Public Lecture with Eddie Opara

7 pm talk, 6 pm cash bar social hour. Free admission. Omaha Conservatory of Music is located at 7023 Cass Street.

In summer 2022, Joslyn embarked upon a rebranding project with a three-fold objective: clarify and articulate the Museum’s brand strategy and architecture; design a new visual identity system that supports that strategy; and activate that system across all platforms. Our partner in this process is Pentagram, a multi-disciplinary, independently owned design studio with a portfolio spanning five decades, many industries, and clients of every size. Comprising designers hailing from around the globe, and led by Eddie Opara, the Pentagram team reimagined every aspect of The Joslyn’s brand—a process both tactical and aspirational—to create a foundation that will ground and guide the Museum for many years to come.

On May 8, The Joslyn is delighted to welcome Eddie Opara to Omaha for a lecture focusing on the development of the Museum’s new identity through the intentional crafting of type designs that fulfill not only their utilitarian purpose of facilitating communication, but also assimilate into a grander narrative. About Joslyn’s new identity system, Opara notes, “It is imbued with historical undertones, cultural symbolism and inclusivity, and an unparalleled artistic beauty that encompass a progressive and forward-thinking discourse.

Meet Eddie Opara
Eddie Opara was born in London in 1972. He studied graphic design at the London College of Printing and Yale University. He began his career at ATG and Imaginary Forces and worked as senior designer–art director at 2Å~4 before establishing his own studio, The Map Office. He joined Pentagram’s New York office as partner in 2010. His projects have included the design of brand identity, publications, packaging, environments, exhibitions, interactive installations, websites, user interfaces, and software, with many of his projects ranging across multiple media and clients including lululemon; Samsung; Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum; Nike; Grace Farms; the Menil Foundation; the Corcoran Group; Morgan Stanley; New York University; SHoP Architects; buroOS; Skidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM); SANAA; and Princeton Architectural Press. His work is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art and has appeared in publications such as Wired, Fast Company, Creative Review, Archis, Surface, and Graphis. Opara is also a senior critic at the Yale University School of Art and has recently authored a book, Color Works, published by Rockport. He was named one of Adweek’s Creative 100 in 2018, one of Fast Company’s 100 Most Creative People in Business in 2012 and 2014, and was featured in EBONY magazine’s Power 100 list.

Thanks to partnering organizations AIA Nebraska and daOMA.