Michael Motley practices two and three dimensional design in New Mexico and regionally, working with galleries, museums and other cultural institutions on books, branding and identity, and collateral materials including exhibition catalogs, signage and educational items. Past and current clients include the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, The University of New Mexico Art Museum, The McNay Museum of Art, The Museum of New Mexico Press, Damaini Editore, SNAP Editions, The University of Oklahoma Press, The Santa Fe Museum of Art, The Museum of International Folk Art, Carney Sandoe & Associates, Cornerstones Community Partnerships, The Center for Contemporary Arts, SITE Santa Fe, TAI Modern Gallery, Shiprock Santa Fe, Santa Fe Preparatory School, Santa Fe Pro Musica and the Santa Fe Railyard and Railyard Arts District.
At the O’Keeffe Museum, he developed and implemented the original visual identity, creating print materials, lobby signage, banners, and advertising as well as a variety of exhibition and education materials over five years. He designed two books published by Yale University Press and the Museum of New Mexico Press. He also worked with the Museum Shop to develop proprietary print collections and specialty products.
He designed exhibition guides and a book for the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, published by Hudson Hills, and a visitor’s guidebook and holiday gift book for the Chicago Botanic Garden.
He has worked with the Santa Fe Railyard Community Corporation and the Santa Fe Convention and Visitor’s Bureau to map the Railyard properties and create visitor kiosks, signage, and printed and digital maps. He is also developing wayfinding materials for future implementation.
Other projects include monographs on John Connell, with Radius Books; Paul Pletka for Yares Art and the University of Oklahoma Press; William Coupon for Damiani Editore; and Gus Foster for the Museum of New Mexico Press, An essential Solitude by Kathleen Shields for SNAP editions, as well as a commemorative volume on the 50th Anniversary of the University of New Mexico Art Museum, magazines for Searchlight New Mexico and Santa Fe Preparatory School, typography with Tom Joyce for the 9-11 Memorial in New York City, and a series of books for Cira Crowell and InLight Arts.
His pro bono work has been devoted primarily to community social services and arts organizations such as Literacy Volunteers, Youth Shelters & Family Services, Monte Sol Charter School, Roots & Shoots New Mexico, Creative Santa Fe and the Santa Fe Opera Guild.
POSITIONS / PROJECTS / CLIENTS
2016-Present Museum of New Mexico Press. Design of a series of 4 books on the Albuquerque Museum collections and the
Casa San Ysidro; A volume on the life and art of Olive Rush; Painted Reflections, a volume of prehistoric Pueblo pottery; and
Gus Foster: American Panoramas, a monograph on the panoramic photography of Gus Foster.
2019 Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. Design of Georgia O’Keeffe: Words/Works Abiquiu, a book of quotes, paintings and
photographs about the artist’s Abiquiu home, second in a series, including a previous volume of paintings and quotes.
2018-Present Searchlight New Mexico. Design of annual magazine for independent investigative journalism group.
2004-Present VoxLox. Ongoing collaboration with Steven Feld designing more than 20 CD and DVD packages and 4 books including
the recent volumes Voices of the Rainforest and Cool Running: The Story of Por Por Music with Documentary Educational Resources.
2018 Damiani Editore. William Coupon Portraits, a career survey of the photographer’s portraits.
2017 University of Oklahoma Press/Yares Art. Paul Pletka: Imagined Wests, a monograph on the artist.
2010-2015 University of New Mexico Art Museum. Design of exhibition materials including a 50th Anniversary commemorative book, gallery guides, catalogs, banners, wall graphics, invitations and advertisements.
2014-2015 John Connell, Works 1965-2009. Monograph designed in collaboration Brendan Connell and David Chickey for Radius Books.
2013-2015 Santa Fe Preparatory School. Magazine design, including a re-design of the annual magazine, and the 50th Anniversary edition.
2012 Georgia O'Keeffe in New Mexico. Designed for the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum, published by the Museum of New Mexico Press.
