Wednesday, January 27, 2010

South of Broadway (art of Alexander Kruse)

I attended a high school program tonight - a joint partnership between the Madison Museum and the Putnam County School System.  (Can't tell you the last time I was in a high school auditorium). The museum loaned 15 (10 oil paintings and 5 etchings) works to the school by Alexander Kruse.  The students did research into the artist and presented their findings in a short film by the PCHS art department.  The school band played jazz music from his era - 1940s and 50s and the students dressed in era clothes to celebrate the opening night of the gallery exhibit.  Their exhibition materials are being registered with the Huntington Library Museum in California that maintains the Kruse archives. 
It was a great example of the programs the museum is hoping to continue as they work with students to educate them in fine art, art restoration and art history research. 




Monday, January 25, 2010

Branding Questions & some answers

MADISON MUSEUM OF FINE ART INC.

1. What do you offer? works of art from the masters; art education in a setting that is intimate and beautiful; demonstation of how visual art history can inform and enrich contemporary life in a way that inspires life-long learning; special event location; memorable journey

2,  What are the core values of what you offer?  buzzwords: World-class, classic, intimate, educational, sophisticated and spiritual / both director and board secretary heard my adjectives and didn't change anything (but the board secretary thought that world-class might sound a little arrogant - looking to find a way to soften it) / founded on Christian values but value all faiths

3.  What is your mission?  to collect, preserve, interpret and imaginitively display original, visual art by internationally renowned art masters, in a lively, intimate, pedestrian-friendly atmosphere for the education, edification, and spiritual nourishment of all persons living and traveling in Georgia

4.  Any specializations within your company? art history knowledge and education in an intimate setting / connecting with student and educational community

5.  Target audience market? everyone living and traveling in Georgia (a bit broad), all students,
90% Contributor demographic:  older individuals, settled-in, in a stable career or moving toward retirement, master's degree or experience, upper management, interested in giving back to the community / wealthy community in Morgan County

2006 Demographics for Morgan County (Madison)
Households 6,658
Average Income $62,842
Median Income $47,229
Male 48.59%
Female 50.70%
White 65.46 %
Black 31.65 %
Asian 0.40 %
Other 2.49 %
Hispanic (% of above) 1.94 % 

Occupation / County / Draw Area / Total
Draw Area = Green, Jasper, Morgan, Newton, Oconee, Putnam & Walton Counties
Professional, Technical, Managerial / 37 / 904 / 941
Clerical and Sales / 58 / 1,309 / 1,367
Service / 26 / 692 / 718
Agricultural, Forestry, Fishing, etc. / 0 / 56 / 56
Processing / 17 / 153 / 170
Machine Trades / 31 / 418 / 449
Benchwork / 11 / 221 / 232
Structural Work / 25 / 556 / 581
Miscellaneous Occupations / 91 / 1,270 / 1,361
Total / 296 / 5,579 / 5,875

Education
This focus on the future has resulted in a four year graduation rate of 85%, one of the highest in the State.
Total enrollment for 2006-2007 is 3342 students with an average student teacher ratio of 14:1.

Industry Sector / Firms / Employment / % Emp. / Weekly Wage
Management: Companies/Enterprises / 22 / 433 / 0.61 / 1,462
Utilities / 17 / 879 / 1.23 / 1,120
Mining / 7 / 70 / 0.1 / 1,038
Wholesale Trade / 321 / 2,314 / 3.25 / 780
Finance And Insurance / 299 / 1,966 / 2.76 / 779
Manufacturing / 298 / 11,998 / 16.84 / 763
Professional, Scientific/Tech Svcs / 478 / 1,854 / 2.6 / 753
Transportation And Warehousing / 208 / 1,675 / 2.35 / 701
Construction / 1,181 / 7,105 / 9.97 / 678
Information / 72 / 774 / 1.09 / 654
Educational Services / 113 / 8,407 / 11.8 / 631
Public Administration / 133 / 4,192 / 5.88 / 594
Real Estate And Rental And Leasing / 286 / 816 / 1.15 / 590
Health Care And Social Services / 416 / 6,529 / 9.16 / 577
Agriculture, Forestry, & Fishing / 94 / 818 / 1.15 / 523
Other Services (Except Government) / 427 / 1,506 / 2.11 / 446
Retail Trade / 751 / 10,182 / 14.29 / 434
Administrative And Waste Svcs / 347 / 3,122 / 4.38 / 421
Arts, Entertainment And Recreation / 64 / 645 / 0.91 / 290
Accommodation And Food Services / 337 / 5,975 / 8.38 / 250
Total / 5,962 / 71,346 / 598

