The Business of Branding and Designing Visual Identity for Public Art Galleries

MIGLE PADEGIMAITE Student ID: 200522336

THE SCHOOL OF DESIGN, UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS Undergraduate Dissertation

This dissertation is submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Graphic and Communication Design

28/03/2013

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Figure 1: The George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film 13 Figure 2: Christchurch Art Gallery Identity 16 Figure 3: Tate Britain and Tate Modern, logos 18 Figure 4: The Big Sculpture Weekend Branding by Sumo Design 19 Figure 5: The Museum of Arts and Design 20 Figure 6: Graphics for The Hepworth Wakefield 20 Figure 7: Visual Identity of The Victoria and Albert Museum 21 Figure 8: Visual Identity for The Asian Art Museum 22 Figure 9: Visual Identity for The Museum of Modern Art 22 Figure 10: Leeds City Council Logo 26 Figure 11: Logo for Leeds Museums and Galleries 26 Figure 12: Brand Family of Leeds Museums and Galleries 26 Figure 13: The Brick Man by Antony Gormley 27 Figure 14: Leeds Art Gallery Logo 27 Figure 15: Exhibition Graphics for Damien Hirst 28 Figure 16: The Secondary Logo for Leeds Art Gallery 28 Figure 17: Branding for Nike Savvas 30 Figure 18: Leeds Art Gallery Brand Guidelines 31 Figure 19: Application of Visual Identity 33 Figure 20: Primary and Secondary Logos 33 Figure 21: The Dove Logo for Burton Saturdays 34 Figure 22: A Group of Icons for Burton Saturdays 34 Figure 23: Four Different Covers for Burton Saturdays 34 Figure 24: Colours for The Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery 35 Figure 25: Template Design 36 Figure 26: Leeds Art Gallery Autumn / Winter Events Guide 39 Figure 27: Visual Identity and its Application for Tate 42 Figure 28: Visual Identity and its Application for The Hepworth Wakefield 43

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1. Introduction 4 2. Literature review 5 2.1. Public art gallery 5 2.1.1. Definitions and interpretations 5 2.1.2. Public funding 6 2.1.3. Shift: past and presence 7 2.1.4. Art gallery as a business 7 2.2 Branding and visual identity 8 2.2.1. Definitions and interpretations 8 2.2.2. Logotype 10 2.2.3. Colour 11 2.2.4. Typography 14 2.3. Roles and benefits 17 2.3.1. Overview 17 2.3.2. Unity 17 2.3.3. Destination 19 2.3.4. Modern appeal 20 3. Methodology 22 4. Presentation, analysis and interpretation 24 4.1. Case study one: Leeds Art Gallery. Interview, brand guidelines and applications 24 4.2. Case study two: The Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery. Interview, brand guidelines and applications 31 4.3. Case study three: Threefold Creative Limited. Interview 37 4.4. Comparison 43 5. Conclusion 45 6. References 47 7. Appendices 50 7.1. Interview with Leeds Art Gallery 50 7.2. Interview with The Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery 58 7.3. Interview with Threefold Creative 67

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1. Introduction

In recent years, there has been an increasing level of interest in the arts. However, this level of interest has been rising together with the higher expectations from the visitors searching for whole new experiences worth their money and time. Therefore, art institutions not only face unprecedented pressure to compete within the arts context, but also with other forms of entertainment and education on offer (Hyland and King 2006; Lalloz 2000). Due to the pressure, it has become difficult to ignore the rise of art institutions adopting the principles of business. Whilst the shift towards acting as businesses has been perceived as a natural by private or commercial institutions, the public art sector has been sceptical and critical about the need of commercialization.

Several studies have discussed the principles of successful arts marketing (Caldwell 2000; Schmitt and Simonson 1997; O’Reilly and Kerrigan 2010), but there is still insufficient data about branding and visual identity in the field of arts. Moreover, no research has been found that focused on the art galleries only. Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore the concept of branding with emphasis placed on visual identity in the context of art galleries. Comprehensive analysis of successful brand identities, graphic components and origins of those elements will be conducted. In order to understand the principles of successful visual identities, case studies and different approaches to designing visual identities, brand guidelines and their applications will be analyzed. The objective is to gain insights into the business of branding the art gallery sector, to understand the possible tensions and agreements from the perspectives of public art galleries and design agencies. Throughout the study, the term branding will be mostly used to refer to the process of visual branding, but its broader meaning will be overviewed as well.

To date there has been little agreement on whether public art galleries need distinctive visual identities to attract audiences or should artwork be at the centre of such institutions (Williams 2011), therefore different viewpoints will be evaluated. More recently, literature has emerged on public art galleries becoming more outward facing than ever before in order to meet the requirements of demanding audiences. Hyland and King (2006) suggest that the role of brand

Migle Padegimaite 200522336 identity and its application within the context of visual arts is particularly important because of the visual sensitivity of gallery stakeholders. However, there has been little attention paid to how personalities of art galleries are reflected through the use of identity design. The aim of the study is to bridge the identified gaps in order to offer fresh perspectives to branding the public arts sector.

This paper first gives an overview of the public art sector, definitions, challenges and shifts within the field. Theoretical interpretations of branding and visual identity, supported with empirical case studies (that also include some examples of commercial galleries) are discussed afterwards. Following a body of literature, various methods used to collect primary data are evaluated. Finally, original findings from the primary sources are presented and analyzed with conclusions summarized at the end of the paper. Gallery stakeholders, designers and managers working within the arts sector will find the study as a source of inspiration for fresh perspectives.

2. Literature review

2.1. Public art gallery

2.1.1. Definitions and interpretations

For the purpose of defining what a public art gallery is it crucial to understand the core values that are reflected through the objectives and activities of a single public art gallery. Therefore, the online presence of the three most visited art galleries in the United Kingdom was examined. According to Tate’s website (Tate, 2012):

Everything we do, from the programme we present in our galleries and with partners in Britain and around the world, to the books, products and food we sell in our shops and restaurants, supports our mission: to promote public understanding and enjoyment of British, modern and contemporary art.

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As stated in The National Gallery’s Constitution (no date), its foremost objective is to make art pleasant, educational and accessible for a diverse public audience. In order to ensure that the collections are well maintained and preserved for the future generations, investments in research and conservation are made. Similarly, the National Portrait Gallery, as reported by Sandy Nairne, the director of the organization, aims to be a centre and stimulus for the public education and open debates through the art it exhibits. The fact that it is a publicly owned art gallery, like other national institutions, implies that it is a non-profit organization, favourably funded by a number of individuals (through donations, memberships and tickets for the temporary exhibitions, and as a consequence of spending in shops or cafes), as well as government, trusts and corporate sponsorship willing to contribute to charitable causes (National Portrait Gallery 2013). However, not only they function in a similar way of funding, but also stress the importance of similar aims such as attention to research and preservation of the collections. Nonetheless, the most common priorities the public art galleries share are being accessible, enjoyable and serving an educational role to the widest public possible, which, however, was not always the case.

2.1.2. Public funding

According to Hyland and King (2006 p.11), restricted access to public art galleries was controversially established under the leadership of Thatcher in 1980s, when it was inclined to think that the funding of the art organizations was a matter of the public audience. For this reason, introducing admission costs at some previously free-of-charge art institutions (such as Victoria and Albert Museum) caused public discontent and rejection of these changes, which lead to the significantly decreased numbers of visitors and a declined interest in arts in general. The funding of culture was mainly rejected by the public audience due to the situation in the economy. Therefore, organizations that were responsible such charges were forced to reconsider their unsuccessful assumptions and reintroduce a free-of charge access (Hyland and King 2006). Consequently, in agreement with Eliza Williams (2011) from Creative Review, the arts market, once deemed as a niche and an exclusive privilege, has become more open, inclusive and accessible to a public audience, due to the given historical context. It not only resulted in becoming more affordable and moving from elitism to the wider audiences in terms of free-of-charge admissions, but also meaning that the public art galleries were able to deliver

Migle Padegimaite 200522336 their promised goals in a way that reflected their core values (such as accessible to a wide audience).

2.1.3. Shift: past and presence

Therefore, a public interest for the arts, especially the visual ones, augmented as a consequence of these recent shifts “with visitor numbers for institutions such as Tate Modern reaching all time highs” (Hyland and King 2006 p.12). Nevertheless, these transformations lead to debatable concerns, whether the art galleries, as stated by Eliza Williams (2011) “have now become forms of entertainment on a par with the cinema or the zoo”. Whilst some authors (Klonk 2009 p.9; Hyland and King 2006) assert that art galleries have now evolved into “spaces of experience”, providing services such as shopping, catering, hosting various artistic activities and organizing workshops, as well as supplying with publicly accessible learning materials. However, this modern focus on ‘experience’ concluded to the improvements of complementary assets that galleries contain, instead of emphasizing the content that should be at the core of each art gallery. James Cuno, the Director of the Art Institute of Chicago argues that the most basic and initial of gallery goals – a piece of art communicating to the visitor, hence, the quality of content – are supposed to be a priority for each art gallery (Cuno 2004). This raises a debate whether purely a selection of artworks is sufficient for surviving in such competitive market.