2010 Monograph on Frederick Hammersley with Joseph Gugglietti and SNAP Editions for Art Santa Fe.
2008-2015 Santa Fe Railyard Community Corporation. Graphic design including logo, branding, advertisements, mapping, visitors kiosks and wayfinding development.
2007 Chicago Botanic Garden. Design of a Guide to the Gardens and The Wonderland Express, a holiday gift book.
2004-2020 TAI Gallery/TAI Modern. Graphic design of print materials including exhibition catalogs and international print and digital advertising. Designed the book Indonesian Textiles in collaboration with Mary Hunt Kahlenberg and Richard Tuttle, who curated the exhibition for TAI Gallery. The limited edition of the book was included in Tuttle’s traveling retrospective exhibition to 5 venues in the US.
1996-2015 The Pushkin Group. Responsible for publication and advertising designs, as well as gallery signage, banners
and exhibition texts. Designed six casebound volumes on 20th century Russian artists for the Pushkin Gallery in Santa Fe.
2003-2007 Cornerstones Community Partnerships. Design of logo and implementation. Also designed Annual Reports,
and other print materials including newsletters and event announcements.
2001-2005 McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas. Design of exhibition materials. Projects include High Drama: Eugene Berman and the Legacy of the Melancholic Sublime, published by Hudson Hills Press in 2004.
1999-2004 The Georgia O’Keeffe Museum. Responsible for publication, exhibition and educational material designs,
as well as proprietary product designs. Projects won American Association of Museums awards in 2002, 2001 and 2002,
and include the catalog Georgia O’Keeffe and the Calla Lily in American Art, published by Yale University Press.
1999-2003 Santa Fe Pro Musica. Responsible for new branding including logo and all graphic materials from advertisements,
posters and brochures to season program books.
2000-2003 Earth Ear Records. Responsible for brand identity from company name to logo and CD packaging,
including the book Why Do Whales and Children Sing? by composer David Dunn.
1996-1999 Aromaland, a cosmetic company in Santa Fe, NM. Responsible for redesign of entire product line as well as
advertising, promotional and point-of-purchase materials, in collaboration with Daniel Bish.
1993-1996 The Santa Fe Reporter. Conceived, designed and produced over 75 weekly covers.
1994-1995 New Mexico Designer/Builder, a monthly magazine; Designer/Art Director responsible for magazine logo
and original format. Designed and produced a dozen issues.
1992-1995 Designer of Preview, the bimonthly publication of the Museum of New Mexico Foundation.
1991-1993 Designer for El Palacio, the magazine of the Museum of New Mexico.
1991-1993 Designer for Museum of New Mexico Public Relations Department, responsible for brochures, posters and a range of print advertising.
1985-1989 Jonson Gallery, University of New Mexico. Design of exhibition publications including exhibition catalogs for Raymond Jonson and Lee and Matt Mullican.
1986-1989 Stereophile Magazine, an international audiophile magazine based in Santa Fe.
Art Director, designed magazine feature articles, commissioned artwork and photography, and art directed covers.
Also responsible for the design of record covers and other collateral material.
1984-1996 The Center for Contemporary Arts of Santa Fe. Designer of posters, gallery publications, advertising & other materials.
1984-1991 SOUNDINGS Press, Santa Fe, NM. Creative Director, designed books, book covers, Soundings, an international music journal, and various collateral materials in collaboration with Peter Garland.
Other Clients & Projects
Various color catalogs for Zaplin-Lampert and the Allene Lapides Galleries; Logo and collateral materials for The American Geriatric Society’s Foundation for Health in Aging; Gallery Guides for The Museum of International Folk Art Hispanic Heritage Wing and the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture; Catalogs for shows at The University of New Mexico, The Museum of Fine Arts and the Wheelwright Museum in Santa Fe; Book and cover designs for volumes on Paul Bowles, Conlon Nancarrow, Lou Harrison and Jamie de Angulo for SOUNDINGS Press and Compact disc packages for What Next? Recordings, VoxLox, Earth Ear and The Smithsonian Institution.