6.  Existing tagline or slogan? "bringing art history to life" (implies all 5 senses, interaction, )  Motto - A sublime walk into the history of art and beauty" other images:  Jewelry box, significant art, journey/path, European boutique, intimate and not stuffy,

From the answers you've gathered so far, what is a personality/character that could represent you?  (celebrity, car, etc.)



1953 Bugatti: classic, sporty, fun, appealing to broad audience
Charlton Heston: classic, well-loved, spiritual (Moses) / I'm thinking George Clooney

What qualities about this character stand out?  Is the personality innovative, creative, energetic, or sophisticated?  Classic, sophisticated, quality, excellence

How does this personality interact with your target audience?  Which qualities get the attention of your audience?  matches qualities to contributors but not necessarily to target audience which is students
Challenge:  "We're the new kid (beside the Madison-Morgan cultural center and the Steffen Thomas museum) Most people in the community don't distinguish from one another,  if they have given to one they don't see a need to give to another, they are lumped together although they are very different
"This means that we have a very shallow pool (puddle) to pull from in the communities"  Looking to seek more opportunities with grants where branding can really help

Attractive, well-endowed, treasure-filled museum and garden seeks open-minded, nature-loving, fun-seeking adventurers for time and space-travel, color infusion, eye-opening art education partnership.  Must be prepared to stimulate all senses, enjoy cozy, intimate settings, learn from the fine art masters and be tolerant of slow moving artifacts.  Ability to see with the wonder of a child a plus.  Stuffy critics and art snobs need not apply.

Inspirational Museum Logos

I found several regional museum logos and a few that really inspired me.  I want the logo to be simple, elegant and sophisticated - very much like Fernbank and the Atlanta Botanical Gardens (love their websites too). Interesting how several just use type/color and no other symbol. 






fernbankmuseum.org






atlantabotanicalgarden.org



high.org







atlantahistorycenter.com








museum.nhm.uga.edu






art.uga.edu (Lamar Dodd School of Art)

Buzzwords

After visiting the museum and talking to the director, I chose the following words to give my impression of the museum.

World-class
Classic
Educational
Intimate
Sophisticated
Spiritual

1st Visit to Madison Museum of Fine Art, Inc.

I talked to the Director of the Museum, Michele Bechtell, and was invited to visit on January 18, 2010.
The museum was opened because one of the artist from UGA was picking up his work which had been on display for about 3 months.  I learned that they support graduate students from UGA by exhibiting their works. 

The museum is enchanting.  It is very intimate and the director is warm and passionate about art.  It is easy to see how much they love bringing art to people.  I felt welcome like a close friend saying "make yourself at home - my home is your home" and really meaning it.

I was impressed with the amount of information about the museum on the website, specifically the collection.  I wanted to experience the place for myself and see if the director was open to working with me.  I fell in love with the museum and am very excited about this project.

She said the museum would be moving soon.  They have outgrown their current location and would like to expand the museum and gardens.  This will also lead to a name change.  They will probably not be in Madison as there is no location in the historic district to expand and they will not use the name of the town in the new name.  So I will have to design a logo/brand that will fit the museum without using initials.

