emily clarkis a designer

exhibition . graphic . experiential . interactive

We Need to Talk: A Show of Deception

EXTERIOR RENDERRedesigned facade of the

Source Theater in Washington, DC

THESIS PROJECT: We Need to Talk is a design proposal for an exhibition that challenges visitors to connect with one another through facilitated improvisational activities that explore how deception functions in the world around them and in their own lives.

As exhibition designer on this project, my role was to develop a narrative and conceptual base that would inform design and content decisions, and to produce a comprehensive proposal—including scale drawings for component build-out and installation, and environmental graphics production.

In We Need to Talk, I challenged myself to respect the visitors’ intellectual agency by creating space for them to direct the exhibition’s narrative. This interpretive strategy is reflected in the exhibition design through experiential environments that support the visitors’ intellectual and emotional activity.

We Need to Talk won both the faculty and peer-nominated thesis awards for 2015.

Annotated scale drawing of one section of We Need to Talk—called the content corridor—where visitors have a “behind the scenes” experience.

Annotated scale drawing of text rail interactive with environmental graphics.

The Early Sixties: American Culture

NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AMERICAN HISTORY: The Early Sixties was an exhibition of artifacts from NMAH’s collection that highlighted important moments in popular culture from a decade that saw significant social change.

As exhibition designer on this project, my role was to produce scale drawings and a full detailing package for component build-out, artifact installation, and environmental graphics production; and to supervise and participate in the exhibition’s installation.

Since The Early Sixties formed part of a broader exhibition experience at NMAH— marking the 50th anniversary of the museum’s founding in 1964—I worked within a visual identity that had already been established.

INSTALLATION SHOTHistory Highlights Case at the

NMAH: Smithsonian Institution

Scale elevation of artifact layout.

I used Vectorworks to model artifacts and to plan the final layout of the exhibition, working within a wave-like constraint in order to harness all of the competing visual information into a cohesive composition.

Following page: Annotated scale drawings for fabrication and artifact installation.

Loren Mozley: Structural Integrity

DALLAS MUSEUM OF ART: Structural Integrity was a retrospective exhibition of paintings by Loren Mozley that celebrated the legacy of the artist, and highlighted his impact on early- to mid-twentieth century Texas Regionalism.

As exhibition designer on this project, my role was to conceptualize and then execute a design strategy that addressed the show’s curatorial intent—including the production of scale drawings for artwork installation and environmental graphics production.

With Structural Integrity, I sought to design a contemplative, intimate space—where visitors could encounter Mozley’s paintings as the surrounding environment all but fell from their perception.

INSPIRATION IMAGECostilla Canyon

Painting by Loren Mozley

Scale drawing of floorplan and elevations showing artwork layout.

Scale drawings of environmental graphics.

Fin-tastic Sharks! Digital Interactive

STUDIO CONCEPT: Fin-tastic Sharks! is a design proposal for an interactive experience at the National Aquarium’s Shark Alley. The digital experience utilizes gamification, augmented reality, and beacon technology to teach kids, ages 7-12, about how and why scientists track sharks.

The Fin-tastic Sharks! experience allows the visitor to pick a shark character and assigns that character to a trackable device worn by the visitor throughout Shark Alley.

As visitors pass various game stations, the wearable activates a digital learning activity that introduces the rules of an educational game that the visitor can play on their own phone or tablet.

As a proof of concept, I collaborated with two classmates to develop a short animation of the introductory “pick a character” sequence, and a tablet game that teaches visitors about the differences between sharks’ diets.

INSPIRATION CONCEPTShark Tracking Visualization

OCEARCH Global Shark Tracker

Storyboard for the Fin-tastic Sharks! introductory sequence. Visitors meet the three different shark characters and learn about their migratory patterns and biology. Then, they pick their favorite character to guide them on the rest of their journey through Shark Alley.

I developed storyboards for this project with two classmates, and produced digital assets for animation.

A visitor with a Fin-tastic Sharks! wearable can activate any of the game stations set up around Shark Alley.

The interactive experience continues onto visitors’ own smartphone or tablet with an augmented reality game that allows visitors to “catch” the different types of food their character likes to eat.

Zula and Sam are two of the sharks I illustrated by hand for this project. I then digitized the drawings and painted them in Photoshop.

Candace Wheeler: The Art and Enterprise ofAmercican Textile Design

STUDIO CONCEPT: Art and Enterprise is a design proposal for an exhibition about the life and work of turn-of-the-century textile artist and businesswoman, Candace Wheeler.

As exhibition designer on this project, my role was to develop a narrative and conceptual base that would inform design and content decisions, and to produce a comprehensive proposal—including scale drawings for component build-out, artwork installation, and environmental graphics production.

While developing Art and Enterprise, I challenged myself to evoke the historical context of Candace Wheeler’s work through experiential design, rather than text.

INSPIRATION IMAGEMark Twain House Parlor: Illustration

from Victorian Interior Decoration

Scale drawing of floorplan with exploded elevations.

Scale drawing showing graphic treatment, materials, and environmental graphics for exhibition entrance.

Scale drawings showing artwork placement and environmental graphics.

INSPIRATION IMAGEMexicali Rose Gallery Exterior

Photograph by Marco Vera

Secondary Inspection: Una Selección del

Arte de Baja California

CORCORAN GALLERY OF ART: Secondary Inspection was an art exhibition and mural installation that brought the voices of artists from Mexican border towns to the heart of Washington, DC.

As exhibition designer on this project, my role was to conceptualize and then execute a design strategy that addressed the show’s curatorial intent—including the production of scale drawings for artwork installation and environmental graphics production.

While developing Secondary Inspection, I challenged myself to fully exploit the assertive visual and contextual dialogue between the (so-called) outsider artists’ works and the institutional setting of the Corcoran Gallery.

Scale drawing of floorplan with exploded elevations showing artwork, technology, and exhibition component placement.

Hatching indicates proposed placement for a mural installation.

Visiting artist, Fernando Corona, collaborated with Corcoran College of Art + Design fine art students on a mural installation.

Secondary Inspection was very much about creative communities empowering themselves through mark making. So, I pushed for having the title signage and artist labels hand lettered. Finding and collaborating with a talented hand-typographer was one of the most fun things about working on this project.

Below: Scale drawings of different title wall treatments.

Annotated scale drawing of proposed title wall treament.

Installation photos.

thank youand have a nice day!