The process of creating this rebrand began with historical research on the Historic Strawberry Mansion, located in East Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, PA. Built in 1789, the mansion was originally named "Summerville" and was used as a summer retreat by Judge William Lewis. In 1930, a group of women called the Committee of 1926 worked together to restore the historic home to its former glory.

The mansion was opened to the public the following year as a historic house museum. Since then, it has been used for a variety of exhibitions, events, tours, lectures, and more. Every June, the mansion holds its Annual Strawberry festival to bring together the community, celebrate the warm season, and educate visitors on the history of the location.

I spent a large portion of this project researching and learning about Pennsylvania Folk Art, also known as Fraktur Art. Created by the Pennsylvania Dutch, the folk art was at its height between 1740 to 1860. Named after the Fraktur script often used in the art, it consists of symmetrical, illustrative hand-drawn imagery and lettering. Symbols often used in the works consist of hearts, birds, flowers, and other nature-inspired ornamental illustrations.

In order to capture the folk art properly, I spent time learning how to work in the style. By referencing historic archives and studying Pennsylvania Folk Art signage, books, and paintings, I slowly developed my own methods of creating the art style that was applicable to digital art. While the ultimate goal of this project was to make something that felt antique and worn, I still wanted to be able to apply it to assets, such as a website and merchandise, to make the assets interesting and engaging for all groups of people who attended the festival.

I drew and found illustrations from the period, such as strawberries, deer (Pennsylvania's state animal), and ruffed grouses (Pennsylvania's state bird), to emphasize the relationship between the art, location, and the event itself. I found types that were reminiscent of the time, yet felt more current to balance the relationship of old and new I was capturing. Color also played a big factor in this project. I settled on a color palette that felt vintage, yet warm and inviting.

This project is an educational, fun, warm, and ageless example of how current and historic art trends can work seamlessly together to connect people with the history and beauty of the Historic Strawberry Mansion. i

It is one of my most beloved projects I have done, as it challenged me to develop new artistic skills while also requiring me to learn the history of my home state.