They have a Medievel Mary Garden in the back of the museum.  It is the perfect backdrop for weddings and other events.  Part of their 'business' is hosting gatherings like weddings, family reunions, birthday parties, etc.

I have so many images now:

Medieval Mary Garden





The MMoFA has a Medieval Garden.  It's very peaceful and welcoming.  So filled with symbolism, each flower and color represents Mary and Christ by it's name, fragrance or color.  So many of the paintings of Mary show the garden and the symbolism.
scu.edu (santa clara university)






Whistler's butterfly monogram




The museum has a lithograph by James McNeill Whistler that shows his famous butterfly signature. 
mr-whistlers-art.info & flickr.com


Ammonite fossil

The museum has an ammonite fossil.  It is the most gorgeous iridescent reddish golden color - dated to 66 million years old. 
flickr.com

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Decision Made


After presenting our companies to the class, the decision was made to go with the Madison Museum of Fine Art, Inc.  I'm very excited because no one else is doing a museum and I do feel a connection to Madison.  I love Madison ("the city Sherman refused to burn").  We've visited the annual, antibellium Tour of Homes several years.  I love the gorgeous homes, mixed with the history and especially the wrap around porches. 



The Madison Museum of Fine Art, Inc. website has wonderful information and many pictures of their collections. After reading through the website, I get a sense of their passion for art and passion for educating others about art.  It looks like a charming place - time to visit.


Branding Assignment Pick a Company

JANUARY 14, 2010

We will be working over the entire semester to brand/rebrand a company - from black and white logo to stationary, business cards, print advertizement, mailer, and specialty item.  The first step is to research and pick a company that you will use throughout the semester as your inspiration for the project. 

I wanted to pick a company that is local so that I can talk to them and gain insight by visiting and building a relationship. Yesterday I drove around Conyers looking for places that inspired me and that I felt would most need and be open to my help. Here are the several I considered.

PERK UP! COFFEEHOUSE
This is a quaint coffeeshop in Old Town Conyers.  I passed it and from the outside it was originally someone's home, then became someone's office, now it's a coffeehouse.  I have never been inside but think it would be cozy and intimate from the outside.  I love the atmosphere of a cozy coffeeshop and think this would be an interesting choice.  It's just starting in the community and has no website.

CAPELLI'S SALON
This is a local salon I frequented several years ago.  I haven't been in a while. It was a very lively place where all the stylist were extremely friendly and helpful.  I always felt like I was at home with girlfriends.  From the outside the windows are blacked out and all you can see is the Capelli sign in purple neon.  I'm just not sure if they are a franchize or would be independently owned.  They have no website.

HONEY CREEK VET
This is my vet's office and I have gone there for years.  They first made an impression on my when I had an emergency one weekend and the vet came in to help.  I lost a stray cat to lukemia but the vet sent me a warm, sincere simpathy card.  I've always remembered their caring nature.  They have a website and I like the color palette - deep, lucious browns and a wonderful dog's picture taking center stage.  Their signage has been there as long as I can remember and business cards are informational - not graphic.  I could see myself using this company because I love animals.  I could get excited about an update to their branding.

DURAMA JAPANESE RESTAURANT
This is one of my favorite Japanese restaurants in Conyers.  They have the habachi style dining but I love the sushi and plum wine in the other dining room.  I felt like doing an upscale Asian design would be fun and challenging.  Not sure if they are a franchise.  I think an fun specialty item would be a menu but I'm a little concerned about coming up with something new in the Asian style.  Would be a challenge.

MADISON MUSEUM OF FINE ART, INC.
I discovered this museum when I had an assignment to visit sculpture in 3D class.  They have a medieval Mary sculpture garden.  I was not able to arrange a visit on my time schedule but it always stuck with me.  After looking at their website, I was impressed with the amount of information and the passion about art. I had spoken with the Director earlier and felt she would be available and open to the project. 

As of January 14, my top two choices were the Honey Creek Vet and the Madison Museum of Fine Art.