If you have been on the road the past few weeks, you might recognize Idaho Heritage Trust’s new billboard in a few places around the state. What you might not know, however, is this billboard not only features but was also designed by Erica Wagner, the same phenomenally talented graphic designer responsible for IHT’s current logo.
Erica did not necessarily set out to be a graphic designer, however. “As an undergrad BFA student at Arizona State University, I never took a design or photography class. That would have been the easy way – not the Erica way,” she says with a laugh. She went on to degree in Fine Arts from Adams State University in Alamosa, Colorado, which proved pivotal for a number of reasons, including meeting her eventual husband.
After graduating, they moved to Kentucky, where Erica became involved in several nonprofits of different stripes. Her first forays into design were somewhat out of necessity – she consistently found the printed materials for these organizations to be lacking, undermining their message and ultimately limiting their effectiveness. She worked diligently to apply her knowledge and develop her innate talent in service of causes that are near and dear to her heart – namely farm and food policy, regenerative farming, and LGBTQ+ advocacy.
Erica and her husband found their way to Idaho over a decade ago, as he pursued a degree in Outdoor Recreation from the University of Idaho, and they have lived in the Moscow area ever since. When approached to design IHT’s new logo, Erica jumped at the chance. “I’ve always been interested in historic architecture and how we preserve the physical things that tell our collective history – the way that not only things change as they age, but also how our priorities as a society change over time.”
Following conversations with the Board and Executive Director, two somewhat conflicting priorities emerged: the logo should incorporate the shape of the State of Idaho, and it needs to communicate a unique sense of place. The natural beauty of the Gem State – grand trees, rushing rivers, rolling hills – was an obvious motif. Similar to her experience with other nonprofits however, Erica felt there to be a disconnect between IHT’s mission and work and this type of pastoral imagery.
Instead, Erica took inspiration from some of the real-world buildings and sites IHT had been involved with in order to create something that is wholly specific and unique to the Trust. Utilizing the shape of historic windows and subtle line work, she turned the State of Idaho into a building of its own. This artfully conveys both IHT’s mission – to serve all Idahoans by preserving our cultural legacy – and the primary way in which IHT carries out this mission – by providing grants and technical assistance to historic preservationists throughout the state, the vast majority of which center around historic buildings. Combining both impulses into one cohesive, visually appealing image is a true testament to Erica’s creativity and skill, and we could not be happier with the results.
Erica has again shared her talents with IHT, this time in the form of the handsome billboard you see here and on a highway near you, which presents a whole different set of design challenges. “Whether you’re in a rural or urban setting, it’s all about getting your message across in as little time as possible. It has to be easy to read, and it has to stick with them. People aren’t Googling things while they’re barreling down the highway (at least we hope not), so you need memorable images and messaging that work together in one tidy package.” In this case, it’s tying the availability of IHT’s new Limited Edition ‘Heritage’ License Plate to our message – Celebrate the Idaho You Love.
Like with IHT’s logo, Erica does this in several ways, allowing the phrase ‘Celebrate the Idaho You Love’ to resonate with Idahoan’s of all stripes. First, we have the natural beauty in the background along with a handsome barn, which speaks to Idahoans’ love for the great outdoors and nods to our agrarian heritage.
Then there’s the lovingly restored ‘67 Mustang, which also serves several purposes on top of looking sharp with our new license plate. For one, it is historic in its own right. Erica’s dad was a mechanical engineer and a lifelong love of fixing up old cars, Mustangs in particular. Her first car was a similar ‘67 Mustang purchased for her brother. Erica drove it while they worked to turn it into a showcar, and it was finicky to say the least – “It would stall out at the worst possible times, like when taking a left through an intersection,” she recalls. Still, it left an impression on her, and in 2003 Erica and her dad found another ‘67 Mustang that she could call her own.
This one, too, was in very rough shape when they found it. It had no wheels and had been spray-painted at least six different shades of red. An avid proponent of form over function, Erica wanted something lovely for her everyday driver, thankfully her dad was very methodical and ensured everything under the hood was more than up to snuff – “I got very good at holding the flashlight and keeping my head out of the way at a very young age,” Erica says with a chuckle. He went so far as to add cruise control and took the time to fix the Air Conditioning, though they stopped short of replacing the manual windows with powered versions to maintain historical accuracy.
Erica moved to Kentucky before the lengthy restoration process was finished, but she remembers “feeling like a little kid” when her parents pulled up, having driven all the way from Arizona in what would be her daily-driver for more than a decade. “I think there is more than a little bit of kid-sister energy to my love for the car. My brother had one, so of course I had to have one, too.”
That brings us to the second reason the Mustang is ideal to communicate our message of Celebrating the Idaho You Love – for many Idahoans, car culture is synonymous with summer in the Gem State. Countless local celebrations include classic car shows, car clubs meet for scenic drives all over the place, and many folks simply enjoy taking in the natural splendor of our state from behind the wheel. Erica appreciates the way classic cars, and Mustangs in particular, have a way of bringing people together across cultures and generations. She’s excited that her nine-year-old son Elliot has started asking to go on ‘Mustang Drives’ when the weather is nice, continuing in the family tradition.
Taken together, the imagery and message work in concert to create a memorable impression on passersby, implicitly suggesting that purchasing this license plate is a way to Celebrate the Idaho You Love, and by doing so, you support an organization dedicated to preserving what you love about Idaho. That such a seemingly simple design can work on multiple levels speaks to the uncommon artistry, care, and understanding of the medium Erica applies to all of her work.
Since she designed IHT’s logo, Erica has returned to her roots, so to speak, lending her talents to other nonprofit organizations near and dear to her heart. Notably, she is responsible for the promotional materials surrounding the award-winning documentary Kiss the Ground, which examines how regenerative farming methods from around the world can “stabilize Earth’s climate, restore lost ecosystems, and create abundant food supplies.” More recently, Erica has returned to school to pursue a degree in Clinical Mental Health, so she can “help people tell their stories, instead of businesses and corporations.” She embarks on her practicum this winter, with an internship to follow in the spring, and, if all goes according to plan, will be practicing later in 2027.
We wish her nothing but success and contentment in this next phase of her life, IHT is thankful to Erica for the incredible work she has done on our behalf, both in creating the logo we love and coming out of design ‘retirement’ to help us with this project.
If you would like to Celebrate the Idaho You Love and support IHT at the same time, please consider purchasing a limited edition ‘Heritage’ license plate at your local DMV or through License Plates | Idaho Transportation Department . IHT receives $25 of the specialty plate fee for new plates, $15 for renewals, all of which go to support our ongoing mission to serve all Idahoans by preserving our cultural legacy. Until the end of the year, 25% of the proceeds will go to support preservation projects located in Idaho State Parks & Recreation properties