the talking and not overdo the branding and marketing.
As a collective, our angle was to host and promote local art on all mediums. On the artist side, upcoming artists will have the opportunity to show their work alongside well-established artists at a 70(artists)/30 commission rate. On the consumer side, anyone looking to view or purchase art can do it in an exciting and inviting setting.
Creating The Brand
After months of conversations circled around what we were trying to accomplish, we needed to give this project an identity. Colton had the idea of making a ‘Series’ of events where the project’s assets can change, but the platform stays the same. Calling the very first iteration, Series 001.
We wanted a strong and sophisticated look but kept the branding assets edgy and playful. Again, reminding consumers our products will change, but the feel of the brand established excitement and trust.
Social Media Graphics
Registration Posters
Swag
The Gallery Brochure
Event Logistics
Onboard artists with timelines and contract
Digitally process each artist’s works
Create inventory via Shopify reflecting key information (inventory identifies, price, measurements, title, etc.)
Design trifold brochure of wall art inventory and cover art
Design museum-style wall labels for all art
Photograph all wall art for e-commerce called our “After Glow'“ phase of the show
Create ‘Series 001’ commerce site for attendees that missed the event or hesitated to purchase during the show
Train 8-10 volunteers, paid staff members on sales ringing, event check-in, and gift wrapping
Manage the 2-3 day event. Problem-solving any issues that occur
Manage art pick-ups on the final day of sales and weeks post-event
Key Highlights
Our sales range in over $100k in art sales for all 3 events
The events saw over 2,500 attendees with strict COVID-19 regulations
Series 001 gained recognition from many in the arts community, the design community, and Seattle’s own Mayor, Bruce Harrel
The project gave a spotlight to over 70+ local PNW artists, with nearly every artist making a sale during their showing
Averaged 50+ social posts per day at each event (we did not create any social media for this project, so there could have been much more)
Event Marketing Resume
Additional photography provided by Ben Lindbloom and Julianne Johnson
