When we started planning the American Heart Association (AHA) Cleveland’s 2018 Heart & Stroke Ball, we knew it would be relocating to the internationally renowned Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA). When thinking about a theme, we knew right away that “art” would be the focus. We worked with the AHA team to envision collateral for this event from beginning to end, starting with a blank canvas.
When sponsors received their “save the date”, it came in the form of a personal visit from coordinators of the Ball, who presented them with a nearly blank canvas. It simply said: “Work of heART. Coming soon to a museum near you,” along with the event date.
When guests received their “save the date”, they got a card that was a blank canvas on one side and the beginnings of a painting on the other. The painting, commissioned from local artist Jacqueline DelBrocco, was an impressionistic preview of the event they were being invited to attend – depicting guests inside CMA’s atrium, including a dancing couple complete with swirling red dress. By the time they received their formal invitation, the painting was complete.
The event theme was woven through the entire event – on invitations, signage, menus, place-settings, and even live entertainment. We commissioned live performers to represent characters from famous works of art; they emerged from framed set pieces to entertain our guests while Jacqueline DelBrocco painted the whole event in real-time. To complete the theme, Jacqueline’s live event painting was made into a thank you note and mailed to all of the event guests and supporters.
