Cultural Research – Our Trip Across the United States (and Back!)
Bess founder Christy Mack drove across the United States (and back!) this year with her husband and teenage son. As 2021 comes to a close Christy shares thoughts and photos from her two and a half month journey in the midst of the Covid pandemic and talks about how this research trip will inform the work of Bess moving into 2022.
the trip’s course + purpose
Christy plotted a route that would take her to different parts of the country, allowing her to visit communities and meet people.
Christy’s route took her family from California through Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, South Dakota, and Minnesota until a stop at in Wisconsin. From there, Christy, her husband and son continued on, traveling through Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, and Massachusetts. On the return trip, they went further north after Minnesota, traveling through North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, and Oregon before returning home to California.
Christy believes Bess Brand Studio must speak to who we are today and who we are becoming.
Christy believes the clues of what we want or need can be found by exploring our towns, architecture, and cultural centers and talking to people along the way. She conducted her trip research through this lens, aiming to find insights that would allow her to become more equipped to do authentic work.
Read (and see) on.
our towns – a reflection of us
Town grids, businesses, governments, and community centers say a lot about what Americans want to be part of our everyday lives.
our architecture + interiors
Architecture and interior design is another window into finding out what’s important to Americans today.
Staying in small hotels, familiar motels, Airbnb homes, Vrbo rentals, and with family and friends in addition to walking neighborhoods street by street gave Christy a close up look at our lives.
our arts + culture
Communication through flags, billboards and lawn signs was ever present. People from coast to coast are sharing their voice in large, exposed forms and fonts on their homes, highways, businesses, and cultural centers.
Public art is also emerging across wide swathes of the United States, providing powerful visible expressions of our thoughts and feelings about both American history and what we’re experiencing at this unique moment in time.
our food + drink!
Outdoor dining is everywhere for the foreseeable future.
our landscapes
The landscapes of the United States are vast - and also vastly different.
Christy discovered where Americans live on the spectrum of this vast land tends to define their views on politics, climate change, economics, and spirituality.
what’s next for 2022
With 18 states visited and 6,000 miles traveled, the trip gave Christy an unvarnished view at the culture of the United States during a critical period in our country’s history. It also gave her big insights and a lot of inspiration that will carry her into the New Year.
Christy is clearer than ever that vision and investment is required to make an impact, and she’s set up the studio to help.
see more of our trip
Check out more of Christy’s road trip across the United States on Instagram @bessbrandstudio and keep following us into what’s next.