April Newsletter: Creative Corner— Glenstone Museum, Creative Works WEST, 2025 Pattern Trends & Purposeful Branding in the N/A Space

The April edition of Creative Corner spotlights a month rooted in curiosity, craftsmanship, and emerging design direction. From immersive museum installations to thoughtful brand identity work, this issue brings together a curated mix of inspiration for creatives, marketers, designers, and brand leaders navigating what’s next.

We begin with a visit to the Glenstone Museum in Potomac, Maryland, where refreshed indoor pavilions feature new works including Alex Da Corte’s Rubber Pencil Devil (Hell House). Blending neon sculpture with video, Da Corte’s piece explores humor, nostalgia, and pop-cultural storytelling—making this free, reservation-only museum a must-see for anyone seeking contemporary art that pushes emotional and conceptual boundaries.

Next, our Conference Spotlight turns to Creative Works WEST, an event designed to help creatives navigate shifting industry terrain—from AI to evolving market demands. Through hands-on workshops, inspiring talks, and meaningful community connection, this Seattle-based conference fosters creative growth and essential skill-building for today’s design landscape.

In 2025 Design Trend Spotlight, we explore the rising importance of patterns as core brand assets. Once treated as secondary visuals, patterns are evolving into strategic tools that strengthen brand identity, add depth across touchpoints, and create instantly recognizable visual language—from packaging to digital platforms. Their role in elevating consistency and character makes them one of the year’s most influential design directions.

This month’s Artist Pick highlights the beautifully crafted identity for BERO, Tom Holland’s non-alcoholic beer brand designed by NYC studio CENTER. With a custom serif wordmark, heritage-inspired details, and a hand-drawn fish drawn from Holland’s hometown crest, BERO exemplifies intentional, elevated branding in the growing N/A category—a space that deserves more purpose-driven, design-forward storytelling.

In What’s in the Oven, we share a new digital ad campaign created for Autos Drive America, blending subtle Americana cues with a clear focus on the people powering the automotive industry. The campaign underscores the economic impact of international automakers, who have invested $109 billion in U.S. operations and support more than 2.4 million jobs—highlighting growth, shared opportunity, and the human side of manufacturing.

Rich with design insights, branding trends, cultural highlights, creative industry events, and automotive storytelling, this edition of Creative Corner offers a thoughtful snapshot of the ideas shaping the year ahead.