CENTER FOR ART AND ADVOCACY

Turning a community arts organisation into an institution with the power to shape the face of art.

01 The Center Opening Cover

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02 The Center Book
03 The Center Sign
04 The Center Poster
05 The Center Lockup Motion

THE INSIGHT

When Jesse Krimes and Russel Craig started the Right of Return Fellowship in 2017, they saw how the art world could be transformed by the untapped talent of artists and creatives who share the experience of incarceration. With the establishment of the Center for Art and Advocacy, they’re taking that mission further, establishing sustainable practices for justice-impacted artists. But, to make an impact while serving their community, they needed an elevated brand that was too captivating to ignore and sharp enough to realise these artists’ grand ambitions.

06 The Center Residency Booklet
07 The Center OOH Motion Cover

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08 The Center OOH
09 The Center Social
The Center Social 04

THE IDEA

In working with the brand and diving into the arts landscape, we crafted a position that would realize the organization's ambitions in the face of America’s mass incarceration problem: “Empowering creativity that challenges the limits of incarceration.”

Our strategic framework stuck to the founder’s two guardrails: This is neither an activist organisation nor a traditional gallery. This is about getting great art out of great artists. It became clear that the Center’s mission to support talented creatives is bringing a necessary jolt to an art world that can feel more industry than inspiring. By serving justice-impacted artists, the Center serves all of us, (and especially those of us who love art). The resulting graphic system drives home this impact while extending this mission.

10 The Center Gallery
11 The Center Brochure
12 The Center Hoodie

The logo is both ode and action. Its multiple tiers reference our support for artists at different stages of their creative journeys. The subtle motion drives home our collective work of shifting focus to the future of art, creating a new center to watch.

Our graphic system is designed to create space for artists. It transforms to give featured art and artists space at the center of our imagery, websites, and even our wordmark. This approach moves the population of incredible talent who we serve from the margins of the art world to its focus. Our art direction is elevated, yet intimate. The redesigned website has been streamlined and structured for discovery, highlighting a rich history of partnerships.

13 The Center Website Cover

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The result is a flexible brand that can be easily implemented and evolve with the organisation. It is a signal of their continued dedication to art and brings the future of the organisation into sharp focus.

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