Behold A Hall Scene.

Beautiful and Fair.

Cape May is a historic resort destination on the southern tip of New Jersey. Congress Hall is one of Cape May’s most prominent and historic hotels with roots in the 19th century.

Behold A Hall Scene.

Beautiful and Fair.

Cape May is a historic resort destination on the southern tip of New Jersey. Congress Hall is one of Cape May’s most prominent and historic hotels with roots in the 19th century.

With a storied past, including a performance on the lawn by John Philip Sousa and visits from U.S. Presidents Franklin Pierce, James Buchanan, Ulysses S. Grant, Chester A. Arthur, and Benjamin Harrison, Congress Hall has always been a premier destination. This project brings to life the vibrant history of Congress Hall, always an important local and social icon, with an artistic representation of two well-known quotes from the Ocean Wave (1865) and the Philadelphia Aurora & General Advertiser (1801). With a bold, deconstructed design, it’s a showcase piece.

The Situation is Beautiful.

(Then we made it a little weird.)

Because Cape May and Congress Hall have such a long history, we had a lot of inspiration as we thought about how to approach this project. But how do you capture all that history in one piece? We started with a rough, digital painting of a serene beach scene with a stylized version of the quotes. It was nice, but it didn’t feel big enough for what Congress Hall was - a standout building and destination that has lasted more than 100 years.

The Situation is Beautiful.

(Then we made it a little weird.)

Because Cape May and Congress Hall have such a long history, we had a lot of inspiration as we thought about how to approach this project. But how do you capture all that history in one piece? We started with a rough, digital painting of a serene beach scene with a stylized version of the quotes. It was nice, but it didn’t feel big enough for what Congress Hall was - a standout building and destination that has lasted more than 100 years.

Fun. Vibrant. Chaotic.

weird. majestic. entertaining.

Eventually, we settled on using the idea of the roaring 20s - a vibrant era with a distinct feel to it, including the flourishing advent of art deco - as a starting point. As we moved through the project, the idea of art deco became a guiding force. In the end, the idea to deconstruct that symmetry seemed to capture what we were after. We broke up one of the quotes into distinct sections separated by vivid colors and stylized graphical elements to give the piece a distinct feel of drama. We paired that with a simple yet colorful treatment of the second quote to make both pieces pop alongside each other.

Fun. Vibrant. Chaotic.

weird. majestic. entertaining.

Eventually, we settled on using the idea of the roaring 20s - a vibrant era with a distinct feel to it, including the flourishing advent of art deco - as a starting point. As we moved through the project, the idea of art deco became a guiding force. In the end, the idea to deconstruct that symmetry seemed to capture what we were after. We broke up one of the quotes into distinct sections separated by vivid colors and stylized graphical elements to give the piece a distinct feel of drama. We paired that with a simple yet colorful treatment of the second quote to make both pieces pop alongside each other.