Role: Producer, Director, Designer

Client: City of Lawrence

Year: 2010

A location-based documentary and wayfinding system that reconnects present-day immigrants to the historic struggles of former residents

PROBLEM

In 2010, Lawrence was commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Pemberton Mill disaster, while combating outsiders’ poor perception of the city. Meanwhile, the City was undertaking a project to create historic interpretive signage as a match to a grant for cultural economic development. After winning the award for the project, I sought to create a history trail that could shift narratives from one that glorified past and present trauma, to one that centered resilience, and innovation at the heart of city’s identity.

SOLUTION

The result was The Path, a system of wayfinding signs and online resources that transformed the worker bee and skein of wool on the city seal into a custom-designed and locally manufactured honeycomb signage system. Additionally, I produced TourLawrence, a location-based documentary that uses physical artifacts to trace the tell the tale of two sisters who were caught in the largest industrial disaster in Massachusetts history.

OUTCOME

• Winner of Indie Spec Best Cinematography Award for a Documentary at 2011 Boston International Film Festival

• Installed at the Lawrence Heritage State Park Visitors Center in their permanent collection

• Wayfinding signage Phase II and Phase III completed following the installation of Phase I