Anderson, Richard

Brown, Bonnie M.

Brown, Sally

Sherwin, Michael

Stahlman, Joe

Toren, Beth

Zafar, Maryam Marne

English

The Research Repository @ WVU (West Virginia University)

Indigenous Appalachia Library Exhibits Fall 2022 A Design Key Guide to the Exhibition Sally Brown West Virginia University, sally.brown1@mail.wvu.edu Joe Stahlman University of Buffalo, joestahl@buffalo.edu Bonnie M. Brown West Virginia University, BonnieM.Brown@mail.wvu.edu Beth Toren West Virginia University, beth.toren@mail.wvu.edu Michael Sherwin West Virginia University, Michael.Sherwin@mail.wvu.edu See next page for additional authors Follow this and additional works at: https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/indigenous-exhibit Recommended Citation Brown, Sally; Stahlman, Joe; Brown, Bonnie M.; Toren, Beth; Sherwin, Michael; Anderson, Richard; and Zafar, Maryam Marne, "A Design Key Guide to the Exhibition" (2022). Indigenous Appalachia. 3. https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/indigenous-exhibit/3 This Other is brought to you for free and open access by the Library Exhibits at The Research Repository @ WVU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Indigenous Appalachia by an authorized administrator of The Research Repository @ WVU. For more information, please contact beau.smith@mail.wvu.edu. Authors Sally Brown, Joe Stahlman, Bonnie M. Brown, Beth Toren, Michael Sherwin, Richard Anderson, and Maryam Marne Zafar This other is available at The Research Repository @ WVU: https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/indigenous-exhibit/3 INDIGENOUS  APPALACHIAA Design Key Guide to the Exhibition  “As a visual strategist and communicator, my observance of the graphic representations and    aesthetics of diverse cultures and ethnic influences allows my design approaches to be inclusive and  honest .  My personal story–as one who is a “multi culti” (Native American, African American,  and of French/Dutch ancestry)–informs and guides my appreciation and understanding of traditional  symbols and contemporary iconography to present honest presentations of those heritages, values,    and societies .  By recognizing our dif ferences–and also, our similarities–I look to connect each visitor    to worldviews that may appear unfamiliar yet are at the heart of being American.”           –  Maryam Marne Zafar, IA Lead Designer, 2022Whether a symbol, a photograph, an illustration, or in colors, the imagery used speaks to a culture and its people, its lifeways, its mores. Following is an descriptive design key guide of the various graphic elements seen throughout the contextural panels and artist banners that convey an inherent understanding of the peoples of this land.TYPE FONT Throhand was inspired by the 16th Century type font created by Claude Garamond and Hendrik van den Keere. It is reflective of the  classicism seen in printed broadsides, pamphlets, and books that originated in England, and were distributed to those fortunate to be literate as well as to the businessmen and scholars of the day. It was chosen as it feels “of the age” yet is contemporary in its ease of readability.TOPOGRAPHIC MAP A two-dimensional representation of Turtle Island’s (Earth’s) three-dimensional landscape, it is used on these panels as a background for the exhibition’s title as its contours reflect the ebb and flow of the land. LANDSCAPE  Grounding the panels throughout are photographs of the Appalachian mountains, lakes, valleys, skies, and sun that are part of the land of the Indigenous peoples (and all of those) who live throughout Appalachia. The photos shown were taken in West Virginia, Virginia, and the Carolinas. WAMPUM Shell beads have been an integral part of Indigenous life for both cultural and ceremonial practices. Created from both the white Whelk  and the purple Quahog shells, wampum beads are painstakingly drilled with awls and woven into strands, belts, sashes, and as accessories to convey meaning (spiritual) and important messages (treaties). Both secular and sacred, wampum patterns were “marks of remembrance” to call up recollections of significant events, communicate the truth (when carrying messages), and visually proclaim the authority of said messages. One of the most important wampum belts is  the “Hiawatha Belt” (an illustration appears on the Haudenosaunee panel) that shows the agreement to live in peace together. When thought of only as  Indigenous currency it reduces wampum to be divorced from its role as a symbol of life, of connective-ness and of deeply-held cultural traditions; wampum carries “a body of knowledge capable of being adapted into spoken words that surpass the ability of printed text.” (Dr. Joe Stahlman) BIRCH BARK For much of Native North America, the bark of the Birch Tree is valued for its medicinal properties. Long lived, the bark is associated with guidance, protection, and strength as it is “tough and waterproof” and when burned it is considered cleansing. This bark was vital to create just about  everything from spiritual scrolls to utensils, boxes, and cookware to an important mode of transportation, canoes.BEADWORK Considered the second traditional approach (after quillwork) for patterning and decorating clothing, home utensils, and ceremonial objects, beadwork has been created and traded “forever”.  Made of shell, wood, copper, silver, and since the arrival of Europeans, of glass (and now, plastic), beads  allow for intricate detail work in incredibly vibrant colors. The beads seen thoughout connect Indigenous colors with the profound significance of the circle,  a sacred symbol of the interdependence of life, of equality among all on Earth as ... we are all connected.WVU Exhibit INTRO Panel Sec.1 Marne Quote-Design Key  rt.6.indd   1 7/18/22   10:49 AM

A Design Key Guide to the Exhibition

https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1005&context=indigenous-exhibit

A Design Key Guide to the Exhibition

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