Class: Exhibit Graphics I, FIT Graduate Exhibition and Experience Design
Year: 2nd Semester
Venue: Streets of Sugar Hill, Harlem
Golden Streets is a walking tour through the historic neighborhood of Sugar Hill. Located within the streets of Harlem, Sugar Hill was a popular destination for famous African-Americans during the Harlem Renessaince. Historic rowhouses were owned by Thurgood Marshall, W.E.B. DuBois, Duke Ellington and more.
The Harlem Renaissance was a revolutionary time for Black Americans, with thousands moving from the South during the Great Migration. Culture was alive; in the streets, jazz clubs, salons and parlors, musicians and artists of all kinds found success, thriving in the Golden Age and creating names for themselves. Harlem allowed African-Americans a safe space to express themselves, and the Sugar Hill neighborhood embodied these ideals.
Today, Sugar Hill is a nationally recognized historic neighborhood, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Map signage was created to highlight the historic homes through icons, and begins along Harlem’s subway lines, with rolling signage and identifiers placed outside each home as place makers to help guide visitors. Pantone selections were based on colors that identified with the Harlem Renaissance and the Golden Age, providing a connection to the neighborhood’s rich culture.