The Malinda Berry Fischer Exhibit
The Malinda Berry Fischer Exhibit was created to celebrate the life and career of Malinda Berry Fischer, a woman who was a pioneer of many firsts for women in the executive suite at a time when professional opportunities for women were scarce. An Oklahoma State University alumna with a noteworthy family history at the University, Mrs. Fischer set new standards for success.
I was primarily responsible for designing, drafting the text for, and constructing the exhibit, while most of the research and overall structure was provided by my colleague and personal friend of Mrs. Fischer, Cathy Shuffield, who also helped in the editing process. The digital component of the in-person exhibit, a collection of interviews with Malinda intercut with facts and information from the exhibit, was provided by OSU Library multimedia producer Nina Thornton. The exhibit was completed August 2020 and is still on display at the Edmon Low Library.
When designing and constructing the exhibit, I took the environment surrounding the gallery into heavy consideration. The exhibit is meant to be read from the left-most case to the right-most case, but due to the layout of the mezzanine where it’s located, most visitors would be approaching from the right and see the right-most case first. Because of this, several elements of the design, including the custom typeface of the logo, were created with the intent to lead the viewer’s eyes from left to right. Lighting and the study space directly in front of the cases also influenced elements of the design.
After the in-person experience was complete, I also created an online version of the exhibit for the Fischers to share with family and friends who couldn’t make it to Stillwater.
Mrs. Fischer and her husband, Dick, were overjoyed by the execution of this exhibit, and have made regular visits to see it and share it with friends and family. As a result of our efforts, the Fischers made a sizable, unsolicited donation to the Library.
