The Fort Des Moines Museum & Education Center was built to honor the first officer class of African-American men of 1917 and the establishment of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps.

This was one of the first projects for which I was charged with the task of designing and producing the graphics. It was a great honor to have a hand in telling the story of the first black Army officers and the pioneering Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps. The finished exhibit strikes balance between a memorial and an interactive/educational exhibit.

This artifact case and this mural act as a transition between the Interwar Gallery and the WWII Gallery. The WWII Gallery focuses on the contributions of the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps.

Various exhibits and kiosks enumerate the contributions of African-American officers. The straight-forward graphic style allows visitors to easily find and understand the many stories that make up the larger history of African-American officers.

An introductory graphic, above, locates the visitor, explains the purpose of the museum and invites further exploration.

African-American officers influenced, and were influenced by, the French musical culture. This interactive exhibit, above, plays samples of compositions created by officers who spent time in France during WWI.

This audio-visual exhibit speaks to the experience of WAAC enlistees.
John Metcalf was the lead designer of this exhibit while I was responsible for implementation of the graphic program.