America I AM: The African American Imprint Opens in Philadelphia
Countdown to Change
January 15, 2009
Kicking off a momentous week in American political life, the world premiere opening of the “America I AM” exhibit presented by Tavis Smiley at Philadelphia’s National Constitution Center caps a multi-month effort by organizers Arts and Exhibitions International and Cincinnati Museum Center, with design team The Hettema Group, and exhibit producer Nancy Seruto of Seruto & Company --all working with one goal in mind.
“When we began the design process on this project none of us knew who would win the Democratic party nomination, let alone the final election,” says Phil Hettema, Creative Executive, of The Hettema Group. “This has been an amazing ride. I cannot think of any other exhibition that is both as prescient and current as America I AM. “
The flexibility in terms of artifacts and what exactly would be included at opening presented certain challenges for the design process. When the Seruto & Company and The Hettema Group first brainstormed with Arts and Exhibitions International, The Smiley Group and a team of expert consultants, there was a list of knows and unknowns. The approximate square footage of 15,000 was a given. But the configuration of the spaces would change for the different tour destinations. More challenging still was that the artifacts on display were not committed. The mission for The Hettema Group’s lead designer, Eric Parr, was to create a flexible space that would tell the story and provide a compelling frame for artifacts.