TOLEDO REMANUFACTURED

ABSTRACT :: Think about cities like Miami, L.A. or New York and you can easily arrive at a visual palette in your mind. There is a common understanding of many cities’ color usage, typography, structure and attitudes. Pastels, small swimsuits, Art Deco and Bodega Sans? You’re in Miami, baby. Bright colors, palm trees, eclectic buildings and Cholla type? Like L.A. dude. Dark spray paint, taxi cabs, skyscrapers and Helvetica? New York, you jerk. And if you think of a city like Toledo, Ohio…

Yup, you paused didn’t you? We all do (Toledoans too). Even after a few minutes, Toledo’s mental picture becomes… gray, lake and that place where Katie Holmes or Jamie Farr is from (depending on your age). That is not much of a palette for representing a city whose metro area includes over 600,000 people. Visual expression lives everywhere else; does it die in Toledo? We don’t think so.

Over four weeks the inaugural SWEAT workshop took on 13 fresh faced graphic designers to explore an idea: What is the graphic culture of Toledo? The results became a 192-page book titled, Toledo Remanufactured, featuring 20 visual and written essays that question, collect and interpret the city. The book was later recognized by the mayor and the City of Toledo with an official proclamation for promoting city pride and copies for all libraries were purchased by Toledo-Lucas County Libraries.

PARTICIPANTS :: OLIVIA WEBER // ERIN GARTZ // ERIN CLINE // LINSDY BUSER // ZACH SEUBERLING  // GARRETT BODETTE // KEVIN WOODLAND // MICHELLE LEE // RACHEL GREENFIELD // AINHOA EMALDI AZKUE // AMY FIDLER //  JENN STUCKER