African American: Making the Nation’s Table

Curated by Dr. Jessica B. Harris, African American: Making the Nation’s Table explores African American foodways and the impact African Americans have had on our culinary traditions from farm to table.
Blue Telescope was tasked with reimagining the exhibit graphics and furniture with a high impact and cost effective solution on an aggressive timeline. By utilizing a bold color palette, we highlighted the vibrancy of the subject matter and provided intuitive wayfinding.
Special care was taken to ensure pantone matching of the graphic panels and millwork to develop a unified experience in the compact exhibit footprint. The color palette was derived from a quilt artisans crafted for the exhibit to emphasize the shared community food and meals provides.
In addition to the physical design, we developed a bespoke interactive that explores the complex subject matter of human and food migration through an immersive tablescape. Our shared meal, Pass the Plate, creates community, highlights vital food traditions, and invites guests to join in important conversations about how these traditions evolved.