The Necessity of Tomorrow(s)

Creative strategy, Design, Public Art, Writing

/ 2017–2019
Branding and detournements for The Necessity of Tomorrows, an Afro-futurist themed lecture series at the Baltimore Museum of Art

Can design carry a conversation beyond the walls of a lecture hall? Can it create richer context for the event itself? Can it spark new dialog and debate?


These were some of the questions we discussed with the Baltimore Museum of Art for The Necessity of Tomorrow(s), a high-profile BMA lecture series on art, race, and social justice, featuring prominent black artists like Mark Bradford, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Boots Riley. 

Language and ideas form the centerpiece of the promotional campaign, which incorporates radical, whimsical, and provocative visions of the future. These statements and others appeared on billboards, bus shelters, and posters around Baltimore over the course of several years.

Posters for the Baltimore Museum of Art's Necessity of Tomorrow Lecture series
Tomorrow, this is public space for all. A disrupted No Loitering sign public art piece
Tomorrow, we buy houses for the homeless. A detournement interrupted bandit sign public art piece

Part of the Necessity of Tomorrow(s) project includes a series of detournéments — public art interventions that interrupt vernacular advertising and signage with hopeful expressions of “Tomorrow…” By injecting these little surreal moments into the public realm, we aimed to spark further questions and conversations related to The Necessity of Tomorrow(s)’ themes.

Many of the signs and messages that surround us are designed intentionally to sell unhealthy products or perpetuate unhealthy systems. Interrupting them with unexpected, optimistic messages gives us a moment to turn a critical eye on these systems.

Tomorrow, history will be repaired, not repeated. A disrupted historic marker public art detournement

In 2019 we had the opportunity to create two temporary installations on vacant stalls at Lexington Market. For one of the installations we created a series of flyers layered with hopeful “Tomorrow…” messages.

A second stall at the Lexington Market installation featured posters and a comment box asking market visitors to share their visions for tomorrow. Community-contributed comments collected at the market, the Baltimore Museum of Art, and through the project website, helped to generate the ideas and language used in future stages of the campaign.

A poster installation at Lexington Market for Baltimore Museum of Art's Necessity of Tomorrow Lecture series
A poster installation at Lexington Market for Baltimore Museum of Art's Necessity of Tomorrow Lecture series
An interrupted takeout menu with the message Tomorrow, rooftop gardens provide 50% fo the city's food.
What's your tomorrow? Visitor submission box for the Baltimore Museum of Art's Necessity of Tomorrow Lecture series

Engaging the community

Participatory design plays a central role in the project. We asked Baltimore residents and BMA visitors to share their own visions for tomorrow through a series of feedback points on the project website, at the museum, and beyond.

Community contributions were archived on the project website and many of these helped inform the “Tomorrow…” language and ideas, appearing on later iterations of posters, advertising, and installations for the project. This participatory feedback and dialogue helped the campaign reflect a wider spectrum of ideas. And it supported our goal of carrying the conversations beyond the lecture hall and into the city.

A woman with purple hair shares her idea for Tomorrow at the Lexington Market dropbox Baltimore Museum of Art's Necessity of Tomorrow Lecture series
Iridescent foil stamped tickets for the Baltimore Museum of Art's Necessity of Tomorrow Lecture series featuring Mark Bradford, Ta'nehisi Coates, Mickalene Thomas, Boots Riley, and more
A man stands in front of an array of windows advertising Baltimore Museum of Art's Necessity of Tomorrow Lecture series

Project team: Bruce Willen, Nolen Strals, Kacie Moon, Christian Mortlock, Seth Labenz, Roy Rub
Collaborators: BMA, Gamynne Guillotte, Kevin Zweerink, Gilah Press, Sage Screenprinting, Alpha Graphics, Dave Zimmerman

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