Public Domain
Title
Public Domain
Creator
Maxwell, Kylyn
Abstract
Public Domain is an imagined Brooklyn-based nonprofit that offers a solution to the recent government funding cuts in the arts. Developed from a project prompt that challenged us as designers to identify a problem and propose a creative solution, Public Domain envisions a new model of artistic support rooted in community and collective impact.
The name Public Domain signals a rejection of exclusivity, emphasizing accessibility over financial barriers. Public Domain uses social media, physical advertisements, and experiential events such as A Gala for the Arts, to generate donations that are redistributed to galleries, studios, and independent artists across Brooklyn.
The organization’s visual identity is intentionally loud. The logo showcases multiple bold, layered silhouettes of human figures, symbolizing the convergence of creatives into a single, unified community. A vibrant color palette of pink, purple, yellow, orange, green, and blue cuts through the everyday static while paying homage to the color wheel, a foundational tool studied by artists across all disciplines. The merging of these colors within the logo reinforces the idea of unity within the Public Domain community, regardless of medium, background, or skill level.
Contrasting this vibrancy, the use of halftone patterns and black-and-white imagery introduces a gritty, urban edge inspired by the graffiti-covered streets of Brooklyn itself. By juxtaposing high-energy color with photos of intimate studio spaces and galleries, Public Domain positions the viewer not merely as an observer, but as a stakeholder in its creative community who can make a difference for the art world as a whole.
The name Public Domain signals a rejection of exclusivity, emphasizing accessibility over financial barriers. Public Domain uses social media, physical advertisements, and experiential events such as A Gala for the Arts, to generate donations that are redistributed to galleries, studios, and independent artists across Brooklyn.
The organization’s visual identity is intentionally loud. The logo showcases multiple bold, layered silhouettes of human figures, symbolizing the convergence of creatives into a single, unified community. A vibrant color palette of pink, purple, yellow, orange, green, and blue cuts through the everyday static while paying homage to the color wheel, a foundational tool studied by artists across all disciplines. The merging of these colors within the logo reinforces the idea of unity within the Public Domain community, regardless of medium, background, or skill level.
Contrasting this vibrancy, the use of halftone patterns and black-and-white imagery introduces a gritty, urban edge inspired by the graffiti-covered streets of Brooklyn itself. By juxtaposing high-energy color with photos of intimate studio spaces and galleries, Public Domain positions the viewer not merely as an observer, but as a stakeholder in its creative community who can make a difference for the art world as a whole.
Date
2026
Citation
Maxwell, Kylyn, “Public Domain,” MU Libraries Digital Exhibits and Online Forums, accessed March 31, 2026, https://library.missouri.edu/exhibits/items/show/300.
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