John Costa
Prior to my relocation to London in late 2018, I was employed by the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, Louisiana, for just over ten years. The Museum is a fast-paced, ever-expanding institution with over 50,000 square feet of permanent exhibit space and an average annual attendance of 750,000 visitors.
As Exhibit Designer, my duties at the Museum were wide-ranging. Responsibilities included the creation, production, fabrication and project management of all the design elements for our temporary exhibits. These elements included logos and key art, text and graphic interpretive panels, digital graphics, resting screens for audio-visual elements, posters, brochures, rack cards, programming guides, promotional materials, advertising, style guides, and way-finding signage. The design process often involved the selection/curation, research, acquisition, permissions contracting and digital editing of imagery.
After eight years at the Museum, my responsibilities were expanded to include the role of Director of Exhibits. The additional duties included the hiring and supervision of two full-time employees, the development and oversight of the traveling exhibits program, the construction and management of a $685,000 (£563,000) annual department budget, vendor contracting and management, implementation of the department’s bidding and purchasing process, the drafting of contracts and schedules, participation in project teams, and long term strategic planning.
Prior to my museum career, I was a self-employed art director/designer working in New York City’s publishing and music industries. Projects included the design and illustration of book jackets, music packaging, logos and posters, as well as magazine work, promotional materials and advertising campaigns. My award-winning work has appeared in annuals and publications from the American Institute of Graphic Arts, The Art Director’s Club of NY, The Type Director’s Club of NY, Print Casebooks, New York Book Show, Graphis and Photo/Design.