Montauk Chamber of Commerce Welcome Center Public Art

Location-Based | Design Pitch and Install

Deep local research paid off with every tiny detail in this public art installation.

The Brief

The Montauk Chamber of Commerce sought proposals for their welcome center for their 2024-2025 season, to be seen by three million visitors that year - around two million that summer, alone.

The MTK initials would mark the center of town as a popular photo op, with locally fabricated letters.

The Idea

Montauk is where the natural and the cultivated meet; wildlife and bikers share the sidewalk. I wanted to avoid trite or overdone depictions of a Montauk holiday; beach waves, the famous lighthouse, a picturesque sunset. None of these images are bad - In fact, a holiday isn't complete without them. But how can we capture the variety and vignettes of Montauk, combining the natural and the curated?

The Plan

The pitch formatted the sign to emulate the illustrative style of Chinoiserie, Blue Willow, or Delftware, to allow multiple elements to be brought into a cohesive pattern. It's also a cute nod to the town's thriving food scene.

The colors were selected in reference to the wampum, polished shell beads from quahog and whelk shells, used by the native Montaukett tribe.

Silhouettes of local birds and ocean wildlife were pulled from Coastal Research & Education Society of Long Island, Inc (CRESLI) whale watching expeditions. Other elements include: surfers, bikes, the lighthouse, sailboats, fishing tools, seals, turtles, lobsters, sharks, deer, whales, dolphins, rabbits, the Montauk Daisy, the Beach Plum, the Seaside Goldenrod, and vignettes of popular shores, cliffs, dunes, and stars.

The Problem

This sign had to survive the summer! The ocean-salted air and unpredictable weather (and young children climbing the MTK) had to have little to no effect on the intricate patterns. A deep dive into resilient materials ensured the design didn't go on vacation.

Additionally, we had two days to transfer the intricate sketch into real life. Having a collaborator was a phenomenal asset here, who used an Apple Vision Pro to translate the design directly from iPad to sign.

I even had an unexpected collaborator in Delilah, a little artist who stopped by (as did much of the community) to lend a hand to the project's creation.

The Product

The Montauk sign was installed in May, and was a huge hit! In fact, I was welcomed back to design mug and t-shirt designs for the annual Montauk Clam Chowder contest held during the autumn festival. By far, the best part of winning this pitch and completing the work was seeing family photos taken with the landmark for months and months.

Chowder logo design idea

Chowder logo design idea

Final Chowder Festival logo, post client feedback