Donor Walls Sign - Addition To Our Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibition Project At Royal Ontario Museum
Built for the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto as part of the Dead Sea Scrolls: Words That Changed the World exhibition, this donor recognition wall had to work in English and French with neither language reading as a translation of the other.
The solution combines 1" dimensional letters for the exhibition titles and patron names with flat vinyl decals for subheads, sponsor logos and government-partner credits — hierarchy built from material and depth rather than type size alone. Custom Greek-key frames cut from 3/8" painted MDF surround the exhibition imagery throughout the hall.
Raking gallery light across the 1″ dimensional letters — the depth is what separates a built donor wall from a printed one. The “Changed the World” subhead is flat vinyl, so the eye reads the two layers in order.
Description:
The full bilingual head — DEAD SEA SCROLLS over LES MANUSCRITS DE LA MER MORTE — with co-chairs and patrons Mohammad Al Zaibak, Tony Gagliano and Jonas Prince credited between them. Both languages carry equal dimensional weight; neither reads as the translation.
Distance view of the donor wall, on the right our previous project at the ROM with rusted and patina finishes which can be found at this link
Setting the sponsor and government-partner logos below the main head. Vinyl decals here rather than dimensional letters — hierarchy is done with material, not just size.
The French head at a viewing angle, where the cast shadow doubles the letterform. Painted dimensional letters, flush-mounted with concealed studs.
Every image on the wall was framed in a custom Greek-key surround cut from 3⁄8″ MDF and painted to match. Behind it, the Hebrew dimensional lettering falls out of focus.
Adam checking letter spacing against the Hebrew line before the adhesive sets — the last moment anything can still move.