“Wednesday’s child is full of woe”
–Monday’s Child, 1830s

Spanning over 17 years, AIGA Boston (The Professional Association for Design) and ICA/Boston have collaborated to highlight the work of today’s leading designers and thinkers through this annual lecture series. This year’s featured guest speakers are Kevin Grady and Adam Larson, founders and creators of Wednesday, a new publication heralded as “The Bible of Dark Culture.” Grady and Larson, in a bewitching presentation aptly titled “Darkness Is a Catalyst for Creativity,” will share a behind-the-scenes look at the development of their unusual publication and provide a sneak peek at their upcoming second issue, slated for release this summer. Wednesday has been called “an experiment in publishing” by Steven Heller, and it received a Silver Medal at the Society of Publication Designers annual competition last year. Don your blackest attire and crank up The Cure, because Halloween is coming early this year to the ICA!

Get in the Wednesday mood with a drink and light bite from the Wine + Coffee Bar and tunes from DJ André Obin known for his atmospheric and emotive soundscapes, which blend electronic, synth-pop, and post-punk influences from 6 to 7 PM.

About the Speakers

Kevin Grady is the Founder, Creative Director, and Editor-in-Chief of a new annual publication and brand called Wednesday, which explores darkness as a catalyst for creativity in art, music, fashion, film, and beyond. Wednesday is a 2024 Society of Publication Designers Silver Medal winner. Kevin also brings over 30 years of branding and advertising experience in his role as EVP, Executive Creative Director at Accenture Song. Previously, he led design at FCB—D&AD’s 2020 Design Agency of the Year—and was a member of FCB’s Global Creative Council. Other notable roles include positions at Siegel+Gale, IDEO, and Crispin Porter + Bogusky. Kevin has worked on numerous brands, including Google, Boeing, Converse, Gap, MTV Networks, Blue Origin, State Street, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, and the Psychedelic Furs. His work has been recognized at Cannes, the Emmys, D&AD, The One Show, and many others. For the FDA, he redesigned the famous Nutrition Facts Label, which was unveiled at the White House by Michelle Obama. He previously founded two award-winning pop culture publications, Lemon and GUM, and collaborated with an eclectic list of icons, including David Bowie and Daft Punk. He is signed to Cleopatra Records in Los Angeles under the moniker Black Plastic.

Adam Larson is an award-winning multidisciplinary design leader, creative director, art director, designer, and writer with over 25 years of experience shaping iconic brands. As founder of boutique brand consultancy Adam&Co, he’s worked with global names like Nike, Adidas, Converse, New Balance, Uniqlo, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Pharrell Williams, Herbie Hancock, CNN, Estée Lauder, Harvard, and MIT. Currently, as Global Brand Creative Director at HOKA, he leads the development of high-impact campaigns, immersive retail, brand experiences, brand identity and storytelling across all brand touchpoints. His work has earned honors from Cannes Lions, Clios, The One Show, D&AD, Commarts, and the Emmys, and has been featured in exhibitions and publications worldwide. In collaboration with Kevin Grady, he was a founding editor and art director of Lemon Magazine and is a founding editor and creative director of Wednesday Magazine, The Bible of Dark Culture. In 2021, he co-authored and self-published a book with his partner, Charles McEnerney, titled Dear Graduate which was recently picked up by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House.

Accessibility

  • Accessible seating is available first-come first-served and may be selected upon theater entry. Please contact our Visitor Services team at visitorservices@icaboston.org or 617-478-3100 for more information.
  • Assistive listening devices are available for all theater programs at the theater entrance.
  • A link to live captioning will be shared by the day of the event and will be available in the theater.
  • ASL interpretation is available by advance request; please contact our Visitors Services team at 617-478-3100 or visitorservices@icaboston.org to make a request.

Are there other access accommodations that would be useful to help you fully participate in this program? Let us know at accessibility@icaboston.org or learn more about Accessibility at the ICA at icaboston.org/accessibility.