The work behind the visuals.

A committee member came to me about sponsorship. The conference wasn't struggling. It had run for years, and the community around it was strong. But sponsorship growth had plateaued, and she wanted a way past that. I saw an opportunity in how narrow the conference's identity was.

The audience was already broader than the name suggested. Dancers, worship arts practitioners, and educators were showing up. On paper, though, we were still a singers-and-musicians conference. I made the case that we should widen the identity to reflect the full arts education picture. That wasn't the obvious move to the committee, and it took some pushing to get everyone aligned.

Once we were, the work moved quickly. The conference became the Singers and Musicians Conference of the Arts, with a workshop framework that pulled in worship arts beyond music. I designed the new identity system and rolled it out across every digital surface: site, event graphics, promo materials, social. The system had to signal the wider scope without walking away from the gospel-rooted community the conference had built.

The rebrand opened conversations that hadn't been available before. Universities in particular started responding. Berklee College of Music partnered with the conference because our expanded arts education focus aligned with their outreach goals. That relationship brought multi-year sponsorship and scholarships across several conferences. It also put the conference into more national conversations about arts education, particularly in Detroit.

When I started designing for Gospel Choice in 2018, the show's visual presence didn't match where a new ownership team wanted to take it. The ambition was clear. Broader appeal, stronger credibility, more nominees, an international audience. The design needed to catch up to the strategy.

I took on the full communications system. Awards show materials, promo flyers, and a set of nomination assets that artists could use in their own promotion. That last piece mattered more than it looks. Every nominee who posted their nomination graphic gave the show another impression in front of a new audience. The brand traveled through the artists themselves.

As the main show grew, I designed for the fringe events with the same treatment. Indie Artists Rock became a premier showcase for independent gospel artists building awareness. Artistry Evolution turned into a serious workshop track for the wider community. Both needed to feel connected to Gospel Choice while carrying their own identity.

The trajectory has been steady. Nominee counts increased. The audience broadened. Both fringe events built their own reputations. What started as a design refresh grew into a full visual brand system carrying an expanding platform.