Everson Museum of Art: Branding
The Everson Museum of Art is a “Museum of Firsts” — a pioneer in many areas: it is the first contemporary arts museum to dedicate itself to the collection of American art, to create a permanent collection of ceramics, to collect video art, to create a docent program, the first museum fully-designed by by Pritzker Prize winner architect I. M. Pei (who went on to design the Louvre Pyramid!), and much, much more.
We are immensely proud to share some of our branding work done for the Everson Museum of Art, a dream project that started in early 2021, where our studio was tasked with creating a modern, bold, flexible visual identity for all the Museum’s touchpoints with its audience: from entry tickets, to maps, to wayfinding, including an updated website, merchandise, and more.
Our design aims to honor the legacy and architectural marvel that is the Museum, while creating a vibrant, modern brand that responds to the urbanism and climate of Syracuse. The color palette incorporates bold, energetic colors (something particularly important given Syracuse’s long winters and heavy snowfall!), a typography system built on the contrast of serif and sans-serif fonts; and a revised and expanded logomark and wordmark system.
The Everson is home to approximately 11,000 works of art: American paintings, sculpture, drawings, video, graphics and one of the largest holdings of international ceramics in the nation.
The new website, designed by our studio, finally puts the art, exhibitions and collection front and center, with a website layout, information architecture and system of colors and icons that helps convey more information quickly — while keeping large, beautiful photography across all the Museum materials.
The original “spiral” logo is still at the center of the brand, but its geometry has been revised and cleaned, and versions for small screens and favicons have been built. In addition to this, a full flexible visual identity was built, allowing the Museum to create sub-brands with consistency for the first time in its history — from events series to book collections or Museum pop-up projects, the flexible system expands and contracts seamlessly.
Lastly, it is important to mention that four key values were drawn during the months of research and interviews that led to the development of the new brand:
Vibrant: The Everson provides active, dynamic, exciting opportunities to engage with art, artists, and educational offerings. Its one-of-a-kind physical space is home to a wide range of community activities. Our collection and programming are alive and reflect the ongoing evolution of the institution.
Community-Centered: The Everson is a community-powered institution that is open, inclusive, and welcoming. We strive to be a source of local pride that people feel is their own.
Pioneering: The Everson has a long and continuing history of firsts, and is constantly exploring new avenues that are bold, innovative, and experimental.
For Wonder: The Everson fosters curiosity and surprise in visitors of all ages. It provides an unfurled environment where new perspectives and possibilities are born.
These values permeate all the design deliverables built, from maps, to websites, to books. More brand applications will roll out during 2021, so be sure to check out again for updates on this project!
