ASCA: The Beat Makers
I created and presented a vision for art direction, photography, and illustration for a Black History Month Event presented by the nonprofit Andy Street Community Association. To bring to life the theme “Rhythm in Black,” I crafted a brand identity that focused on the contributions of the local heroes who have positively impacted Black communities in Long Beach. This concept highlighted “The Beat Makers,” which prominently and heroically featured local people in multimedia marketing materials.
I remixed kente-cloth patterns to create a pixelated design system that would honor African heritage and history and be a way to color code and categorize the talks in the virtual event. “The Past” is the foundation of the poster.
These patterns could be used alone to create images like the Black History Month Flag, while also roughly reflecting the way patterns shift in kente cloth.
Andy’s Street Community Association is responsible for turning their neglected community into a thriving one. Some of their efforts were huge gestures, but most of the time they plant seeds that grow over time. No matter the size of the gesture, local people are doing the work to create a vibrant community. They are the real influencers: the Lead Takers, The Soul Shakers, and the Beat Makers. They should be prominently featured in a heroic way.
When ASCA hosts a Black History Month event physically, they have a “Wall of Excellence,” that features a professionally shot and framed photo of the top contributors of the year. The Rhythm in Black lock-up loosely reflects that frame.
Not only can we feature “The Beat Makers” themselves, but their instruments of change can be featured too.
When used as a virtual event background, the color coded patterns can be used to signify the category of the talk—such as education, history, and business.
