Onset designer brings art to villages

Jun 19, 2019

For Emily Santangelo, a designer and Onset native, the opportunity to design banners for Main Street in Wareham and in Onset Village was an opportunity to give back to the community she loves.

“It’s kind of like a little bit of a gift,” Santangelo said.

The banners, which feature a hand lettered “Shop Dine Relax” logo on a yellow and blue gradient background, bring a summery look to the villages.

Santangelo said that she wanted to create a design that was modern while capturing the town’s historic charm — a goal she worked towards with assistance from town planner Kenneth Buckland and Jasmin Farinacci, the assistant to the Planning Department.

When she found out about the slogan, Santangelo knew she wanted to incorporate hand-lettering. As a freelance designer, Santangelo works in a variety of mediums: She is a lettering artist, a photographer of everything from weddings to products, and a graphic designer.

“I have always been a creative,” Santangelo said. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in graphic design, she worked a full-time job before deciding she wanted to work for herself.

“It’s just been amazing,” Santangelo said.

She is working on another big project in Wareham: flyers, place settings, and invitations for this years’ “Meet Me at the Tremont.”

Santangelo said that she wanted to tell other designers that they can make a career anywhere.

“A lot of designers think that they have to move to a big city or somewhere that isn’t your hometown,” Santangelo said. “Now I’m doing what I love in my hometown and it’s totally possible.”

For more about Emily Santangelo, go to www.santangelostudio.com.