“I came to canada as a refugee.
Forty-five years later, for me, Canada is a refuge still.”

— Joe Schlesinger Testimonial at Pier 21 Museum, Halifax

Olympic Ceremony Book

Art of the Opening Ceremony program book
Vancouver Olympics
DAE Global

A total of 60,000 copies of the Vancouver Olympic Opening program book were printed to guide the stadium audience seamlessly through the unfolding of the opening ceremony.

The execution of Olympic ceremonies is a highly secretive and covert artistic endeavor. A strict policy is enforced, ensuring that none of the show's stories or details are leaked to the public prior to the event. Consequently, the program book was intentionally designed to maintain a level of abstraction, avoiding any concrete revelations about the show. The graphics within the book were crafted with a deliberate approach, enabling a clear understanding of their significance only in retrospect, after the ceremony had taken place.

My task involved meticulously designing all the graphics within the book, adhering to the mentioned constraints from start to finish. The layout and structure of the book were expertly executed by Chad McCullum, an exceptional designer and a close friend, from One by One Design. The printing was done by local Hemlock Printers.

Protocol segments

Olympic ceremonies are typically structured into two discernible segments: protocol and cultural. The protocol segment, characterized by its prescriptive and official nature, was depicted in the opening book using a "2D style" employing white impasto brush strokes. These strokes were applied with a subtle, abstract touch, incorporating elements referencing the protocol segment in an understated manner.

Cultural Segments

Typically, the most memorable section of an Olympic ceremony is the cultural segment, which showcases or alludes to the nation's eminent artists, current and past cultural figures, along with their notable contributions. In this particular show, illustrious names like Lawren Harris, Emily Carr, Sara McLachlan, kd lang, Leonard Cohen, Ashley MacIsaac, among others, were featured. Within the book, the pages dedicated to this segment were artistically enhanced, creating a three-dimensional effect. Silver strokes gracefully danced in clusters, shaping forms that subtly mirrored the themes of each act.