Cascadia Poetics LAB 30th Anniversary
Client: Paul E. Nelson, Cascadia Poetics LAB, Seattle, WA
Timeline: October 2023-January 2024
Format: 11 x 17 poster, bookmark, web banner
Overview: The poster was designed for Cascadia Poetics LAB’s 30th Anniversary Celebration and the launch of Cascadian Prophets: Interviews 1999-2023 at Columbia City Gallery. The goal was to mark a major organizational milestone while visually centering the book that emerged from three decades of interviews, conversations, and cultural work.
Rather than treating the event and publication separately, the design integrates the Cascadian Prophets cover directly into the composition—positioning the book as both focal point and symbol of continuity within the Cascadia Poetics LAB community.
Design Approach: The poster extends the visual language of Cascadian Prophets into event collateral. The hand-painted watercolor map from the book cover anchors the layout, set against saturated, textured color fields drawn from the book’s artwork to create a sense of depth, accumulation, and celebration.
High-contrast, distressed typography announces the anniversary with visibility and energy, while supporting text remains restrained and legible across print and digital contexts. Layered textures and varied type treatments suggest multiplicity and longevity—reflecting a living archive rather than a static moment. The same system was carried through to a printed bookmark and web banner, creating a cohesive set of anniversary materials tied directly to the book launch.
Additional Collateral: bookmark, web banner