RWD designed Crossroads and Connections, a permanent exhibition in the Dolph Briscoe Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin. The Center is an organized research and public service facility that increases knowledge and fosters the exploration of the nation’s past through stewardship, scholarship, and outreach. As one of the nation’s leading history research centers, the Center collects, preserves, and makes available documentary and material culture evidence encompassing key themes in Texas and U.S. history.

RWD worked closely with the Center to design an exhibit that showcases its extensive music collection. The Center’s resources include more than fifty-thousand commercial and field recordings, embracing every genre of music from traditional cowboy songs to hip-hop. The collection includes archives of local, national, and internationally known musicians, including Townes Van Zandt, Willie Nelson, and Ian McLagan. RWD incorporated multiple interactives where visitors can experience the music collection on site.

These exhibits are reflective of the Center’s identity – an active, compelling, creative, and diverse research institution. All exhibits were carefully constructed to be memorable, resonate with all visitors, raise awareness of research possibilities in the Center’s collections, and increase the Center’s profile.