Atlanta Contemporary has been part of the fabric of the arts in Atlanta for more than 40 years. Founded by working artists and arts educators as a storefront cooperative, the organizations’ ambitions and influence have grown organically, reflecting the increasing importance of contemporary art in Atlanta itself.
In 2014, Atlanta Contemporary hatched an innovative plan to increase attendance and access to their groundbreaking programming by eliminating entry fees. This was an opportunity to rebrand, rethink, and revitalize every aspect of their operations. We were selected as part of a nationwide search to act as creative partner and execute a complete overhaul of Atlanta Contemporary’s public presence.
The Rebrand
After a long history as the Nexus Contemporary Arts Center, a rebrand in 2000 to the Atlanta Contemporary Arts Center proved to be unwieldy, leading to awkward abbreviations and no clear naming convention. “ACAC,” “The Contemporary,” and even “Nexus” were all still commonly used, leading to brand dilution and lack of awareness. We helped Atlanta Contemporary to simplify and revitalize their identity.
We created both a secondary outline version of the wordmark for when a two-tone variation isn’t achievable and a playful round version of the logo for select collateral like t-shirts and tote bags.
The Website
Atlanta Contemporary’s website is a major tool in their new communications suite. We put the art and events they present front and center, along with clear and friendly messaging about their new free admission and when you can visit.
Familiar was able to give us the whole package—an identity that connects with our history and a website that helps set us apart. — Veronica Kessenich, Executive Director, Atlanta Contemporary
Collateral
At the heart of the new Atlanta Contemporary was the goal to increase attendance by reducing barriers to entry. We worked with the Contemporary to develop a campaign around the rollout of the new initiative. Free admission was a major component of this plan, but so was improving the entrance experience of new visitors, rewarding repeat visits, and codifying style and tone recommendations for communications with the public—everything from exhibition wall text to social media.
