The Cheshire

Three people standing and talking on a city sidewalk in front of an old brick building with a large green door under a blue sky.
Black and white logo with stylized shapes forming a crown above the word "Cheshire."
“The Cheshire, Morse and PAKKE co-founder Emmett Ferra were among the first to come to Fay’s mind. “We want to make it easier for people to connect with artists and the creative community in D.C,” Morse says. “We are hosting interesting, unusual, creative happenings in the space.”
— Elizabeth Tuten, The Washington City Paper

Cofounder & Creative Director · 2018-2020 · Cultural Venue (Washington, DC)

A Washington, DC cultural venue I named, branded, and creatively directed end-to-end — operating at full capacity for two years across brand activations, gallery programming, retail tenancy, and an in-house production studio.

WASHINGTON POST · WASHINGTON CITY PAPER

The Cheshire was a Washington, DC cultural venue I cofounded and creatively directed across 2019-2020. I authored the name, the wordmark, the environmental design, and the programming thesis — and operated the venue end-to-end across 12,000 sq ft of industrial warehouse space. The venue ran four parallel programs under one roof: a rotating slate of brand activations, gallery exhibitions, a long-term retail tenancy with Tribute Collective and Charix Shoes, and an in-house digital production studio. My role was authorship, not contracting. I named and branded the venue, co-designed the visual identity and signage system, co-directed the buildout of the interior environment, set the curatorial thesis that decided what programming the venue would and wouldn't host, and structured the cofounder partnership and operating spine. The Cheshire only worked because one person was authoring identity, environment, and programming at the same time. The venue operated at full capacity for two years, hosting thousands across the run, with press coverage in The Washington Post and on Washington City Paper positioning The Cheshire as one of DC's most active cultural venues of the period.

Interior of a rustic room with brick walls and large windows showing a rainy street outside. The room has a leather sofa, a small round table, artwork, bicycle helmet, and a large black lamp.
Audience members sitting and standing in an indoor space, attentively watching or listening to an event or presentation, with diverse individuals in casual clothing, some wearing glasses, and a colorful geometric artwork on the wall in the background
The image shows an indoor art gallery or studio space with a black ceiling and white walls. There are paintings and artwork displayed on the walls. Two men are standing and talking in front of the artwork. There are various items scattered on the flo
Group of six people sitting and talking in a casual indoor setting with brick walls, large windows with green graffiti-style art, and eclectic lighting fixtures.
People participating in a yoga class or workshop in an industrial-style studio with paintings and models for instruction.
People socializing inside a cozy cafe with an open garage door, vintage decor, and a mix of seated and standing individuals.
Two men are working on a bicycle in a workshop. One man is holding a bicycle wheel and the other is smiling. The workspace has tools, a bicycle frame, and a lamp. There is a chandelier on the ceiling and a colorful wall mural in the background.
Two individuals painting and posing in front of a colorful graffiti mural on a brick wall, with one painting and the other smiling.

Cofounders: Emmett Ferra & Amy Morse

Creative Direction: Emmett Ferra & Amy Morse

Brand Identity: Emmett Ferra, Amy Morse, Ian Fay

Environmental Design: Emmett Ferra, Ian Fay, Jonathan Fain

Operations: Emmett Ferra, Amy Morse, Ian Fay

Production Studio: PAKKE, Lookout Productions

Retail Tenants: Tribute Collective, Charix Shoes

Press: The Washington Post & Washington City Paper