Arts District Branding Initiative: Update on Banner Designs

Last night at the Hamiltonian Gallery, the Arts District Branding Committee unveiled the latest round of designs for the street banners that will hang throughout the neighborhood. The designs unveiled last night are based off of the feedback received at last weeks meeting, when the original design ideas were unveiled.

As the DC Arts District blog states, "Five original graphic designs illustrate the vibrancy of the Arts District. Four strong, bold colors create the color palette. Each logo banner is topped by a "buzz word" that is descriptive of this Arts District."

The designs are included below, but first some context. The Committee raised several points regarding the "whys" of the designs previewed last night, including:

* We now have a slogan: "It's more than art"

* There was strong pushback from individuals and groups, including the residents of the Shaw neighborhood and councilmember Jim Graham, regarding the use of the term "Mid-City" in the name of the arts district. Reasons cited included the lack of a strong geographic identity conveyed by the term and potential confusion with other existing "mid-city" groups, such as the Mid City Business Association and Mid-City Artists.

* There was also overwhelming feedback that the names of the district's three core neighborhoods--Shaw, Logan and U Street--be incorporated into the branding.

* The Committee has finalized potential names for the district: the U Street/Shaw/Logan Arts District, or the U Street/Shaw/Logan Arts + Design District.

* Each "designed" panel will appear alongside a panel consisting of art provided by area artists, including photographs, sketches, paintings and other visual mediums. The "designed" panel will always appear on the "street" side, whereas the artist panel will appear on the sidewalk side.

* There was a conscientious effort to include "DC" imagery in at least some of the banners--you'll note in the images below the use of the District outline and Logan/Shaw streetgrid, replete with traffic circles. The circles, in fact, show up several times throughout the banners.

The banners that were presented last night ca be found below. What do you think--will they contribute to the ongoing development of the neighborhood? Do you like the design? More information about each, as well as updated status on the project--which is set for a public unveiling throughout the neighborhood in early December--can be found at the DC Arts District blog.

1. DC Arts District


2. Arts + Design District


3. DC Arts District ( generic)


4. 4 in 1 montage

Tonight: Mid-City Artists Reception; This Weekend: Mid-City Artists Open Studios

This weekend is supposed to provide us with some sunny--if a bit chilly--weather. (In other words, perfect as far as I'm concerned.) So if you're looking for an excuse to be out-and-about in our neighborhood, you might want to take advantage of a couple of arts-related activities.


Tonight, Mid-City Artists is hosting an artist's reception at the Hounshell Real Estate/Gary Fisher Gallery located at 1505 14th Street from 6p-8p. Appetizers courtesy of the Cap City Brewing Company will be served, and all of the Mid-City artists will be in attendance.

This weekend, those same artists will be hosting open studios throughout the neighborhood. A map of all participating artists and their locations can be found here.

Finally, this Monday, November 8, the final of two public meetings regarding the Arts District logo/branding concepts will be held from 7p-9p at the Hamiltonian Gallery at 1353 U Street NW. Those interested in reviewing the preliminary concepts unveiled at the last meeting may do so here.

Two Deadlines Upcoming in Arts District Branding Initiative

As the initiative to brand the "arts district" (the area bordered by 16th Street, Florida, U Street, 7th and Massachusetts) continues, two deadlines are quickly approaching--one this week, and one next week.


If you are an area artist and would like to have your work considered for use as one of the street graphics (i.e. banners) that will appear throughout the district, the deadline for submission of artwork is tomorrow, October 15.

The competition is open to artists throughout the city. Judging for the winning submissions will be completed by November 3, winning entries will be on display throughout the area by November 7th, and the banners will be installed by December 1 - in time for the holiday shopping season. More info can be found on the Arts District blog, DCArtsDistrict.blogspot.com.

The second deadline pertains to the naming of the district. If you have attended any of the arts district public meetings, you know that the subject of the name of the district has been a point of much discussion. Until October 22, everyone will have the opportunity to submit his or her choice for the name of the district. Simply go to DCArtsDistrict.blogspot.com and register your favorite name there. The winning name will be announced shortly thereafter.

If you're looking for additional background information on the arts district project, you may view the ANC2f Arts Overlay Committee report here, or read our previous posts on the topic here.

Third Arts District Branding Public Meeting Monday @ Jewish Community Center

The third public meeting regarding the branding and marketing of the so-called Mid-City Arts District will take place tomorrow (Monday) at 6 7:30 pm at Theater J in the Jewish Community Center, located at 16th and Q streets NW. Among the items up for discussion include:

-What do you think are the unique/special characteristics of this district?
-What does "ART" and "ARTS DISTRICT" mean?
-How do you think the district should be named?
-Do the proposed boundaries capture the intensity of the marketable arts assets in this district?


