Fundraising for art education goes virtual
CLIENT
Cranbrook Academy of Art
WHEN
February–April 2021
ROLE
Brand Identity Strategy
Brand Identity Design
Messaging
Project Overview
We worked with our alma mater, Cranbrook Academy of Art, on the identity for STUDIO 2021, an event that supports both the Academy and Cranbrook Art Museum. STUDIO is a celebration of creativity that gives guests a look into the practices of the Academy's 100-plus current artists, with images, video, and art for sale. It raises essential funds for student scholarships, the Academy's 11 departments, and programming at the Museum.
STUDIO had always been in person. When the pandemic moved it online, the audience grew well beyond Southeast Michigan, where Cranbrook is well known to local donors. That meant introducing Cranbrook to a much wider crowd, raising awareness of the event, and inspiring people to become part of Cranbrook's present and future.
The concept. We invited the audience to become an early fan of the next big artist, designer, or architect to come out of Cranbrook, while getting to know the alumni and artists-in-residence who built its legacy. The messaging connected past and present, pairing a notable designer like Harry Bertoia with a current student like Meredith Morrison.
The system. To stay budget-conscious, we delivered it through social media, with Instagram posts and matching stories. The design system shows off a wide range of artwork without stealing the show.
Project Brief
Bring audiences inside and outside Southeast Michigan to "attend" STUDIO
Celebrate the legacy of the Academy: past, present, and future
Project Challenges
Feel like Cranbrook (avant-garde, cutting-edge) while staying approachable, legible, and easy for the Cranbrook team to use
Build a flexible system that can hold a wide range of student work, imagery, and text
Balance the history of well-known alumni, who were predominantly white and male, with a more diverse present and future
