Cultivate Arts & Education
Cultivate is an artist-run nonprofit in Grand Rapids focused on growing community through arts education and promotion. They provide a contemporary gallery and extensive arts education programs for artists of all skill levels. They exhibit both local and national artists with a focus on inclusivity and artist advocacy.
Disciplines: Art Direction, Graphic Design, Brand Discovery, Strategy, and Development
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/5871422b15704ce6108e033195723512/de5435a5-b42e-47f2-a15f-3900bdeb7981_rw_1920.png?h=f00f6c3e892d1f16ec55e5948bcc608f)
Many organizations struggle to establish a strong visual identity in their early growth. When I began working with Cultivate they were on the cusp of introducing themselves to a wider audience and partnering with other local and regional organizations. My task was to create a flexible system that could speak to many different people while clearly representing the organizations unique voice.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/5871422b15704ce6108e033195723512/4c01884a-dd21-4988-a654-69ba88a00023_rw_1200.png?h=91cd061e4a441df4830f00e9b4369f79)
Community arts class. Credit: Cultivate
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/5871422b15704ce6108e033195723512/dee56bd2-ea8b-4395-9d15-61c62c2bd5e7_rw_1200.png?h=9d20785340b986204c1aa52982c726cb)
Full color logo
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/5871422b15704ce6108e033195723512/cdcbc2a1-a07c-43be-b878-10922133722c_rw_1200.png?h=4567dd1288b0ff86384f6b9fc7f1e0e8)
One color logo with simplified mark
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/5871422b15704ce6108e033195723512/75a27458-80a3-4d7e-a2d7-00f62cab7fb7_rw_1200.png?h=15c74634db63db8f52439546a3f46d13)
The identity for Cultivate needed to represent their core focus' of Community, Growth, and Education. The client wanted to retain the previous flower motif, so I created an icon that uses a mosaic of overlapping shapes that create a flower. The colorful shapes echo the form of pages in a book, which is more evident in their one-color version.
The strategy behind the full color and 1-color applications is to have a more vibrant, playful approach for the arts community while the more reserved, dark green focus is geared towards partnerships and education.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/5871422b15704ce6108e033195723512/b5b12962-6da7-48e4-a396-20417337b932_rw_1920.png?h=46a025dd53e2c31cfd801c6426e26217)
Brand Standards Guide
The flexibility of the logo extends through the rest of the system. Bright colors, shapes, and patterns create visual interest and energy, while the dark colors have a more reserved and formal presentation. Typography centers around the use of Calluna Sans and Serif, a complimentary family of typefaces and promotes more creative layouts than the standard type grid approach.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/5871422b15704ce6108e033195723512/24b496e1-7760-4111-af55-8d6a23542628_rw_1200.png?h=244c5ec4da2b1b41c3552008aaaa4411)
Business cards
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/5871422b15704ce6108e033195723512/a9c60304-7d4e-44eb-950f-85f623278c37_rw_1200.png?h=7d2f8934906184e5b4395314ff1d7f43)
Door signage. Credit: Cultivate
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/5871422b15704ce6108e033195723512/64172e65-91ce-4107-b67c-ff9f8a786320_rw_1920.png?h=6a1e6e4ed13ec777d3f7450837fc1b1c)
Design concepts for social media applications