Project Showcase: The Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum's Grand Reopening

Sometimes I feel like a dog let loose in a Squirrel Petting Zoo (let’s just pretend that’s a thing). Who has time to carry its furry captive all the way home to gleefully present it to their owner when there are more squirrels to chase? 

Luckily for us, the Squirrel Petting Zoo is full of awesome projects. Unluckily for you, we don’t always drag home our squirrel trophies for you to see. 

But this squirrel trophy right here. This was a good one:

In a city where many historic buildings have fallen victim to fires, neglect or re-development, the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum juts out from the brutalist landscape like a candle that illuminates our city’s extraordinary history.

However, it became apparent that this candle would melt without a little break from burning. In 2024, the museum completed an $8.2m HVAC and Building Restoration and for the Grand Reopening, we created a custom invitation suite inspired by the architectural and decorative elements that aimed to capture the awe of its significance and beauty.

During a hard-hat tour, we took photos that inspired our design. For example, the ivy border on the invitation was pulled from the walls of the historic courtroom. The variety of lettering styles was inspired by the hand-painted signs and typefaces from the era. Details from the staircase balusters, relief masonry, elevator cage and other fixtures all informed our final design which was illustrated and lettered by hand, letterpress and risograph printed and assembled right here in our shop, just mere blocks away.

We think they turned out great, but that wasn’t even the best part. This was a dream project: inspired by the important work the client is doing, a shared reverence for art and craft and the intersection of values that we both work to uphold. We worked with a team who is passionate about our local history and dedicated to telling its story, even if it means re-telling it through a newly informed and unbiased lens. We felt very lucky to be a part of this project and are grateful to the folks at the CSPM for bringing us together.