2.1.4. Art gallery as a business

As a result of contrasting interpretations within the field of art galleries - their roles and values – it is no surprise that there are disagreements whether art galleries should act as businesses, or “make full disclosure of their commercial interests” (Rectanus 2002, cited in Hyland and King 2006 p.15). In this instant, commercial interests are regarded as acts towards public distrust and disrespect of the core values that art museums possess. Nevertheless, it has been suggested by Niall Caldwell (2000) in his journal article The Emergence of Museum Brands that the commercialization of the public sector, including art galleries, implies that it is inevitable for art galleries to act as marketers at the current situation within the arts field. As supported by the same author (2000 p.28), “it was no accident that the director of the Guggenheim Museum, New York, had a master’s degree in business administration” which consequently resulted the

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Guggenheim Museum being one of the first art institutions in the world adopting a marketing strategy and revolutionary acting as a brand. This transpired a number of successful franchises launched and recognized globally in countries such as Italy, Germany and Spain. This case is also often being cited as a successful example of creating a high level of brand name awareness and its recall (Caldwell 2000 p.29). However, by some critics this innovative approach was regarded as “cultural imperialism”, consequently leading to a term “McGuggenheim” (Hyland and King 2006 p.14) and evoking negative connotations within the art museum context. Nonetheless, the importance of embracing these shifts is imperative. As Hyland and King (2006 p.18) put it:

However sophisticated and sensitive identity design becomes, there will always be those who regret the developments that have encouraged arts institutions to behave more like corporations.

The unwillingness to act as a business is regarded to be old-fashioned and narrow minded, as the same author furthermore states that “adoption of a more focused and market driven approach” (2006 p.9) is an imperative mindset for a successful art gallery in the contemporary and highly competitive market. It is served as a tool for attracting diverse audiences, public funding and competing with the other attractions on offer.

2.2 Branding and visual identity

2.2.1. Definitions and interpretations

The approach of acting as a business is closely linked with a concept of a brand and branding. Therefore, an in depth understanding of these two concepts within the gallery context is required (Caldwell 2000). It has been argued that a brand is “a name, logo, slogan and a combination of these elements” (Stegemann and Thompson 2005 p.1). However, a body of literature suggests that due to its both tangible and intangible criteria, a brand is often regarded as a complex concept to define. As Clifton and Simmons et al (2003 p.2) assert, “to equate

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‘brand’ with such superficial cosmetics [a name, logo or slogan] is the equivalent of saying that people are really only the sum of their name, face and clothes”. It is evident from the literature that the brand foremost has to be regarded as a strategy and an idea that is a core of any organization (in this case, an art gallery), having an influence on every decision it makes. For this reason it is worth analyzing and defining the strengths of the organization thoroughly. Nevertheless, an intelligent idea is not a guarantee in becoming a successful brand. It is crucial to understand that fulfilling imposed expectations of a brand is as important as the promises it chooses to deliver (Olins 2003; Cheverton 2006). In order to successfully deliver the promises, branding that reflects, maintains and communicates those values through a variety of channels has to be implied. As Briggs and Nelson (2009 p.45) conclude, “we are all used to seeing familiar brands graphically”, however, the majority of people do not realize the strategy imperatively built behind it.

Although a strategic branding comprises of a variety of components, visual identity is regarded as one of the most powerful of them. It is evident from the literature that the visual language is seemed to have more impact on a brand than its verbal expression. This phenomenon is resulted by the fact that our brains tend to perceive visual communication as more engaging, memorable and persuasive (Schmitt and Simonson 1997). This outperformance is even more apparent within the art gallery context, dominated mainly by the visual language. As suggested by Hyland and King (2006 p.10):

All organizations, groups and institutions have an identity – just like people. It is made up of ‘who you are’, ‘what you do’ and ‘how you do it’. Successful visual identities employ design to reflect the first two and to help govern the behaviour of the third.

As such, it is essential to understand that visual identity is a collection of “the graphic components that together provide a system for identifying and representing a brand” (Allen and Simmons 2003 p.114), therefore, the term is regarded as an entity rather than an individual

Migle Padegimaite 200522336 element on its own. This is of a particular importance, as successful identities practise implementing consistent systems over separate elements.

For example, Briggs and Nelson (2009) suggest that the Kentucky Art Gallery was forced to rethink itself as a brand due to the declining numbers of visitors, in spite of its efforts and money spent on visual branding. However, the reason of failure was not clear until the cases of other successful art galleries and their visual identities were analyzed. It became evident from the research, that the key of a successful visual identity was its continuality and integrity within application of the elements. As a result, the findings applied to the context of the Kentucky Art Gallery suggested that a non-systemized application of its visual identity led to the inconsistent messages, which caused confusion regarding its identity as a whole and decreasing numbers of visitors. Inspired by the examples of other successful visual identities, the art gallery was rebranded ensuring that all the elements work in a systematic harmony (Briggs and Nelson 2009). However, in order to examine those visual systems in depth, it is important to break them apart. Elements such as logotypes, colours and typefaces remain at the core of any visual identity, whilst inevitably being supported by “other graphic elements: patterns, approaches to illustration and photography, and a range of icons” (Allen and Simmons 2003 p.114).

2.2.2. Logotype

A logotype is regarded as the most essential part of the communication strategy of any corporation and as outlined before, nowadays it is more important for a successful art gallery to adopt the principles of running as a corporation than ever before. Therefore, for an art gallery to survive competition it is crucial to have a successful logotype, reflecting the essence of the gallery (English 1998). As the same author (p.10) puts it: “if in the business of communications ‘image is king’, the essence of this image, the logo, is a jewel in its crown”. It is evident that a logo is considered to be a concentrated representation and almost a direct reflection of the brand. A well-designed logo makes it easier to recognize and memorize the company, suggests a thoughtful approach towards its communications and suggests the quality of its services.

It is often the case that when in crisis, businesses and art galleries start redesigning their logos as a way of reliving the organization (English 1998). This can prove to be a right approach in

Migle Padegimaite 200522336 some cases (for example, a successful re-branding and logo redesign of the Tate in Great Britain in 2000 by Wolff Olins). However, a complete reliance on a logo, its redesign or purely trends (one of the recent ones – logo as a “container for content” used in London 2012 Olympics, City of Melbourne and Museum of Art and Design in New York) might not deliver the expected results. As explained by Marc English (1998 p.10):

The belief that a new or updated design will be some kind of a charm that will magically transform any business is not uncommon. A redesigned logo may have the advantage of implying something new, something improved – but that is short-lived if a company doesn’t live up to its claims. Sometimes a logo is redesigned because it really needs redesigning – because it’s ugly, old fashioned, or inappropriate. But many times, it is merely to feed someone’s ego, to satisfy a CEO who doesn’t wish to be linked with the past or often because it’s the thing to do.

English argues that redesigning an arts logo should not take action unless there is a logical explanation or certain goal behind the decision. Moreover, in an article ‘Brand Madness’ published in ‘Eye’ magazine, the designer Nick Bell challenged the notion that institutions of art necessarily need “logocentric identities” (Hyland and King 2006 p.18). It has been furthermore suggested by Bell that rather than having a logo as a centre of a brand identity, the content of art galleries should determine design of identity, making it varied and changing. This approach questions Marc English’s point of view and imposes a discussion whether a logo is still the most important component of a brand identity for an art gallery, or if it is an outdated perception that is soon to bring a shift in arts branding, also identified as “post-logo understanding of identity” (Hyland and King 2006 p.18).

2.2.3. Colour

Besides a logo, colour is yet another important component of arts brand identity. According to Schmitt and Simonson (1997 pp.92-96), it has been proved by the psychologists that colour has an impact on the subconscious judgement of new environment, person or a product. This

Migle Padegimaite 200522336 subconscious assumption can be formed in 90 seconds of encountering a new object. As discussed by Schmitt and Simonson in their book Marketing Aesthetics: The Strategic Management of Brands, Identity and Image (1997), findings from the psychology of art, visual priming and memory suggest that there is a direct effect that evokes a number of associations and emotional responses to the certain colours. Due to the psychological effects, colour is considered as a powerful tool of manipulation. As an element of branding, colour is usually applied across a variety of different identity elements, such as logo, the walls of interior and exteriors, uniforms, print materials, online outlets and products of art galleries. If a gallery utilizes colour in a consistent manner, it can become advantageous in a number of ways. As furthermore explained by Schmitt and Simonson, a strategic consistent approach to colour can improve brand’s recognition and its recall, as well as distinguish it from the competitors, such as other art galleries. For example, Kodak is associated with yellow, whilst Coca-Cola’s signature is a combination of red and white colours, widely applied within a number of materials (Schmitt and Simonson 1997 p.93). The same principles apply to the arts, however, being associated with a single certain colour is not always the best option. Also, it might not always be applicable for a desired message. As asserted by Brad Van Auken (2006), an array of colours used within brand identity expresses movement and playfulness:

The George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film in Rochester, New York, has taken a different, but equally effective approach. They intended to communicate that they are fun and vibrant organization that features much more than artistic black and white photography. So, the “e” icon in their logo appears in a rainbow of colours. Each business card features the logo with a different colour. The name itself always only appears in black and white (Fig. 1).

