The "Ryman" Style

I just finished a poster for an event in North Carolina called "Experience Hendrix". The poster looked great and I have got a ton of positive criticism for my use of color as well as the use of negative space, and the cleanliness of the image. The person ordering the design wanted a poster in the style of the Ryman Auditorium.

The Ryman is a place that was originally created for religious sermons, but eventually became the home of the Grand Ole Opry. Hatch Show Print has a long history with the Ryman, and the Ole Opry. In fact, there is an entire case at Hatch dedicated to Grand Ole Opry images. Last weekend when my family came to town, we toured the Ryman and got to stand on the same stage that country legends-and a bunch of tourists-have stood on.

Upstairs at the Ryman is a hallway of Hatch Show Prints. Most of them(or maybe all, I forgot)are signed by the artists they promote. Some of them are really great prints, some of them are mediocre, but they all have the "Ryman Style".

What is the Ryman Style anyway? That is the same thing I asked myself as I opened the folder for the Experience Hendrix assignment. The difference is that a traditional Hatch poster is very wordy, little negative space, and is usually used to advertise something in particular, while a Ryman show poster is more about art, and is used as a collectors item or souvenir bought at the event instead of advertising the event.

My next assignment is to design a poster for the "Jammin' to beat the Blues" concert. It is a benefit for the Mental Health Association of Middle Tennessee. This show is at the Ryman, but they did not ask for "the Ryman Style". This is because it is less about the souvenir, or artistic aspect of the show and more about the advertising of the event. It is a very basic, 2 color print, with a lot of text like a traditional Hatch Show Print poster. Because of this it may not end up on the wall of the Ryman with an autograph on it, but it is still cool to think about the long Ryman/Hatch tradition that I am becoming a part of. To see more of the Ryman's Hatch collection click here