A narrative framework developed for the U.S. Department of State
Beyond the Spotlight was developed for the U.S. Department of State through its global American Spaces network as part of the America 250 initiative. The project focuses on creating a unifying campaign around American heroes across disciplines, eras, and identities, using a single narrative system designed to scale beyond one individual story.
At the center of the project was a question that shaped the campaign’s direction: what actually defines a hero? Rather than defaulting to achievement, recognition, or legacy, the work begins by examining the forces heroes are required to confront. Struggle, resistance, sacrifice, and conviction are treated not as background details, but as the conditions that give heroism its meaning. This framing establishes the foundation for a campaign that looks beneath public acclaim to examine the cost of becoming extraordinary.
Maria Tallchief serves as the prototype subject for the campaign. As a lesser-known American hero whose legacy spans cultural erasure, artistic innovation, and personal resolve, her story provided an ideal test case for the system. Using a single figure allowed the campaign to demonstrate how layered narratives can be introduced, absorbed, and expanded, while remaining adaptable to future heroes across different fields and histories.
The Challenge
American Spaces programming reaches international audiences who may have limited exposure to the cultural nuance behind American history and identity. Within the context of America 250, the challenge was to develop a campaign that could celebrate American heroes without relying on familiar myths, surface-level patriotism, or singular narratives of success.
The project required a framework that could communicate heroism as something earned through struggle, resilience, and perseverance, qualities that resonate across cultures. Rather than presenting heroes as untouchable icons, the campaign needed to humanize them, acknowledging the obstacles they faced and the personal strength required to overcome them.
Additional constraints shaped the work. The campaign had to function within a diplomatic and educational context, remain adaptable across different countries and cultural settings, and support a wide range of heroes from diverse disciplines and backgrounds. This demanded a clear, scalable concept that could maintain narrative consistency while allowing for localized interpretation and future expansion.
Role & Leadership
I served as the creative lead for American Heroes: Beyond the Spotlight, responsible for defining the campaign’s central idea and shaping it into a scalable narrative and visual system. My role focused on establishing the conceptual framework, visual language, and structural rules that allow multiple heroes to be represented with individuality while maintaining a unified perspective on American heroism. I also presented the work externally within the context of the American Spaces and America 250 initiative.
- Campaign concept development
- Narrative direction and framing
- Visual language and illustration design
- Art direction across campaign assets
- System planning for multi-hero expansion
- Presentation to institutional stakeholders
Campaign Strategy
Beyond the Spotlight rejects the idea that heroism is synonymous with success. The campaign is built on a different premise: heroes are defined by what they are forced to endure, not by how they are celebrated afterward.
Rather than treating struggle as context, the campaign makes it the narrative engine. Each hero is framed through the systems, forces, and consequences they pushed against. Cultural erasure. Racism. Sexism. Political retaliation. Institutional resistance. These pressures are not secondary details; they are the conditions that give achievement its weight.
This structure allows the campaign to honor accomplishment without mythmaking. It presents heroism as an active, ongoing choice made under constraint, not a moment of recognition granted after the fact. The system is designed to scale across disciplines, eras, and identities, applying a consistent lens to heroes shaped by resistance rather than ease.
Execution
To execute the campaign’s strategy, a single hero was selected as a proof of concept. Maria Tallchief provided a clear and powerful test case, not only because of her achievements, but because of the tension she carried between identity, expectation, and resistance.
The visual execution centers on duality. Tallchief is illustrated through contrasting compositions that reflect both her Native American heritage and her role within a European art form that historically excluded people like her. These identities are not treated as opposites to be resolved, but as forces held in balance. The work emphasizes contrast through black-and-white illustration, simplified forms, and restrained palettes, allowing character, posture, and expression to carry meaning.
Rather than depicting heroism as transcendence over adversity, the imagery presents Tallchief’s circumstances as the very conditions that shaped her strength. She did not succeed in spite of resistance, but through it. By bringing both sides of her story into a single visual system, the execution reinforces the campaign’s core premise: heroism is formed by pressure, not by ease, and greatness does not require the erasure of self.
Outcome & Future Direction
Beyond the Spotlight establishes a clear, scalable framework for representing American heroes through complexity rather than myth. By centering resistance, identity, and endurance, the campaign demonstrates how heroism can be communicated in a way that resonates across cultures without relying on simplified narratives or symbolic patriotism.
The prototype proved that a single, well-defined system can support nuanced storytelling while remaining adaptable across disciplines, eras, and identities. The work functioned both as a complete campaign and as a foundation for future expansion, validating the strength of the concept and its ability to scale beyond one hero.
The campaign was intentionally designed as an open framework rather than a closed execution. With additional time and resources, the system could be extended to include multiple heroes, expanded formats, and localized interpretations across different American Spaces. The core structure is in place, allowing future creative teams to build upon it without diluting its intent.