Come Home to Green River was a rural community design project launched by Epicenter in partnership with the City of Green River. This initiative combined downtown revitalization and economic investment efforts with arts and design activities focused on creative programming, community events, and public installations that activate Canal Commons (a new affordable housing development in the heart of Green River) and the adjacent Pearl Baker Park for both the local community and visitor. A team of Come Home to Green River project fellows — Rosie Gochnour Serago, Ashmae Hoiland, Sandra Salvas and myself — were selected through a competitive Request for Qualifications process with local resident input. After spending time with residents at the ground-breaking of Canal Commons and extensive conversations with the Epicenter team on community needs and project goals, a community cookbook was chosen as the primary deliverable from the Fellowship.

Photos by Sandra Salvas.

Beyond an ordinary recipe book, this book shares not only local recipes but also the “ingredients” that make Green River feel like home, featuring contributions from over 75 locals including profiles on chefs and food producers, submissions from artists, and illustrations by Green River expat Cassi Kennedy. Written content and photos were provided by the Fellows as well as students via a collaboration with Green River High School. After a public launch with students and fellows reading excerpts from the book in Pearl Baker Park, an initial run has been distributed to those who live in or love Green River. Copies will also be given as house-warming gifts to eventual Canal Commons residents.

In addition to recipe book design, layout, and art direction, my role over the course of the Fellowship included creating and codifying the visual identities of Canal Commons, Pearl Baker Park, and Destination Green River (the city’s tourism brand). The goal was to make all three brands look distinct but work well with each other (as well as with already-existing designed elements), which I attempted through a common color palette with varying emphases and sharing type treatments/illustration styles. This work was done on top of the brand identity created by HUB for the City of Green River in 2016. Applications so far include a new Green River billboard and interpretive signage in the park.