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Figure 1: The George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film

This example illustrates the case that utilizing colour in a certain way pervades arts organization’s personality, its core values and provokes specific associations. As outlined above, the George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film wanted to be associated with vibrancy and fun, therefore, it chose a variety of colours that add an element of surprise to their branding strategy, and, in combination with each other, are perceived as cheerful, exciting, impulsive and adventurous. This approach conveys the main concept of the organization (fun), thus works well and distinguishes it from its competitors in a different way. It is not only the way colours are used, but also the symbolism and categories they tend to represent. In her book The Psychology of Colour and Design (1974), Sharpe outlines that the colour white, for example, is regarded as pure or innocent, red as symbol of energy and passion, black as mysterious and formal, whilst green alludes to nature and has calming properties. Furthermore, as a branding studio Artshak (2012) explains, it is important to consider the target market before implementing any colours, as their meaning might differ from culture to culture (as such, white might symbolize death in Asia) as well as appeal differently to certain age groups or social backgrounds.

However, not only individual colours carry meanings, but also a combination of them might have enrooted associations. According to Schmitt and Simonson, primary and bright colours are often used within branding targeted at children, meanwhile organizations that use blue hues target business professionals and pervade formality, trust and high quality service. For example, a combination of less saturated colours such as black and white, gold and silver create an image of prestige, luxury and elegance. However, in order to be used in a right way, they have to

Migle Padegimaite 200522336 match the quality or type of work, otherwise it might cause the undesired results such as looking “cheap” (Schmitt and Simonson 1997). Therefore, as the same authors assert, the brand identity should be in line with the content of the gallery, and for the reasons mentioned above, it is important not to underestimate the use of colour, as it reflects the personality of the brand, evokes particular associations and could be used as a powerful tool of distinction from the competitors.

2.2.4. Typography

Besides colour, typography, defined as “the mechanical notation and arrangement of language” (Baines and Haslam 2005 p.7) is considered to be another important component of branding for a number of reasons. According to the typographer Thomas Phinney (2013), the choice and arrangement of typefaces should be as considerable as the selection of colours, graphics or images when creating visual identity for a brand. The literature suggests that typography is seen as an important asset due to a combination of its functional benefits and aesthetical qualities. Regarding its functional qualities, one can be influenced by a well-spaced and designed typography without even being consciously aware of it. As supported by Susan Gunelius (2012), readability of the text, speed of comprehending information and eagerness to read can be greatly increased if a typeface is simple. Moreover, less eye fatigue is experienced, therefore, it can be read for longer. Due to the above factors, it has been suggested by Gunelius that simple typefaces should be used by art gallery brands as a primary choice, especially for large blocks of copy. However, as noted by the same author, a highly sophisticated typeface can “effectively communicate a brand’s position to consumers” (2012), evoke emotional associations, improve brand recall and act as an asset of uniqueness. As furthermore added by Thomas Phinney (2013):

Typography is like fashion, or furniture. With rare functional exceptions, the world doesn’t “need” new clothing or furniture designs, but people want to look different or evoke particular feeling or fit with a particular “look”, and there trends and styles.

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Although the invention of new typefaces might be regarded as unnecessary in some cases, it is a great way of differentiation. One of the examples, supporting the statement, is The Christchurch Art Gallery in New Zealand. The newly opened gallery required a unique typeface, which would be at the heart of the gallery’s branding and communication material. Therefore, Jeremy Tankard Typography was commissioned to design a brand new typeface that was “the result of a number of ideas, feelings, observations” (2012), reflecting the essence of the gallery. Both the modernity of New Zealand and the feeling of Maori traditions had to be translated through the new type, which was a challenge. As explicated by Guy Pask (Creative Director and Partner for Strategy Advertising & Design in New Zealand) in Jeremy Tankard Typography’s Newsletter (2012):

<…> we realised we needed to broaden our thinking <…> the best simile that we could come up with was that our branding elements had to be the equivalent of a well cut suit – one that you could ‘wear with anything’ <…> In the widest sense that’s what the identity has to do. It has to sit beside historic oil paintings one moment and a vibrantly coloured modern sculpture the next. That’s a huge task of a single graphic element and almost impossible to achieve with a symbol or visual device.

More importantly, according to Jeremy Tankard Typography, the new typeface was to be designed in OpenType, the new format, enabling “greater freedom of expression in the flowing visual movement of the type” (2012). Therefore, each character was created in a few slightly different ways that could be used depending on the situation. Not only separate letters had alternative versions, but also a combination of them (Fig. 2). As furthermore supported by Jeremy Tankard, this decision was made in order to be able to use the typeface in both official situations that suggested tradition or formality, as well as the informal, more playful ones (targeted at younger audiences for example). The Christchurch Art Gallery Te Puna o Waiwhetu was opened in May 2003, showcasing the new typeface applied within the exterior, interior and communication material of the Gallery.

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Figure 2: Christchurch Art Gallery Identity

The unique typeface, however, did not only serve as a means of expressing verbal messages, but also as a decorative asset. Such examples of decorative applications include a range of patterns created from the different letters that appear as background textures, and are used on gift wrap, cards and other merchandise produced by the gallery. As reported by Jeremy Tankard Typography (2012), such a comprehensive typographic approach to branding is regarded as a sophisticated marketing strategy that distinguishes Christchurch Art Gallery in a global perspective. Although the Christchurch Art Gallery is a unit of Christchurch City Council in New Zealand, Jeremy Tankard Typography reported that Tony Preston completely trusted their competence giving a complete freedom, which formed confident partnership and successful branding (2012). As a result of the successful branding, the challenge of combining modernity and tradition was solved by a bespoke typeface, which could have been difficult to achieve by one symbol.

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2.3. Roles and benefits

2.3.1. Overview

There are a number of cases (which can happen simultaneously) when public art galleries might be in need of branding or rebranding. According to James M.McNamara (no date), some of the examples include changes in architectural arrangement (expansion or new construction), managerial alterations (new executive, mission, unification of organizations), repositioning brand image, commemoration of occasion or any challenges associated with funds (generating revenues, increasing visitor numbers, donors or membership). Given this information, branding is considered as an important asset at several stages of business development: “business strategy is, or should be, brand strategy, and vice versa” (Clifton and Simmons et al. 2003 p.7). A growing body of literature (Schmitt and Simonson 1997 pp.21-23) suggests that visual branding can be beneficial for the arts for multiple reasons, such as expanding audiences, increasing recognition of a brand, reviving the past, attracting financial success, clarifying the goals and even unifying staff. Previous research has also shown that successful visual identities enable differentiation and “protection from competitive attacks” (Schmitt and Simonson 1997 p.22). Some of the examples outlining different challenges, roles and approaches to visual arts branding as well as a variety of benefits that art galleries can gain from visual identity are being discussed below.

2.3.2. Unity

Drawing on Eliza Williams’ (2011) article in the Creative Review, we argue that visual identity design for the arts is beneficial as a tool for unifying art galleries, either content or physical structure wise. Such examples include three Pinakotheken galleries in Germany that showcase artworks from different periods. Under the leadership of the KMS design studio in Munich, visual identity for the latest (Pinakothek Modern) institution had to develop. However, it was identified by the design team that the graphic language was separated from its initial family brand. Thus, a common branding system for the three galleries was designed in order to unify the collections under the same name (Williams 2011). Nonetheless, in the same article Marina Willer expresses her concerns about a possible danger of rather being treated as unique on their own, institutions might have a negative sense of generalization within unity. Furthermore, an

Migle Padegimaite 200522336 example of Tate and its different contents was given, which has been later improved by enlarging the sub-names (‘Modern’ and ‘Britain’) and positioning them in front of the Tate family brand (Fig.3).

Figure 3: Tate Britain and Tate Modern, logos

Other successful cases of such unifying visual branding include the Guggenheim Museum with franchises in New York, Venice, Bilbao and Abu Dhabi. Internationally integrated and consistent design identity positions franchises as attractive and recognizable destinations around the globe (The Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation 2013). However, not only the sub-brands from the same gallery can be visually unified, but also separate institutions that are, for example, situated within the same region can benefit from such approach. According to Sumo Design (no date), one of such examples is The Big Sculpture Weekend campaign, where The Hepworth Wakefield, The Henry Moore Institute and the Yorkshire Sculpture Park were strategically grouped in order to raise awareness of pieces of sculpture available within Yorkshire. Executed by Sumo Design, the collaborative campaign (Fig. 4) was designed to share and direct the audiences from one institution to another, as a result increasing an overall footfall.

