Project Overview
“20 Years of Cleveland Hip Hop & Music” is an exhibit at Cleveland Public Library’s downtown branch, curated by Quincy “Big Heff” Taylor. It celebrates two decades of the city’s hip hop scene through curated sections, real artifacts, community events and an opening-night celebration.
STS Media designed and built a one-page website for the exhibit, giving it a home online that tells its story, introduces its curator and keeps visitors up to date on events.
The Challenge
The exhibit had a lot to say and no website to say it. Content arrived over several months in emails: exhibit descriptions, a curator bio, event flyers, press links and 166 photos from the exhibit floor. There was no logo, no brand colors and no existing site to build from.
The page needed to honor twenty years of culture, stay easy to read on a phone, and stay truthful. Every date, name and description had to come from the client, not from guesswork.
The Solution
STS Media organized the material into a single scrolling page that mirrors the exhibit itself. Visitors move from the opening story to the six curated sections, the artifacts, the curator, upcoming programs, the opening-night gallery, press coverage and the visit details.
The site was designed and prototyped first, then rebuilt in WordPress with native Elementor containers so the client can manage it going forward. The previous homepage was kept in place for an easy rollback.
Key Website Features
One-page exhibit site with section navigation.
Six curated section tiles matching the exhibit’s layout.
“From the cases” artifact section featuring framed exhibit pieces.
Curator section with Quincy “Big Heff” Taylor’s story.
Program section for “Cleveland Hip Hop: The Next 20.”
Upcoming events with date, location and a clear next step, including the Ohio Hip Hop Awards Reunion Dinner.
Opening-night photo gallery.
Press section collecting seven pieces of coverage.
Visit and contact section for Cleveland Public Library, Downtown.
Mobile-friendly layout with reduced-motion support.
Design Direction
With no logo supplied, the design leans on type and texture. The look takes its cues from the cassette era: a near-black canvas, a subtle grain overlay, poster-scale headlines and a bright yellow used only for calls to action. Faint full-bleed photos and a ghosted “20” give the page depth without competing with the content.
The hero features a 3D illustration of a vinyl record, a cassette and a chrome microphone, created by STS Media and labeled as decorative art so it is never mistaken for an exhibit artifact.
Content Strategy
The rule for this project was “nothing invented.” Every line on the page traces back to the client’s own materials. Rather than fill a twenty-year timeline with guessed dates, STS Media left it out. When an event date and weekday didn’t match, it was flagged for the client instead of published.
Photo selection followed the same discipline. Out of 166 exhibit photos, 16 were chosen and prepared for the web, with the real artifacts placed front and center.
Outcome
The Cleveland Hip Hop exhibit now has a dedicated website that matches the energy of the exhibit and the culture it celebrates. Visitors can learn the story, meet the curator, see the artifacts and find upcoming events in one place.
The result is a culture-first website built from real content, ready to grow as the exhibit adds programs and archives.
Services Provided by STS Media
Content organization from client materials
Website design
Design prototype
WordPress and Elementor development
Photo selection and web preparation
3D hero illustration
Event and program section setup
Press section setup
Mobile-responsive design
Accessibility and reduced-motion support
