Proposed Sinage

  

I will help contribute in the proposal group.  I hope to really show his work in the best light so that people will be able to truly appreciate his work and really engage in the beauty of it.  We will also incorporate a timeline in the exhibit to help with the effect of it.

 http://chelmarie19.blogspot.com/

My Contribution

My contribution will be toward the proposal group for our project.  I hope to gather information from the graphics and artifacts group and help to organize it into a solid exhibit of Thomas Day's furniture.  We will be splitting up the pieces of his collection into major sections complemented with a timeline throughout the space that ties in each piece.  For our exhibit we are using both photographic representation and physical representation so I think that it would be very informative and useful to in cooperate our signage with photographic pieces of Thomas Day's furniture.  I think that banner type signage is always helpful and also that the timeline throughout the space would be good to use as a type of way finder throughout our exhibit.
Side Chair Mahogany Veneer by Thomas Day 

http://ncmuseumofhistory.org/wgo/press_04122010a.html

Also addition sketches of signage:

 Example of Timeline en cooperated throughout the whole exhibit to help tie in sections.
Image below is a example of floor graphic way finders that play off of Thomas Days curvature styles. 

 Example of hanging banners.

Proposal Ideas

Sarah Harris

My contribution is to work with others to create the graphics for our exhibit. I believe that we should use characteristics common to Day's work to influence our signage and graphics, such as his scrolls, smooth curves and open book friezes. This would connect our signs with the work and give the viewers an idea of the exhibit before the enter it.

Individual paragraphs

• My contribution will be…
• My idea for a sign is…
• Begin to post individual objects to blog

Beth McGee

My contribution will be the overall graphic theme of using one of the signature curve shapes unique to Day as a common thematic design element on the the graphics and the floor detail. For signage the use of suspended posters to display six distinct types of Day's work will also highlight the thematic shifts of the design world and his own personal style development. The individual item I am thinking of adding is this image of the church Day designed the pews for. He was able to use his position as the key furniture designer of the area to obtain a level of respect that other mulattos of the time did not have. With the furniture order for the church, he was able to obtain a position for his family on the main floor with the white parishioners at the pews he was to make. This is another example of the level of respect owed to Mr. Day in a time in N.C. where the restrictions and mistrust of mulattos was increasing.

Shirley Bircher:
My contribution will be in the artifacts group. We will provide more information of the chosen artifacts which so far are a fireplace, a dresser of some sort, and possibly two other unknown items that may incorporate his stairs. I will provide information for the placards that are to be mounted next to the artifacts and our group may help graphically in the directories. Also, some of the artifact members and I helped the graphics group by doing the bullet point part of the assignment and helped figure out what will be in the room and how it can be presented graphically in areas such as on the walls and on several posters. My idea for signs is to incorporate several different areas of Day's work into individual signs--meaning one sign will be dedicated to mantels, while another sign may be dedicated to education. Our group wants to incorporate several signs so there are a lot of possibilities on what can be included, and we have discussed several of them. Some individual objects that I would like to see included in our signage would be Thomas Day's stairs. I think they show how intricate his word working is and would help guests in the exhibit appreciate his style.

Thomas Day stair case and bracket

Haley Allen

My contribution to the exhibit is with the artifacts group in further researching the artifacts. With this research we will compile and prepare the information and images for the graphics groups. We will also help the graphics group in creating signage for the exhibit and the individual pieces.

An idea I have is to have posters that emphasize the intricate details of Day’s workmanship. Silhouettes or possible sketches and abstractions of the details could offer a more focused view of the piece and see it in a different way from looking at the “actual” piece. For example, a silhouette of the side of his rocking chair would give a better view of the curves that he incorporates into his carvings.

Thomas Day Rocking Chair and Foot Rest

Anuj Patel

My contribution through the group will be through the artifacts group. This research will give us actual objects to place in the actual exhibits, themed around Thomas Day. So far, however, our group helped out with the graphics group by doing the bullet points for signage blog post over this weekend. For the signs, I think a large sign introducing a subject should bring focus to the area and smaller signs should follow giving additional information of the subcategories. For example, a large sign would introduce furniture. A smaller one adjacent to it would be labelled 'chairs' and provide relevant information.

Thomas Day chair.

Carlie Blake

My contribution will be through the graphics incorporated throughout the exhibit. There will be a flat graphic on the floor of the space, a scroll-like image that directs ones path throughout the exhibit, emulating the spirit of Thomas Day furniture. Another graphical element I will be contributing to is the visual posters, including the six suspended posters, the main poster at the entrance of the exhibit, and the information handouts for the exhibit. I have sketched thumbnails for these, and have posted them to our proposal on this blog. The sketches will evolve into final forms within the next few weeks, and will showcase the important information of the six chosen details of his work in relation to the timeline.

A detail of his work that I am interested in and will contribute further research and sketches for is the scroll detail seen throughout his pieces, specifically in his staircases. Not only will this detail serve as an important portion of our exhibit, but it will drive the visual elements of the exhibit graphically (along the flat graphic on the floor and the main poster) as well.

Laura Kimmel

I am member of the artifacts group, so in the future I will be contributing detailed research of the items in the exhibit. This includes finding images and info for the placards, directory, and signage. We will also be working with the graphics group to communicate this info visually. So far, I have assisted my group members in organizing ideas for the signage in the previous post.

One idea of signage I'd like to have is a 3D diagram, possibly one in each area of the exhibit. These diagrams would show a more detailed look at the characteristics and craft of Day's work, since it may be difficult to graphically describe complex woodwork in an image or drawing. For example, one diagram could consist of a reproduction of one of Day's mantles, then each separate piece laid out to show his joinery and construction. I chose this mantle as a piece I'd like to have in the exhibit because it exemplifies Thomas Day's craft.