The last point is something that has come up at both prior public meeting; that is, the question of whether the boundaries for the arts district are too large. How, it has been asked, can a singular brand be applied to an are that encapsulates both 7th and M streets and 16th and U?

The simple answer is that it can't. The arts district, as it has been defined, includes a number of neighborhoods with established identities, such as Shaw, Logan Circle, Dupont Circle, U Street and LeDroit Park, among others. Clearly, no single brand can effectively convey the unique attributes of each of those areas. Thus, the arts district should be thought of more as a collection of established neighborhoods--perhaps even a small city--with an overarching identity as a center for the arts and for commerce. Think "U Street in the Arts District", or something similar.

If you have thoughts or opinions to share about this or the other topics listed above, please plan to attend tomorrow evening's meeting and have your voice heard. Participating on the panel will be two executives of the Toronto-based design and branding agency L.A. Inc., who will share their thoughts and perspectives about establishing an identity for and marketing urban neighborhoods.

Additional information about the Mid-City Arts District project can be found on their blog, midcityarts.blogspot.com.

Next Arts District Branding Meeting to Take Place on Tuesday @ Warehouse Theater

Welcome back, everyone. I hope your commute back into the city were painless (if you left, like we did) or that you enjoyed a long weekend around our fair city if you stayed local.

If you're out and about tomorrow evening, I'd urge you to drop in on the next meeting of the Arts District Branding discussion, taking place at the Warehouse Theater from 6p-8p. This is a tremendous opportunity to engage community leaders, artists, business owners and are organizations in a discussion about how to brand and market what is currently termed the Mid-City Arts District. The decisions that come out of these meeting will ultimately have a substantial impact on the marketing of the neighborhood to city residents and tourists alike, and will thus impact the arts organizations, artists, businesses and residents of the neighborhood.

If you missed the first meeting last week, Borderstan has a great recap of the event. The agenda for tomorrow evening's presentation can be found below. For more information, please visit http://midcityarts.blogspot.com.

Presentations & Street Graphics Competition Update:
6:00 PM - 6:45 PM:
-Welcome by Co-Hosts Alex Padro / Paul Ruppert
-Welcome and project overview by Andrea Doughty, Project Coordinator
-What do we mean by “Branding and Marketing an Arts District?” by Carol Felix, Lead Branding Consultant
-Update on the Streets Graphics Competition by Carol Felix

Dynamic Panel Discussion:
6:45PM- 7:30 PM:
-Jennifer Cover Payne: President, Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington
-Paul Ruppert, Producing Director, Warehouse Theater
-Alex Padro: Executive Director, Shaw Main Streets
-Myla Moss: Board of Directors, Howard Theater Restoration
-Martin Moulton: President, Convention Center Community Association
-Gerry Widdicombe: Director of Economic Development, Downtown DC B.I.D.

Public Dialogue, Questions:
7:30 PM- 8:00 PM:
-Michael Altman, Facilitator
-Andrea Doughty, Project Coordinator

Public Meeting This Tuesday: Branding and Marketing the Mid-City Arts District

These are vastly changing times around Logan and U Street.

Last year, the ANC2F Arts Overlay Committee, of which I was a member, took a look at the so-called "Mid-City Arts District"--essentially the area centered around 14th and U streets, but also including stretches of 9th, 7th and Florida. We wanted to examine the current state of the neighborhood and chart a course for its ongoing development and evolution. One of the things we examined was the question of how the neighborhood is perceived, both by neighborhood residents as well as those outside of it.


Are we a nightlife destination? An arts center? A home for high-priced restaurants, furniture stores and fashion boutiques? And, perhaps most importantly, how do we *want* the neighborhood to be perceived--and what can be done to facilitate that?

The answer to those last questions will begin to be answered this Tuesday, August 31, at the first of three public meetings that will help determine the direction of the branding and marketing of the neighborhood, as well as to introduce the 'Street Graphics" competition. The evening promises to feature an interesting and lively discussion, and will include overview discussions of the project and its importance to the neighborhood by Andrea Doughty, project coordinator, and Carol Felix, Lead Branding Consultant.

That will be followed by a panel discussion that includes Andy Shallal, owner of Busboys and Poets, Mark Chalfant, director of the Washington Improv Theater, Rev. Sandra Butler-Truesdale, owner of the Emma Mae Gallery and a 14th and U historian, and others.

This will be a tremendous opportunity to learn about the 14th and U/Mid-City neighborhood and, most importantly, have a voice in the direction of its future.

The event will take place from 6p - 8p, in the Langston Room at Busboys and Poets, at 14th and V streets. For additional information about the initiative, visit www.midcityartsdistrict.org.

To learn more about the Arts Overlay Committee and read our final report, visit www.anc2f.org/arts. I hope to see you at Busboys this Tuesday.