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Figure 4: The Big Sculpture Weekend Branding by Sumo Design

2.3.3. Destination

Previous research by Hyland and King (2006) has also shown that visual identity of art galleries does always reflect the content, but is often inspired and influenced by the location or physical form (architectural appearance) of the site. The world-know design agency Pentagram has imperatively exploited this approach once commissioned to redesign the logo and accompanying graphic language for The Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) after its relocation to the new building in New York City. Furthermore MAD described as being “more or less square building that sits on the most prominent circle in Manhattan” in the Pentagram’s website in 2008. Thus, synthesizing geometric forms that resembled of such attributes led to a creation of a set of letters and symbols known as MAD Face, which has become the centrepiece of the institution’s visual identity (Fig.5). Similarly, the graphic elements (Fig.6) for The Hepworth Wakefield gallery reflecting “the iconic shape of the building, which instantly stood out as dramatic, bold marquee” (Sumo Design [no date]) were designed by the quoted agency. Drawing on Sumo’s report, the visitor figures increased significantly after the launch of the campaign, therefore, the branding system was successfully applied in-house afterwards.

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Figure 5: The Museum of Arts and Design Figure 6: Graphics for The Hepworth Wakefield

However, Hyland and King (2006) question the long-term advantages and flexibility of such visual identities that are attached to location or architecture and utilised at the centre of designs. Moreover, a recent study on the public galleries branding by Bridson and Evans (2013) shows that such branding approach (often in a combination with copywriting) was marketed by location as destination and, whilst sounding attractive to tourists, was received sceptically by the locals. Although it still remains as a common source of inspiration for the designers, design identity tangled to appearance or place of the institution might paralyze its relocation, refurbishment or even alienate local audiences.

2.3.4. Modern appeal

Thirty case studies in the arts branding worldwide conducted by Hyland and King in 2006 showed that visual identity is extensively used as a tool for reviving institutions to make them more attractive for the modern audiences. This shift from inverted and object-focused institutions to outward facing contemporary art galleries with assets such as gift shops, kids sections, workshops and emphasis on social experience has been noticed in recent years (Kerrigan, Fraser and Özbilgin 2004). Moreover, the same authors assert that this change has been communicated through a rise of dynamic and flexible brand identities that are viewed as more appropriate for the art gallery sector. Several successful examples of energetic identities that refreshed the institutions were produced by Wolff Olins. The Victoria and Albert Museum being one of the cases that faced a need of rebranding in order to appeal to contemporary visitors in 2002. Therefore, its logo and the whole identity system were treated in a creative way

Migle Padegimaite 200522336 and applied within materials as “presenter, inspirer and impresario” (Wolff Olins [no date]), which attracted new audiences and generated more funds (Fig.7).

Figure 7: Visual Identity of The Victoria and Albert Museum

Rebranded by the same design consultancy agency, Asian Art Museum in San Francisco is yet another organization that required bold and fresh branding approach to form an intriguing identity that delivered its goal “to awaken the past and inspire the next”, as suggested by Jay Xu, the director of the museum (Under Consideration 2011). The reversed letter “A” was chosen as a centrepiece of the new identity (Fig.8), which subtly referenced completely new and unexpected approach to showcasing the ancient content (Wolff Olins [no date]). Another case study by Pentagram (2009) illustrates that “flexible system <…> dramatic cropping and juxtapositions <…> a brighter colour palette” (Fig. 9) were introduced as tools for creating brave identity for The Museum of Modern Art (MoMa), which also reflected the viewpoint of the organization. Not to mention Tate, which was a pioneer museum brand to adopt a set of modern and adjustable graphic elements that led to creating an image of inclusive, dynamic and contemporary gallery brand (Wolff Olins, 2013). By producing a set of brand guidelines that have flexibility and personality within the rules and system as well as “being expansive rather than restrictive <…> [art galleries] can connect more emotionally with audiences” (Clifton and Simmons et al. 2003 p.124). This is particular important in the context of the arts sector. Overall, previous case studies and empirical literature suggest that the shift from restrictive to bold and modifiable brand identities can be utilized by the art galleries as a way of attracting broader

Migle Padegimaite 200522336 audiences, reviving old collections, inspiring to rethink and promoting new experiences that institutions have to offer.

Figure 8: Visual Identity for The Asian Art Museum

Figure 9: Visual Identity for The Museum of Modern Art

3. Methodology

For the purpose of gaining deeper insights, qualitative research methods from primary sources were chosen to gather information needed. Criteria for selecting the subjects were a prerequisite of being either a public non-profit art gallery or a design agency experienced in branding public art galleries. Although indicated by some as subjective and difficult to generalize (Greetham 2009), three semi-structured interviews were conducted, as the best method to gain in-depth and authentic understanding into the field. Accompanied by analysis of relevant brand guidelines and their applications, two of the interviews were taken from the public non-profit galleries – Leeds Art Gallery, which is under the supervision of Leeds City Council and The Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery at the University of Leeds. Catherine Hall, The Head of Site Development and The Acting Principal Keeper of Leeds Art Gallery was chosen as an interviewee due to her in-depth knowledge of running, marketing and branding the gallery. Moreover, Hall’s contribution to developing Leeds City Council brand guidelines whilst working in the corporate

Migle Padegimaite 200522336 centre of the Chief Executive’s Office for five years has made her aware of a complex process of branding. The other interviewee Layla Bloom was selected because of her role as a curator of The Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery. However, a planned attendance of her colleague Zsuzsanna Reed Papp, Marketing and Events Assistant, could not take place because of the personal circumstances.

In attempt to make each interviewee feel as convenient as possible, the interviews were conducted at the examined galleries. For the third qualitative case study the design agency Threefold Creative Limited situated in Bradford was chosen. Lynne Calvert, the creative director, was interviewed in order to gain fresh insights about benefits and challenges in arts branding from the perspective of a design agency experienced in arts branding. Mainly a partnership with Leeds Art Gallery was chosen as a case study for the agency to illustrate these. The questions were designed to cover both broader issues within the field of branding art galleries as well as the narrow ones directly related to the chosen galleries and design briefs. Also, due to the interviewees’ busy schedules, case studies were given an hour each to complete.

The approach, which combined data gathered from the art galleries and the design agency, allowed comparing viewpoints on the two-folded process of branding public art galleries. As respondents from business and creative sectors shared their perspectives, possible tensions as well as agreements became more apparent. The question of commercialized approach to branding public art galleries earlier identified by Hyland and King (2006) was also discussed. The fact that the interviews were semi-structured led to the unexpected responses that were indicated as advantages by Greetham (2009 p.213). The semi-structured approach was also chosen trying to “avoid giving any indication” (Greetham 2009 p.215) or an assumption of answers. Therefore, more control to express their personal opinions was given to respondents. A small sample of institutions was chosen because of the expected time constraints to conduct and transcribe the data as well as possible difficulties of comprehending rich qualitative information.

Also, issues with contacting bigger art galleries were experienced, thus local galleries were investigated as more being accessible and eager to help. In order to conduct as effective

Migle Padegimaite 200522336 analysis as possible, the interviews were supported with references to visual identity, which included examples of gathered brand guidelines and their application to printed materials. A similar approach was used to examine the arts branding in general by Hyland and King in 2006, however, either only interviews or subjective semiotic analysis were conducted without a combination of both methods. Choosing a method of purely analysing design applications within art galleries would have been too descriptive and subjective, as well as lacking qualitative insights from gallery stakeholders. Afterwards analyzed and interpreted, case studies proved to contribute to generating some fresh and in-depth insights in the business of branding public art galleries that were not examined before.

4. Presentation, analysis and interpretation

4.1. Case study one: Leeds Art Gallery. Interview, brand guidelines and applications

Catherine Hall is The Head of Site Development and The Acting Principal Keeper of Leeds Art Gallery established in 3 October 1888. The gallery is located in Leeds city centre and is run by Leeds City Council. The entrance is free of charge due to its public status, which was previously discussed by King and Hyland (2006), when around 20 years ago, unique free-of-charge admissions were introduced in all the public art galleries in the United Kingdom. Offering refreshments at The Tiled Hall Café, coffee and cakes at the “Brewbar” coffee bar, The Craft Centre and Design Gallery Shop, a lecture theatre on the ground floor and the Art Library on the first, Leeds Art Gallery acts as a host building for a variety of experiences, in general highlighted by Klonk (2009).

According to Catherine Hall, the gallery’s overall objective is “making the art accessible to our visitors <…> to the public”. Actions towards the accessibility to the public are demonstrated through more intense work outreaching local schools, families and other groups. As supported by Catherine Hall, in order to promote public understanding of art, the gallery does not only limit its activities to research and conservation of the collection, but also offers a variety of activities, events and interactive talks to the public. This shift from inward to outward, focused on activities, is associated with a modern approach that more and more art galleries (such as Tate Modern or MoMa) are adopting. However, as explained by The Acting Principal Keeper, the

Migle Padegimaite 200522336 activities and events run by the gallery are “not in opposition to actually caring for and researching the collection”, as they are connected to the content that the gallery has to offer. The findings from the study suggest that one of the main concerns of the institution is a balance between two.

