Client: Madison College South Campus

Overview

In 2019, ZEBRADOG once again partnered with Madison College to create an active, cultural storytelling series at the new South Campus. The new campus is aimed to serve minority and underrepresented students in the diverse neighborhood where they live, while also giving the South Madison community a place to call its own ­— bringing Madison College and the community closer together.

Goals

With a strong commitment to the diverse South Madison neighborhoods, Madison College sought to give the community a catalyst to tell its stories. As you enter the college, 17 different languages welcome you from above. Further into the space, you’ll discover the stories of student journeys through an inspirational digital experience framed by a patchwork of tiles forming the Madison College brand. Making your way up the colorful main stairs, the patchwork expands in a wave of art, color, pattern, and photography. A culmination of dozens of collaborative workshops with community members, this decorative mosaic weaves together imagery of cultural traditions and heritage, highlighting various cultural heirlooms. Moving on to your next class, make sure to take in the diverse array of murals, all created specifically for the Goodman South Campus by local African American, Latinx, Hmong, and Native American artists.

Process

The design featured four ethnic groups from the area; Ho-Chunk, Latinx, African American, and Hmong. We held individual focus groups with each group, where we invited attendees to give feedback on the design. We collected the photographs, textures, patterns, and dimensional objects from these community members. Representatives of each cultural groups gave their final blessings on the design.