Danielle Covatta Riva is a New England-based exhibit designer
with over a decade of experience working in museums.
About
Danielle is a multidisciplinary exhibit designer skilled at working in architecture, graphic design, and interior design as well as content research and development.
On each project she begins by developing a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter and then translates the content into a strong spatial and visual design program. Danielle excels at thinking conceptually and then seeing ideas through to detailed design plans. She strives to engage museum visitors of all ages and abilities by creating environments that are immersive, educational, accessible, and entertaining.
Danielle has worked for world-renowned exhibit design firm Ralph Appelbaum Associates and in-house at wide variety of cultural institutions including the Museum of Science, the New-York Historical Society, George Washington's Mount Vernon, and the Smithsonian. She holds a BA in architecture from Smith College and an MS in interior and exhibit design from Pratt Institute.
Recent Projects
Development of exhibits for the headquarters of a cultural heritage organization
Two object-based history exhibits for a museum of printing
Interpretive planning and exhibit design for a regional history museum
Two visual history exhibits and live animal displays for a maritime center
Architectural dioramas for a coastal history and culture museum
An immersive and interactive exhibition space for a science center
Development of exhibits for a new African American history and culture museum
“As a designer I love the iterative process of taking a project from ideation to installation and then seeing visitors interact with my work. As a lifelong museum lover I chose to work in exhibit design because I enjoy the constant opportunities to learn about new subject matter myself before translating that content into an engaging and educational experience for other museum visitors.”