Project overview
(via Zeus Jones)
In late 2024, the Kennedy Center wanted to refine its brand and narrative. The organization needed to spark connection with diverse audiences without alienating its base. Often in the arts, making room for diversity of expression can lead to an attempt to be all things to all people. We took this challenge head-on, instead using the breadth of the Center’s programming to tell a story about the constant evolution of the arts in America. We created a new story and visual approach that leaned into the idea of the Kennedy Center as “the nation’s cultural center”—a reflection of America’s rich and ever-changing cultural and artistic tapestry.
MY ROLE
I was the lead strategist on the team, guiding brand strategy development, cultural research and insights, a refreshed brand narrative, and visual identity evolution—working in tandem with a copywriter and designer.
As our manifesto states, “The Kennedy Center tells the expansive, ever-unfolding story of our collective creativity.” To tell this full story, we created a brand toolkit to include messages and visuals tailored to The Kennedy Center’s artistic affiliates—Washington National Opera and the National Symphony Orchestra—as well as its various programs, initiatives, venues, and genres.
Our goal was to provide foundational elements that would create distinction among the various parts of the organization, while still expressing cohesion and unity as one arts ecosystem.
To build consensus among various internal stakeholder teams, we also facilitated a series of collaborative work sessions and onboarding meetings.
