Jocelyn Curry

Art & Joie de Vivre

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As a retired lettering artist and illustrator, I still create a lot of visuals and have fun doing it. My website is a place I can post and share them from my Shoreline, Washington studio in my home.

An Iconic Symbol: The Seattle Public Library Globe

November 23, 2025

Did I need a deep plunge into a new blog site, right when such a time-consuming challenge really didn’t fit into my crowded calendar? The answer, no surprise, is “no” but at least I was able to navigate the mind-befuddling process of transferring the data from my old platform to this new, AI-enhanced version of good ol’ WordPress. My previous experience of working on good ol’ WordPress wasn’t stellar, so I’m hoping to improve my relationship with it asap. So far I have been able to upload my seasonally appropriate squash painting! But now, HOW do I get rid of “Hello World!” which was placed there by Good Ol. I’m not sure about this, but I think Good Ol’s default tips will stay on this, my First Post until I figure out how to discretely remove them without being told “This is not a good idea.” At least I got my squash up on this new site for your viewing pleasure! Happy Thanksgiving :-).

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Library globe logo

As a logo designer I expect my designs to come and go as the marketing world ebbs, flows, and changes. Therefore I am especially happy about the endurance of the Seattle Public Library globe (which I drew) that appears as part of the logo for this outstanding library system in my home town. The entire logo project was art directed by Seattle designer Bridget Culligan, founder of Golden Lasso, a Seattle design firm. While the drawing looks like it may have been jotted down on a napkin, it in fact took a lot of revising due to Bridget's renowned design scrutiny. As I recall, there were many faxes back and forth with my variations and tweaks. Yes, it was done back in the day of faxing, not emailing. It's an elderly logo now!

In 2015, the Library's name and branding were subject to a major review. Designers were asked to submit new names and new logo concepts. What happened? A lot of money was spent on the new development, but the familiar, popular logo survived and prevailed, as did the name of the library system. Thus, the globe-within-a-book lives on all around the city. 

(Please click here to read about the rebranding rejection)

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