International African American Museum
Digital Asset Library
In my role as Communications Manager, I supported content strategy and creative direction efforts to position the museum in alignment with its mission for both internal and external stakeholders. I planned, casted and directed on‑campus commercial shoots, and also coordinated and creative produced other routine and project-based brand photo and video shoots to grow an internal digital asset library for ongoing print and digital marketing collateral development, content creation, and press/media readiness.
International African American Museum
Grand Opening Commemorative T-shirt
I art directed and designed the commemorative t-shirt, governed by IAAM brand guidelines, depicting a line drawing of the oceanfront museum alongside text identifying the grand opening date and historically-significant location at Gadsden’s Wharf in Charleston.
International African American Museum x Mia Saine
When the Education Department took to task to help make complex historical content lively and resonant for the museum’s youth visitors, they decided to develop a self-guided student activity booklet for school groups touring the International African American Museum.
I joined the project as art director, developing the creative brief and sourcing award-winning, Memphis-based illustrator Mia Saine (they/them) to bring the booklet to life. Mia’s exceptional ability to capture the intended aesthetic and direction meant their illustrations brought instant clarity and energy to the project. The collaboration successfully demonstrated how thoughtful art direction can help transform “hard” educational content into an engaging and culturally meaningful resource for young learners.
International African American Museum x Hadiya Williams
When the museum’s curatorial team began planning for an upcoming exhibition, "re/Defined: Creative Expressions of Blackness from the Diaspora," I served as artistic liaison and referred acclaimed DC-based artist Hadiya Williams to lead exhibition design. Hadiya’s global/diasporic aesthetic and background in pattern-making and textiles made her a perfect selection for executing the creative vision for the exhibition.
“Jessica led within a very small marketing and communications team to make IAAM shine through various social campaigns, the creation of important brand assets for internal use, as well as supporting the entire institution with needs from copywriting, to signage needs to high quality video production. The depth of her work could hardly be explained—her passion for the work allowed the institution to gain invaluable strategic detail in the way the brand showed up everywhere. It is because of that IAAM went on to have successful programming, capture new audiences, and win various awards and acknowledgements. Jessica represents the highest level of creative work come alive.”
KEIONA EADY
Special Events & Rental Sales Manager
International African American Museum
