Night at the Yards

Night at the Yards is a benefit gala that supports Living Classrooms, an organization that provides hands-on education and mentorship to children and young adults living in high-risk areas throughout DC and Baltimore. Living Classrooms offers dozens of opportunities, including music and arts initiatives, school outreach, employment training, and numerous outdoor and environmental programs like urban gardening and exploration of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Kids can even help sail historic ships in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and on the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers! The gala—which features music and food from forty local restaurants—is one of Living Classrooms’ biggest and most critical fundraising events of the year.

Inspired by the event’s location on the historic DC waterfront near the Navy Yard—and as a nod to the organization’s maritime origins—I created an invitation suite featuring custom illustrations with a nautical theme. A color scheme of sky and navy blue sets off the metallic gold of the illustrations, which—along with the use of various display cuts of Caslon—gives the invitation and reply card an upscale but festive appearance. We also designed a poster and rack card to promote the event.