It has been identified that reason why branding approach of Leeds Art Gallery has changed is a shift in visitors. As evident from the research, their expectations have risen - from being passive consumers to active participants. Visitors are willing to know more about the collections and understand why certain pieces of artwork were bought. Therefore, it could be interpreted that curiosity and intelligence of visitors is a stimuli for the gallery to perform high at all times. Democratizing art without devaluating it, and at the same time catering for people with the special interests, is yet another issue that the gallery faces. Similarly to the Tate Modern, Leeds Art Gallery is willing to make sure that all the audiences are catered for. After all, Catherine Hall asserts that Leeds Art Gallery is run by Leeds City Council, thus supported by the public financially. Therefore, it is expected that the local authority gallery ought “to make sure that people feel that they’re getting value for the money out” (see Appendix) of them. However, it has been suggested by a body of previous literature that the most successful arts brands often adopt a segmented branding approach (Caldwell, 2000).

The study has shown that the fact that Leeds Art Gallery is own and run by Leeds City Council is vital when it comes to branding and designing identity for the gallery. It has been stressed that the Leeds City Council logo (Fig. 10) must be included on each of the communication and marketing materials that are produced by the gallery. It is interesting to note that this is not only to communicate the ownership, but also to illustrate the positive side of Leeds City Council and to inform the public that “their money is going to support the gallery” (see Appendix). This could be interpreted as a willingness to make people proud of their financial support towards their local authority gallery. It has been suggested that people are more likely to belong or be a part of a certain art gallery if they are acknowledged of the positive impact, which is reinforced through the branding in this case. Further analysis showed that the usage of the Leeds City Council logo has, however, to comply with the brand guidelines set by Leeds City Council.

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Figure 10: Leeds City Council Logo

Moreover, the other significant aspect of branding was identified by the interviewee. It seems that Leeds Art Gallery is one of the nine sites run by Leeds City Council under the brand family of Leeds Museums and Galleries (Fig. 12) and it used to be the case that all the sites had just a general Leeds Museums and Galleries logo (Fig. 11). However, the findings from the research show that due to the creative nature of the site, Leeds Art Gallery was the first one to realize the potential of a distinctive identity and to get permission from the council to act as a subsidiary brand. Not only it recognized the need of distinctive identity as destination for art, but also as a tourist destination within Leeds. The model of marketing art galleries as destinations is in agreement with the other gallery brands such as MAD and MoMa, and is regarded as particularly effective for attracting tourists. Currently each of the nine places located within Leeds (some of them – outskirts) has a different colour and an icon representing the nature and the collection of the site. It is important to note that whilst each of the locations has a set of individual identity elements, they still belong to the same Leeds Museums and Galleries family brand under the ownership of Leeds City Council. For this reason, a brand identity of Leeds Art Gallery is dependent on the brand guidelines of Leeds Museums and Galleries.

Figure 11: Logo for Leeds Figure 12: Brand Family of Leeds Museums and Galleries Museums and Galleries

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Leeds Art Gallery is represented by the logo / icon, also called “The Brick Man” (Fig. 13). As evident from the history, the Brick Man was a male figure sculpture by Antony Gormley (Fig.14). Originally suggested as a monument for Leeds, it would have been the tallest artwork in the United Kingdom in 1990’s. Despite all the positive feedback the Brick Man received, eventually the project was not fulfilled due to the misunderstandings and rejections from Leeds City Council (Yorkshire Post, 2008). Although the proposal was unsuccessful, the gallery is in the possession of the Brick Man model, which is not displayed in the collection at the moment. The findings suggest that a bust/fragment of the Brick Man in the egg-shaped form remained as the representative icon of Leeds Art Gallery.

Figure 14: Leeds Art Gallery Logo Figure 13: The Brick Man by Antony Gormley

According to Catherine Hall, the Brick Man icon was the primary choice for the brand identity, used across all the materials. The findings from the research show that the logo, however, did generate some issues that were not expected when the branding strategy was initiated. As Catherine Hall asserts, one of the main concerns was the icon being “too reflective of one artist’s work” (see Appendix). As furthermore explained, Leeds Art Gallery is a representative of many different artists, but the logo with the Antony Gormley’s artwork on it had to be used on every piece of the publicity material. It has been identified that the approach generated some negative feedback, especially when the artwork by some individual artists, such as Henry Moore or Damien Hirst, was showcased (Fig.15). Catherine Hall admitted that the icon with the fragment of Antony Gormley’s sculpture was not appropriate for the other artists, as it would have been interfering with the their artwork. It can be interpreted that due to the fact that the

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Brick Man would have been a piece of sculpture (which is only one of the categories of the visual arts), it would have been too narrow and reflective in terms of a medium of art. The results show that this branding approach is in opposition with the gallery’s mission to be a host building for a variety of mediums, such as watercolours, installations, experimental videos, sculpture and others. Furthermore, it can also be interpreted as an association with the rigidness (which is also against the nature of the institution) of the bricks.

Figure 15: Exhibition Graphics for Damien Hirst Figure 16: The Secondary Logo for Leeds Art Gallery

The data from the research show that the other problem, which has arisen with the Brick Man logo, is the complexity of the icon. This unforeseen issue has become apparent in the situations where the logo had to be reproduced on a small scale across various exhibition graphics. As the identity icon was too detailed, it has resulted some legibility difficulties (the bricks were not recognizable), and also become challengeable to identify the symbol as a main logo. For this reason, it has been proposed to use the secondary logo (Fig. 16) more often than the initial one. The alternative version is the same egg-shaped figure, but instead of the Brick Man’s fragment, showcases only the name of the gallery in middle – Leeds Art Gallery. Therefore, word logo has been recently used across all the promotional material that the gallery produces and the Brick Man version has become the secondary one. However, the findings from the research suggest that the gallery’s usage of brand identity is more complex than previously assumed, as Catherine Hall admits, “it’s a bit complicated” (see Appendix). As furthermore explained,

Migle Padegimaite 200522336 whenever Leeds Art Gallery is presented together with the other sites from the Leeds Museums and Galleries family brand, it is still required to use the Brick Man version. The word logo appears only when publicity is done individually by the gallery.

The fact that Leeds Art Gallery has a set of two different logos and its different applications might cause some confusion regarding its visual identity. As previously suggested by findings on the Kentucky Art Gallery in the United States, its decreasing numbers of visitors were a long- term result of inconsistent branding. Practitioners such as Briggs and Nelson (2009) as well as the examples of other successful art galleries have illustrated that consistency is the key to the successful branding. This can be explained by the notion that a homogeneous visual identity evokes a feeling of consistent and reputable institution.

Similarly like the other art galleries, Leeds Art Gallery owns a set of brand guidelines that consist of introduction to the brand, an overview of competitors, word templates, colour palette, Leeds City Council logo, Museums and Galleries icon, the brand icon as well as font usage. Given the information from the visual identity document (Leeds Museums and Galleries Brand Guidelines), four key branding aims can be distinguished. Highlighting the facts that the gallery is owned by Leeds City Council, belongs to the Leeds Museums and Galleries family, has a wide range of offers and is able to compete with other attractions. After examining the information it has become clear that the guidelines have been designed for the convenience of the staff as well as to maintain consistency with the branding goals. However, according to Catherine Hall,

[staff] don’t comply with it fully. It’s because of the nature of our business <…> all about visual representation <…> it wouldn’t be appropriate (see Appendix).

The findings from the interview show that there are some tensions related to the brand guidelines. It can be suggested that it is the reason why Catherine Hall admits that the guidelines are not followed in full. It can be interpreted that the guidelines are thought to be too restrictive. Alongside the logo, colours (dark green) and typefaces (DIN), the brand is also using additional elements, such as sweeping lines, curved angles, ‘egg’ shaped pictures and text. However, these graphic elements do not necessarily seem appropriate for everyone’s work. One

Migle Padegimaite 200522336 of such examples given by Catherine Hall is a current exhibition “Liberty and Anarchy” by a modern artist from Australia, Nike Savvas. As suggested by the title, the artwork has been described as dynamic, colourful and playful. It seems that the combination of default graphic elements would have been against the nature of the work. Therefore, the branding for this special exhibition (Fig. 17) was chosen by the artist herself and then approved by the gallery. This example illustrates that although the guidelines are rigid and outdated, they are not entirely imposed on Leeds Art Gallery and there is a degree of flexibility allowed.

Figure 17: Branding for Nike Savvas

In terms of the application of the guidelines (Fig. 18), Catherine Hall distinguishes two main approaches. It has been agreed by the gallery that both internal and external designers can be used. As evident from the research, the in-house branding team is relatively small (which also works within the main body of Leeds City Council), therefore is a list of approved external design agencies that are used on frequent basis is generated. Nonetheless, due to the tight budget and shortage of time, design work can sometimes be done by any of the employees. There are sets of default Word templates, although according to Catherine Hall, they are rarely in use within the gallery’s environment. The fact that the gallery’s font DIN (Fig. 18) is not available on PCs, could be a result of its rare usage within the internal design team.

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Figure 18: Leeds Art Gallery Brand Guidelines

4.2. Case study two: The Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery. Interview, brand guidelines and applications

Layla Bloom is a Curator of the Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery, which is situated in the Parkinson Building at the University of Leeds. The Gallery was first opened in 1970 and has improved a lot since then. Entrance is free of charge and visitors can enjoy both contemporary special exhibitions and historic collections (including sculpture and ceramics). According to the gallery’s website (2013), the main goal of the institution is to promote “understanding and appreciation of the visual arts as a vital element in the intellectual and spiritual well-being, and the self-understanding of individuals and communities” to students, staff and the public. It is interesting to note, that compared to the other public galleries (The National Gallery or The National Portrait Gallery), the usage of keywords such as enjoyment or pleasant is limited. It could be interpreted that education and contemplation of art is regarded as more important than pleasure gained from such activities.

The Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery has undergone refurbishment and the change of the name in 2008. A year after, a Research Report by Audiences Yorkshire was conducted in order to evaluate the development as well as to advise on marketing and branding strategies and for the gallery. Surprisingly, results that emerged from the study reported that refurbishment and rebranding have had a strong impact on visitor number decreasing from 950,000 to 16,000 per

Migle Padegimaite 200522336 year (see Appendix). For this reason, the gallery was pressured to improve its performance significantly in order to retain audiences, firstly by “securing the current audience” (see Appendix). It has been reported that new visual identity was applied to occasional newsletters in order to strengthen the recall of the brand. The power of brand recall was discussed by Caldwell (2000) as essential for art gallery, and Guggenheim was indicated as a pioneer gallery brand to realize its potential.

The gallery has also been working on developing programs for schools, families and researchers in order to diversify the audience. The findings from the interview show that in order to appeal to different segments of the audience, their different characteristics need to be understood. It was asserted by Layla Bloom that branding in combination with copywriting helped to communicate the appropriate messages. The findings from the interview show that university staff is more likely to be attracted by such taglines as “relaxed lunch time get away”, whilst students might appreciate a more personal branding approach, such as “your gallery” (see Appendix). It is therefore important to understand the key differences between the segments of the audience.

In 2008 not only the place was refurbished, but also the visual identity of the gallery was renewed by the agency Apetite from London. A set of new brand guidelines was developed, consisting of logo, typefaces, additional graphics and templates. Moreover, examples of various applications, such exhibition posters, signage, leaflets, banners, bags and invitations were illustrated (Fig. 19). It is evident from the guidelines that the Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery logo is considered as the main element of visual identity and must be used across all the publicity. The primary logo should be used wherever possible, unless certain size or legibility restrictions occur, as the length is twice longer than the alternative one (Fig. 20). The study shows that the usage of “two different logos interchangeably” (see Appendix) is adopted. One unanticipated finding was that the monochrome version of the logo was not confirmed, therefore, some difficulties by black and white publications were caused.

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Figure 19: Application of Visual Identity Figure 20: Primary and Secondary Logos

Considering the results from the interview, it has become clear that the gallery has now become more and more expected of. It has been previously suggested in the literature by Eliza Williams (2011) that art galleries have transformed and been compared with other forms of entertainment. It seems that Layla Bloom is in agreement with the recent shift, suggesting that “museums and art galleries need to meet this challenge. From the external visitors point of view, whether they go to a theme park or an art gallery <…> it might be just a day out with the kids…” (see Appendix). Therefore, the gallery also hosts a number of workshops, educational discussions and visiting speakers. The fact that it is located in the Parkinson building at the University of Leeds means that refreshments and architecture support the experience of the visitors that have become more demanding, as identified by Hyland and King (2006).

One of such experiences is a specific series of events – taking place every Saturday – Burton Saturdays. It consists of a range of different activities, such as craft making, painting, drawing and poetry sessions. As suggested by Layla Bloom, Burton Saturdays act as a sub-brand for the gallery, therefore the branding for the series of events has some distinctive symbols. The dove holding a twig shaped as a letter ‘S’ (which stands for Saturdays) symbol being the main one (Fig. 21). Originally used on the crest of the Burton Family, a stylized dove now it serves as an

Migle Padegimaite 200522336 icon for visual identity. Slightly different icons illustrate a variety of events organized on Saturdays that are reflected through the different items that doves hold in their beaks, such as painting brushes, scissors, theatrical masks, pens, etc (Fig. 22). On the other hand, it is widely accepted that a dove is a representation of peace and harmony, which applied within the context of the gallery could possibly mean harmonizing through the artwork. Inside the Gallery, the black and white dove symbol is used on the labels to mark works of art donated by the Burton Family and the Audrey and Stanley Burton Charitable Trust. This approach suggests that a need for a sub-branding might arise in order to distinguish specific events. The gallery also has a choice of four different covers that can be filled with the images reflecting the type of occasion (Fig. 23).

Figure 21: The Dove Logo for Burton Saturdays

Figure 22: A Group of Icons for Burton Saturdays

Figure 23: Four Different Covers for Burton Saturdays

According to the branding manual, bright pink (Pantone 225) and light grey (Pantone Cool Gray 9) are the corporate colours used on all communications (Fig. 24). Considering the importance

Migle Padegimaite 200522336 of colour symbolism (as previously examined by Schmitt and Simonson in 1997), it can be suggested that those two colours were chosen in order to convey specific messages to the target audience. The findings from the research show that the contemporary feel is conveyed through the use of florescent pink, whilst grey reflects the classic side of the gallery. This subtle fusion appeals to both younger and older audiences - evoking excitement and playfulness, yet remaining trustworthy at the same time. However, Layla Bloom admits “there might be some exhibitions where bright pink looks too contemporary <…> depends on the nature of publication” (see Appendix). The findings from the interview show that there have been cases in the past where branding had to be as subtle as possible. Such examples include special publications of delicate watercolours and historic book illustrations, as asserted by the curator, “we have that freedom with exhibitions, not with our main publications” (see Appendix).

Figure 24: Colours for The Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery

Contrary to the expectations, the brand guidelines of the Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery are not that rigid when it comes to the exhibition branding. Nonetheless, the findings suggest that the impact of the University of Leeds authority on the gallery’s branding is stricter than previously assumed. It has been supported by Layla Bloom that it is a mandatory to include the University of Leeds logo on all communications. Moreover, the logo “has to be at the bottom or top right” (see Appendix). The gallery is not only influenced by the University brand guidelines, but also by the University Library branding manual. It has been reported by the curator that sometimes tensions occur. One of such given examples is the gallery’s website, which is branded highly similarly to the Library. The fact that the Burton gallery is under the supervision of other two higher institutions (the University Library and the University of Leeds itself) makes its branding more complex and different from the independent gallery. However, it is evident that such hierarchy exists in other public art galleries as well, often distinguishes it from more

Migle Padegimaite 200522336 direct commercial institutions.

In terms of applying the brand guidelines, the in-house communications team and the Print and Copy Bureau at the University of Leeds are the first ones to be approached when in need of design work. Additionally, a list of approximately 10 design studios is generated and acclaimed to use. According to Layla Bloom, external designers are commissioned whenever in search of a unique style. However, all the publications need to be approved by the communications team, which is often not in favour of anything that is too distinctive or different from the brand manual. Therefore, the Word template design has been created by the WPA Pinfold Design Studio for the most of the monthly programs and event fliers (Fig. 25). It could be interpreted that the use of templates might reduce tensions between the communications team and the gallery. Moreover, the set templates can act as a means of saving time, money and maintaining consistency of brand application. On the other hand, this approach might suggest that anyone is capable of doing design work, thus the quality of posters or fliers might suffer.

Figure 25: Template Design

In terms of attracting people to the site, the gallery has been struggling to make itself visible. According to The Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery Research Report (2009), one of the complaints from the visitors was a lack of signage and publicity. However, Layla Bloom explains that the lack of outdoor branding as well as signage is influenced by the fact that the gallery is

Migle Padegimaite 200522336 located in the Parkinson Building, which is a listed site. According to the curator, some tensions between the gallery and the university have occurred in the past due to the amount of external signage. It has been suggested that such historic building should be kept well preserved, thus big banners attracting possible visitors are prohibited. For this reason, the gallery is also known as a “hidden gem”. As explained by Layla Bloom, this connotation is not the goal of the gallery planned on purpose, but the institution is “trying to make a virtue of it” (see Appendix). On one hand, willingness to preserve the Parkinson Building is understandable from the University’s point of view. However, it seems that this has a negative impact on the gallery, especially its attendance levels. Furthermore, the established brand guidelines are only used within the internal publications, whilst could be expanded to the outdoor applications.

4.3. Case study three: Threefold Creative Limited. Interview

Lynne Calvert is a Creative Director at Threefold Creative Limited design agency situated in Bradford. The company has worked with Leeds Art Gallery on a number of occasions. Some of the design and branding examples include the Autumn / Winter Events Guide, the Nike Savvas exhibition ‘Liberty and Anarchy’ as well as an invite card for the Drawing: Sculpture, Dawn Chorus and Contested Ground. The agency has mainly produced design for internal graphics, but some of them were also applied externally. It can be suggested that in order to convey a sense of stronger visual identity and especially its impact on visitors, it is recommended extending relevant graphics to outdoors signage. This strategic approach is particularly important within the context of art galleries, as findings from the previous research on visitors by Audiences Yorkshire (2009) show that most of the visits happen spontaneously. The findings from the research suggest that art galleries should pay attention to attractiveness of outdoors graphics in order to increase curiosity of passers-by, who can are the potential visitors. As supported by Lynne Calvert (see Appendix),

The key point of any work of this nature for a Gallery or Museum is primarily to increase footfall to the institution by marketing the events in an effective way and generally raise awareness of events and all their activities too.

