History of Graphic Design Museum Exhibition Catalogs

Project Brief

From the assignment sheet given to the students:

ASSIGNMENT 2: HISTORY OF DESIGN MUSEUM CATALOG

Please go to the library’s online catalog to check out books, ArtStor Database, or Barnes & Noble (not just the internet, as you will eventually need to scan/download images pertaining to your art movement/artist and low-res internet images’ resolution quality will not be high enough for this project!) and research the work of one of the following art movements or artists. Familiarize yourself with your topic. Also, choose a movement or person you maybe know nothing about to learn something new! Don’t limit yourself to looking at the pictures only, please read about the movement and what it was trying to accomplish. It is this type of in-depth, thoughtful research, when combined with strong visual imagery, that makes good designers great, well-rounded designers and will set you apart in the field.

In order to complete this assignment, you must utilize the skills you have learned about Adobe InDesign. You will be importing images into Indesign from Photoshop and/or Illustrator, you will create a GRID for yourself and stick to it, create spreads, set style sheets and use captions, page numbering, and assemble your final catalog (I will give an in-class demo on how to assemble your catalog). The actual dimensions (width and height) of your catalog are up to you. However, you should let your selection of art movement, etc. guide you. This is one of the reasons why it is important to submerse yourself in your topic right away...so you know what size to even make your catalog! Also, you will create the copy for your catalog. You will also turn this in to me for a grade. Keep in mind important IMAGES/WORKS of the movement and talk about them in your paper so that you can then have the text describe the imagery in the catalog you design. Also, organize your paper by SECTIONS to break down the information logically. For example, if you choose Art Deco, create sections on ‘Architecture’, ‘Fashion’, Jewelry’, and ‘Graphic Design.’ Your final paragraph should be a conclusion and include an example of design TODAY that is inspired by this person/movement (and show VISUAL example(s) of that design today. YOU MUST GO TO THE WRITING CENTER, IN THE UTEP LIBRARY, FOR YOUR PAPER (***& BRING THIS ASSIGNMENT SHEET WITH YOU***).

Learning Objectives

A part of being a good graphic designer has to do with your having a knowledge of what came before you...art history. For this assignment you will select one of the periods of art or people below. You will then research that selection so that you will be able to design a small (fictitious) museum catalog for the El Paso Museum of Art on this period of art or person. Submerse yourself in everything you can about your topic, paying special attention to what can be applied to graphic design (typography + imagery). What time period was this movement or person? What else was happening in the world at this time to cause this art movement or influence this person’s style? In what country(tries) did this movement place, this person live? Who were the main artists/designers of this movement, or who influenced or inspired this artist/movement? What are the characteristics of this movement or person’s style, such as certain colors, typefaces, shapes, sizes, mentality? What media/form did this movement/artist take on (furniture? architecture? paint? realistic? abstract? design?...many different forms?). The cover of your catalog must state your topic & these dates: August 22–December 5, 20xx (year you will graduate), plus “El Paso Museum of Art”. Your back cover will have the EPMA logo (no larger than 1.75” in width).

Deliverables

Your catalog needs to be 5 SPREADS TOTAL + front and back covers + end papers. Write a double-spaced, (Times, 12/24), 4-page paper on your topic in Microsoft Word...PROOFREAD & SPELLCHECK IT!!! Your own text will populate your catalog.

Readings/Resources

The required text for the class, Meggs' History of Design will be the first place to start your research. From there, more in depth information on each topic is available from the plethora of books in the UTEP Library (both main stacks AND Special Collections).

Reflections

These catalogs turned out GREAT. I also do an in-class demonstration on assembling the catalog. Students very much need guidance on assembly. This is the adhesive we use for the catalog:

Double-Sided Adhesive Sheets by Recollections™, 12" x 12"Find the Double-Sided Adhesive Sheets by Recollections™, 12" x 12" at Michaels. These double-sided sheets can be cut and customized to your desired size and used for a variety of a paper craft projects!Michaels
Don't forget to download the app / get the 20 or 25% off coupon!
 
What I showed in class is this Artist-tac. Michaels also sells it, but even with a 20% off coupon, you still HAVE to pay for shipping, so it is cheaper from Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/GRAFIX-Artist-Tac-AdhesivePerm-11x17-White/dp/B00ZAV52CK/ref=sr_1_3?crid=40PRUWNM5L50&keywords=art%2Btac&qid=1646233552&sprefix=art%2Btac%2Caps%2C103&sr=8-3&th=1
I was going to buy the 5.5 x 9" size for the mock-ups I make in class, but you should buy the size that makes it easy for your assembly (probably the 11 x 17", which is $25.86):
https://www.amazon.com/GRAFIX-Artist-Tac-AdhesivePerm-11x17-White/dp/B00ZAV52CK/ref=sr_1_3?crid=40PRUWNM5L50&keywords=art%2Btac&qid=1646233552&sprefix=art%2Btac%2Caps%2C103&sr=8-3&th=1
If you'd prefer to shop locally, I have requested that the Art Center on Yandell carry it as well, the exact same product—25 sheets, 11x17", $36.40.