You might not know the name “Lauren Marvell.” But if you’ve spent any time exploring Milwaukee, you almost certainly know her work.
Marvell is the artist behind eye-catching designs adopted by organizations across the city. Her work has appeared on posters for Milwaukee County Parks, beer cans from Hacienda Beer Company and Central Waters, the Milwaukee Art Museum’s annual ornament, and even Culver’s nationwide “Thank You Farmers Project.”
Her self-described “colorful and goofy” approach transmits the exact kind of playful vibe we wanted for our Fall Membership Drive, so we were beside ourselves when Marvell jumped on the chance to design the centerpiece of our drive: The Giving Tree.
You can see the logo (and Marvell’s other wonderful work) in the image at the top of the page. But if you just glanced at it, go back and look closer. It’s a Where’s Waldo approach that beautifully encapsulates much of what Radio Milwaukee brings to our community. From Amplifier and Grace Weber’s Music Lab to our stations and performance space, you’ll find little pieces of us throughout Marvell’s wonderful finished product.
Recently, she sat down with Salam Fatayer and shed some light on the opportunity to “come up with this space that couldn’t and shouldn’t exist — these rooms kind of stacked on top of one another, and these large slides and ladders and ropes going from place to place.
“It’s this space where you can hang out and listen to music and meet exciting people in the community,” she continued. “Radio Milwaukee is that already, without slides and ladders and stuff, so I kind of wanted to make the place look as fun as it already is.”
You can hear the full interview using the player at the top of the page, then visit her website to see more of her work and pick up a poster, t-shirt and other items featuring her designs.