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However, the Creative Director admits that in order to achieve the best results, in-depth analysis of the gallery’s internal and external environments (such as competitors or trends) have to be conducted. From the perspective of the design agency, the findings illustrate that art galleries are treated as any other businesses, “we approached the brief in exactly the same way as we would any brief” (see Appendix). This approach is in agreement with Niall Caldwell’s (2000) theory on art galleries and their commercialization, which has resulted the quality of arts branding being improved. However, according to Lynne Calvert, the most important task for the agency is to meet the requirements of the design brief set by the gallery.

The findings from the research show that the design agency had not only to fulfill the requirements, but also to work according to the brand guidelines. It has been supported by Lynne Calvert that the agency was familiarized with the rules, as Leeds Art Gallery has been commissioning Threefold Creative for a while now. The fact the brand guidelines are controlled by Leeds City Council shows that the same branding issues apply to the gallery. Corporate colours, set typefaces and fixed graphics suggest that possible tensions might arise between the design agency and the gallery. According to the creative director, the most sensitive parts of the guidelines are considered to be “use of logos, their position, exclusion zones and use of partner brands” (see Appendix). Although, these logo-sensitive results differ from some previous published studies (Hyland and King 2006) on modern arts branding, they are consistent with those of English (1998), where a logo was considered to be at the heart of arts branding and handled with care. Comparing the dates of the literature outlined above, it might be suggested that the approach to branding Leeds Art Gallery is still in line with the old thinking, thus inflexible and heavily relying on logo. Despite the rigidness of the use of logos, Lynne Calvert admits that occasionally the agency is commissioned to design promotional materials where the guidelines are not as strict. Leeds Art Gallery is said to ask for some fresh approach to design, particularly when branding their special events, where unusual graphics distinguish them from the regular programme.

One of the most comprehensive and recent branding tasks was executed by Threefold Creative was designing the Autumn / Winter Events Guide for Leeds Art Gallery. The findings show that the challenge was to keep the guide simple and attractive, combining copywriting and imagery

Migle Padegimaite 200522336 together. An interesting insight from the study was that rather than simply marketing a collection of artworks or placing emphasis on the gallery’s conservation tasks, a whole experience of the gallery was communicated. This approach to branding addresses a recent phenomenon in arts, previously discussed by Kerrigan, Fraser et al. (2004), where a shift from object and function focused art galleries has moved to the emphasis placed on visitor experience and purpose (such as enjoyment and inspiration). Therefore, asides from solely focusing on exhibitions, facilities such as restaurants, gift shops and children’s spaces are promoted as equally attractive assets to the galleries. The fact that a cover picture of the events guide showcases people enjoying the artworks (rather than a shot of artworks themselves) supports the statements above. Specifically, a cover shot pictures a young couple, which might suggest a willingness to attract younger audiences to the gallery. Overall, the style of photography and the use of light, modern fonts contribute to creating contemporary look of the promotional material (Fig. 26). It is yet another interesting insight, also supported by Lynne Calvert. Struggling to attract young visitors has been an issue not only for Leeds Art Gallery, but also discussed in the previous research as an area of concern.

Figure 26: Leeds Art Gallery Autumn / Winter Events Guide

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Although a cover shot illustrating a young couple has been received positively, some unexpected challenges related to art direction of photography have been outlined during the interview. A number of photographs showcasing images of visitors, some artworks and facilities such as café area have been commissioned by Leeds Art Gallery and used across different promotional materials. Findings from the research show that due to the copyright laws, Threefold Creative was restricted in terms of capturing certain pieces of art that the gallery does not own copyright of. It has been acknowledged by Lynne Calvert that yet another issue regarding photography arose when shooting images of visitors in the gallery. Authorization of photography needs to be supported with consent forms and agreed by every individual included in the shot, “which is understandable though at time frustrating” admits Lynne Calvert (see Appendix). The style of photography and its tone of voice are as important visual aspects of arts branding, as a choice of colours, fonts any supporting graphics. Values of an art gallery can be expressed through art direction of photography, ranging from bold and brave to formal and conservative approaches, thus it can serve as a mean of attracting desirable segments of visitors. It can also be interpreted that a target market of most of the art galleries are visually sensitive people that appreciate the art of images and aesthetics. Therefore, imagery should not be underestimated when branding galleries.

As predicted, tight budgets are considered to be one of the challenges for producing design work within the field of public art galleries. Lynne Calvert asserts, “we have been aware of the financial limitations, this isn’t unique to the gallery but sadly the public sector is being hit big time with all the cuts” (see Appendix). A balance of good quality work and carefully calculated production costs is required in this complex financial situation, in order to satisfy both design agencies and art galleries. The fact that public art galleries are substantially maintained by the taxpayers might suggest that general public needs to be informed about expenditures made. The hypothesis of careful considerations regarding both the public and budgets have been supported by the creative director addressing the following case:

The choice of paper stock [for the Autumn / Winter events guide] was interesting and very intentional for price, look and feel, as client wanted a lightweight uncoated stock. Leeds

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Art Gallery is quite rightly mindful of the public not wanting to see something that felt too expensive or extravagant as of course public money is being spent on this (see Appendix).

Contrary to our expectations, tensions regarding public art galleries and their financial situation do not solely cause difficulties, but at the same time challenge design agencies to be “even more resourceful and helps problem solving skills” (see Appendix). The findings from the research also show that agencies keep a balance of public and private clients, which provide a sense of community engagement and funds respectively.

In order to gain fresh insights on the successful identities from the perspective design agencies, Lynne Calvert was asked to share her viewpoint in the context of public art galleries. Two key examples of The Hepworth Wakefield and Tate were given, accompanied with detailed justifications:

The Hepworth Wakefield which whilst contemporary also feels classic <…> has a clarity but yet the typography has some subtle quirks. <…> Their photography is strong too. With any gallery it is not just the brand it is everything that goes with it down to photography through to the tone of voice used in any documents.

Tate has in the past been a bit quirkier and louder than a lot of galleries <…> somehow some of the branding has felt more inclusive with regard to the audience. I was also impressed with some of the art gallery merchandise as opposed to other galleries. <…> However again with the Tate whilst they can be bold you will also find that they are bold only when appropriate, nothing can fight or have a detrimental effect on the key exhibitions and work on display (see Appendix).

Interestingly, the two examples somehow contradict each other in the nature of brand identity. The identity of Tate (Fig. 27) is perceived as very modern and loud compared to The Hepworth Wakefield’s (Fig. 28). However, the results of this study show that both galleries manage to maintain a balance between the content and visual identity, which has previously been discussed by Cuno (2004). With regard to the audience, it does seem that identity of Tate might

Migle Padegimaite 200522336 feel more inclusive compared to the branding of The Hepworth Wakefield. A possible explanation for this might be a combination of cold colours and clean typefaces that the latter case has adopted. Therefore, such visual language might attract a wealthy and mature segment of the population. In comparison, due to its bright colours and energetic typefaces, Tate is often regarded as well positioned in the segment of families and younger audiences. These findings further support the importance of colour and typography in the arts sectors discussed by earlier theorists (Schmitt and Simonson 1997; Phinney 2013; English 1998).

Figure 27: Visual Identity and its Application for Tate

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Figure 28: Visual Identity and its Application for The Hepworth Wakefield

4.4. Comparison

In order to gain a holistic understanding of the discussed findings, a comparison of results is presented. Firstly, the study has shown that additional assets that contribute to the experience of art gallery, such as cafés and architecture, are regarded as important for attracting visitors in both institutions. For this reason, they are not regarded as negative details that distract from the content, as previously suggested by Cuno (2004). Moreover, the research has show that in addition to manufacturing a feeling of whole experience, accessibility is being improved by organizing activities for families and kids in both institutions. The results from this study indicate that a sense of whole experience as well as accessibility is being communicated to the public through branding, visual identity and their applications. It has been shown that public art galleries as well as design studios are aware of such marketing techniques and agree on their effectiveness. Therefore, there are similarities between the attitudes expressed by Lynne Calvert (the creative director), Catherine Hall from Leeds Art Gallery and Layla Bloom, the curator of The Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery.

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This modern experience-driven branding approach, compared to the object-focused, has been positively received by Lynne Calvert, the creative director of the design agency. This finding has important implications for developing appropriate art direction of photography and graphic icons, which could show a broad range of activities that galleries have to offer. It has been also identified that in attempt to attract younger audiences, promotional materials are designed to look more contemporary than ever before, through the use of modern typefaces and energetic photography.

In general, the findings suggest that although in-house design teams are present in higher bodies (in this case – Leeds City Council and The University of Leeds) that run the public galleries, visual identities are more often designed externally. It is quite unexpected, as it seems that internal designers understand the needs of institutions better than external agencies. A possible explanation for this insight may be the lack of time or competency to be responsible for such an important task. Therefore, additional funds are spent on high quality work from agencies such as WPA Pinfold Design Studio (responsible for branding The Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery). In contrast, once visual identity and a set of brand guidelines are designed, public art galleries tend to cut funds on its further application internally. Both interviewed galleries admitted having premade design templates for the usage of general staff. It can be interpreted that the need of professional design work is sometimes underestimated due to the financial limitations, the lack of staff or fast working environment in public art galleries in general.

