The client wanted to create a goodwill campaign that empowered a challenged community. As fans of New Orleans and its unique culture, we immediately aimed our sights on neighborhoods like the Ninth Ward. In a community like this we'd be able to create something far more meaningful than a campaign.

We presented a concept that involved creating artwork representative of the community's resilience and evolution through art and music. The connection to art and music struck a chord with the client as something that could have long-lasting effects. After aligning with the client we determined to build the idea even further by establishing something that can feel ownable and reusable for the community.

After finding the right group of local artists, architects, and craftsmen we searched for a building that could be transformed into a new home for the arts community, We used the campaign money to buy and renovate a warehouse into a magnificent center for the arts. Paper Machine, a two-story work of art, houses a kinetic sculpture dedicated to the city’s history of printing, a gallery floor for events, a print room with vintage and modern presses, and a secondary floor for artist residences. We launched the arts center and handed ownership to a local group of designers and artists who run the center to this day.