Making Her Mark: Philadelphia Women Fight for the Vote
Exhibition Design
Role: Research, Concept Development, Visual Identity, Design
Team: The Free Library of Philadelphia's Design Studio
Exhibition Photography: Courtesy of Ryan Brandenberg
2020 marked the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which granted some women—not all—the right to vote. This exhibition highlights the timeline of ratification, local activists’ vital contributions to the fight, and how efforts to protect and expand voting rights continue today.
The visual identity strikes a balance between reverence—for the fight and under-told stories of the many women featured—and irreverence—a recognition of all those who have and continue to take bold, unsanctioned action to ensure equal rights for women everywhere.
The exhibition was on display from November 2020 to October 2021, in Parkway Central Library's West Gallery.
Typography and Color Palette
Woodblock type conjures the DIY spirit of innovation and defiance shown by so many activists. The bright, contemporary color palette pays homage to the suffragist flag, but updates it to appeal to a modern audience and to serve as a countermeasure to the racial and economic discrimination that mars early victories.
Whose Vote? Our Vote!
Direct, thought-provoking questions were featured throughout the exhibition panels, encouraging viewers to reflect upon their personal awareness and role in the fight for women’s rights.
