Presented as a counterpoint to Root Division's annual MFA Now project, MFA Never is a juried exhibition and archive project featuring Bay Area artists that took the non-degree path, creating room for dialogue around alternatives to the MFA route. Keeping in mind the MFA Now annual's use of geometric shapes that lay out into a colorful spread, I designed the MFA Never identity with a rich black background by overlapping some of those same colored shapes. The archive portion of this annual project is an inclusive publication that dedicates a page to each artist's submission, along with a selection of essays by the Root Division staff and jurors. With over 180 submissions, this beastly project was ultimately a good lesson in staying organized with Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom to efficiently edit and store files.
Project Credits: MFA Now exhibition visual identity and archive project developed by Gold Collective; MFA Never catalogue design support by Irene Carvajal and Dana Isken; all artwork images courtesy of the submitting artists.
MFA Now and MFA Never Logos
Gold Collective designed the MFA Now identity in 2012. To distinguish each year, the color scheme is refreshed with the shapes and logo rearranged. In 2016, Root Division presented a one-time MFA Never exhibition as a counterpoint to the annual. The design needed to be complimentary to MFA Now, but have its own identity that was conceptually contrasted.
Gold Collective designed the MFA Now identity in 2012. To distinguish each year, the color scheme is refreshed with the shapes and logo rearranged. In 2016, Root Division presented a one-time MFA Never exhibition as a counterpoint to the annual. The design needed to be complimentary to MFA Now, but have its own identity that was conceptually contrasted.
MFA Never Archive Catalogue
A 190 page, soft-cover catalogue that includes a profile page of each artist who submitted to the project.
A 190 page, soft-cover catalogue that includes a profile page of each artist who submitted to the project.
