If you’re following us on Instagram you’ve probably seen us post some shots of our new publication, VALLEY MMAG. We’ve been dreaming of creating our own local publication for a while and we’re so thrilled that VALLEY MMAG has finally launched!
What is VALLEY MMAG?
VALLEY MMAG is a new Hudson Valley publication focused on uplifting the ideas, stories and creators behind Hudson Valley based businesses. We are focused on featuring designers, entrepreneurs, restaurateurs, farmers, artists and makers in the area. Our first issue is a big-picture snapshot of some of our favorite spots in the valley. We are proud to be a part of this vibrant and talented community and look forward to seeing this project grow in upcoming issues.
VALLEY MMAG is a true passion project inspired by our collaborative relationships with local subcontractors, designers and craftspeople. Think of it as a love letter to the Hudson Valley and to its makers, movers and shakers.
Designing VALLEY MMAG
We wanted to create a magazine that didn’t feel like you were flipping through a bunch of advertisements. Each business has its own special moment in the magazine and each spread is different. While all of the pages are unique, a clean layout brings all of the pages together as a cohesive magazine.
Our Table of Contents was a fun spread to design because there are so many ways to go about designing the layout. We wanted the strong images of each contributor to speak for themselves and for the Table of Contents to be a creative spread in and of itself. Since the magazine is being launched alongside an office of architects, we wanted the spread to be strong in its simplicity with pops of special moments – mimicking the design aesthetic of our firm.
We wanted VALLEY MMAG to stand out, and after some very helpful feedback from some of our contributors, we opted for a 7” x 9” magazine format. We think the smaller magazine size makes VALLEY MMAG easy to grab on the go and allows it to feel more personal. In typical architect fashion, we spent a lot of time deliberating the finer details, including paper type. We loved the feel of newsprint, but wanted the magazine to have a bit more heft – so we landed on a medium weight satin paper.
In Conversation With…Dana McClure of Ravenwood
While we love each and every one of the spreads in our first issue, we have to give a special shout out to Dana McClure, who was the focus of our first feature! We chose to call the series In Conversation With – a special focus on a particular artist, business, maker or creator in the Hudson Valley.
For our inaugural issue we could think of nobody better to chat with than Dana McClure, visual artist and co-owner of Ravenwood. Dana’s work is bold, colorful
and immediately evokes a Hudson Valley sensibility, and Ravenwood has been a summer mainstay in the Hudson Valley for nearly a decade. Its recent reinvention and
evolution further intertwines Dana’s passions for art with her partner’s passion for food, and continues to build upon the community spirit that has been a cornerstone of Ravenwood since its inception. Read more about our conversation with Dana in our first issue – and if you haven’t been able to snag a copy, a digital version is now available online!
VALLEY MMAG Issue 01 Contributors
Of course, this magazine wouldn’t and couldn’t exist without our contributors! Huge thanks go out to Hudson Valley Al Forno, Braxton Alexander, The Starlite Motel, The Catskills Cocktail Club, Dana McClure, Ravenwood, Whitfield Chair Co., Montauk Catch Club, and Mill & Main. We cannot emphasize enough how thrilled we are to have you as part of our inaugural issue!
A lot of our contributors in Issue 01 are friends of ours – but we are looking forward to expanding our contributors for our next issue. If you’re interested in getting involved feel free to contact us at studio@maricamckeel.com. We’d love to hear from you!
VALLEY MMAG has been a goal for our studio for some time now and we are so proud that it has come to fruition! We are very excited to get started on the next issue super soon and are aiming to publish four issues a year!