However, it has been shown that some branding issues might be caused by factors that were not considered prior the study. Firstly, aiming to target different audiences can result inconsistent messages and split branding within the arts brand. Therefore, sub-branding (such as the Burton Saturdays sub brand at the Burton Gallery) was identified as a key solution to distinguishing different activities and targeting specific audiences by both galleries. It can thus be suggested that a more segmented approach to designing and applying visual identity could be adopted to increase efficiency of the overall marketing. Also, the importance of separate graphic elements (typefaces, colours and logos) should not be overlooked, as illustrated by The Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery and its usage of pink that generated scepticism.

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It is interesting to note that due to the hierarchy in management, two of the biggest public art galleries in Leeds experience pressure and restrains with regard to the application of identity. Hence, it could be conceivably hypothesised that such tensions exist in the wider field of public art institutions that are run and controlled by higher bodies. It has been shown that brand identity of art gallery is required to match certain rules that are applied to branding Leeds City Council and The University of Leeds. In general, it seems that logo is considered to be the most sensitive component of identity design. This finding is in agreement with English’s (1998), which showed that logo is still considered to be the most important part of identity design. It was also supported by all three interviewees, therefore could possibly be transferable to the other public galleries.

However, this perception when identity is focused on a logo, could be interpreted as old- fashioned, as modern identities (such as Tate or MoMa) equally embrace the other elements of identity and a more holistic approach is adopted.

However, as supported by case studies, both galleries and designers sometimes break the rules of brand guidelines. This is especially evident in the context of special exhibitions branding. It could be interpreted that guidelines are too rigid to be applied to various types of artwork that public galleries showcase. Surprisingly, the findings from Leeds Art Gallery have shown that even a logo (which is often considered to be the most transferable component of visual identity), might not be appropriate in certain circumstances due to its meaning. Therefore, neutral yet recognizable symbol, such as the logo of the Burton Gallery, could be regarded as more successful than a complex one. It can be therefore suggested that public art galleries evaluate whether their identities are transferable and flexible enough to cater for their needs.

5. Conclusion

This paper has investigated the concepts of branding and visual identity in the context of art galleries. Different viewpoints relating to the definitions and commercialization of public art galleries were discussed. The findings suggest that public art galleries as well as design agencies

Migle Padegimaite 200522336 are aware of the commercial shift and pressure faced. Therefore, successful branding and distinctive visual identity are regarded as important assets and tools of marketing in the competitive arts market. The empirical findings add to our understanding of approaches to branding public art galleries from the perspective of design agencies. Due to the same branding techniques used in all the other sectors, it can be suggested that designers perceive cultural clients as any other businesses.

Returning to the question whether public art galleries should embrace the power of distinctive identity design or place content first, the findings suggest that finding a balance is a key. It has become clear that without good quality artworks, a long-term success of the gallery is questionable. However, the results of this research show that visual identity and its effective application can definitely aid attractiveness and distinguish from competitors. It has been suggested that successful identities adopt the principles of consistency throughout their communications. The research shows that visual identities for art galleries are often consciously designed to reflect one or more of the following: content, location, architecture, audience and personality of the institution.

One of the more significant findings to emerge from this study is that due to the nature of art galleries, modern flexible identities are thought to be more successful than the rigid ones. However, it has been also found that public art galleries are highly dependant on higher bodies, compared to more independent commercial art institutions. Due to the complex hierarchy, rules and restrictions are often imposed on public galleries, affecting visual identities and their applications. The gallery directors as well as designers are aware of these challenges and try to embrace the limitations.

However, certain limitations of this study need to be acknowledged. Firstly, a small sample of primary case studies within a limited geographical range was examined. Thus for more quantity data, analyzing more galleries and designers is suggested. Also, the current research was designed mainly to explore the subject from the perspectives of galleries and designers. Therefore, further studies might explore visitors and their perceptions as a valuable asset to the body of research. It would be also interesting to compare commercial and public art galleries, in

Migle Padegimaite 200522336 terms of the funds available for designing identities, and whether it could be a source of outperformance.

This study examined the complex concept of brand identity and its graphic elements within the art gallery context. Taken together, these findings encourage embracing the shifts in the business of branding public art galleries and developing more flexible identities, as the power of visual language within the visual arts should not be underestimated. This paper is a contribution to the literature on branding the arts sector, thus recommended for audiences interested in managing and designing for the arts.

6. References

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ARTSHAK. 2012. Branding: why colour in branding matters [online]. [Accessed on 13 December 2012]. Available from: http://www.artshak.com.au/_blog/Artshak_Blog/post/Branding_Why_colour_in_branding_mat ters/

AUDIENCES YORKSHIRE. 2009. Visual Arts Benchmarking: Leeds Art Gallery. Leeds: Leeds Design Innovation Centre

AUKEN, V.B. 2006. Brand Identity: The Importance of Colour [online]. [Accessed on 14 December 2012]. Available from: http://www.brandingstrategyinsider.com/2006/11/brand_identity_.html#.UVIgFFuW50V

BAINES, P. and HASLAM, A. 2005. Type and Typography. London: Laurence King Publishing, p.7

BRIGGS, B.B. and A.NELSON. 2009. Branding in a brand-hostile environment. In: A. LUMB, A.GATES and A.NELSON. Creating Bonds: Successful Marketing in Museums. Edinburgh: MuseumsETC, p.45

CALDWELL, N.G. 2000. The Emergence of Museum Brands. International Journal of Arts Management. 2(3), pp.28-29

CHEVERTON, P. 2006. Understanding Brands (Creating Success). London: Kogan Page.

CLIFTON, R., J.SIMMONS et al. 2003. Brands and Branding. London: Profile Books Ltd, pp.2,7,124

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CUNO, J. ed. 2004. Whose Muse?: Art Museums and The Public Trust. London: Princeton University Press.

ENGLISH, M. 1998. Designing Identity: Graphic Design as a Business Strategy. Gloucester, Mass: Rockport Publishers, Inc., p.10

EVANS, J. and K.BRIDSON. 2013. Branding the Public Art Museum Sector: A New Competitive Model. Melbourne: Asia Pacific Social Impact Leadership Centre

GEORGE EASTMAN HOUSE INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND FILM. 2013. Logotype [online]. [Accessed on 3 February 2013]. Available from: http://www.eastmanhouse.org/

GREETHAM, B. 2009. How to Write your Undergraduate Dissertation. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, pp.213-215

GORMLEY, A. 2012. The Brick Man [online]. [Accessed on 5 March 2013]. Available from: http://www.antonygormley.com/sculpture/chronology-item-view/id/2057/page/479

GUNELIUS, S. 2012. Brands, Psychology and Typefaces – Why Fonts Matter [online]. [Accessed on 13 December 2012]. Available from: http://www.corporate-eye.com/main/brands- psychology-and-typefaces-why-fonts-matter/

JEREMY TANKARD TYPOGRAPHY LTD. 2012. An occasional newsletter from Jeremy Tankard Typography Ltd [online]. [Accessed on 13 December 2012]. Available from: http://www.typography.net/commissions/view/5

KERRIGAN, F., P.FRASER and M.ÖZBILGIN. ed 2004. Arts Marketing. Oxford: Elsevier

KING, E. and A. HYLAND. 2006. C/ID– Visual Identity and Branding for the Arts [online]. London: Laurence King Publishing. [Accessed 7 January 2013]. Available from: http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=YEZiADGcQKAC&dq=Visual+Identity+and+Branding+for+th e+Arts&lr=&hl=lt&source=gbs_navlinks_s, pp.9-18

KLONK, C. 2009. Spaces of Experience: Art Gallery Interiors from 1800 to 2000. New Haven: Yale University Press, p.9

LALLOZ, S.I. 2000. Branding Strategy for Museums and Galleries [online]. [Accessed on 3 February 2013]. Available from: http://www.insights.org.uk/articleitem.aspx?title=Branding+Strategy+for+Museums+and+Galler ies

McNAMARA, M.J. [no date]. When the Arts Need Branding [online]. [Accessed on 23 January 2013]. Available from: http://artsbranding.org/when-arts-organizations-need-branding/

OLINS, W. 2003. On Brand. London: Thames and Hudson Ltd.

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O’REILLY, D. and F.KERRIGAN. ed. 2010. Marketing the Arts: A Fresh Approach. New York: Routledge.

PENTAGRAM. 2008. New Work: Museum of Arts and Design [online]. [Accessed on 12 January 2013]. Available from: http://new.pentagram.com/2008/09/new-work-museum-of-arts-and-de/

PENTAGRAM. 2009. New Work: The Museum of Modern Art [online]. [Accessed on 12 January 2013]. Available from: http://new.pentagram.com/2009/02/new-work-the-museum-of- modern/#

PHINNEY, T. 2013. How to Explain Why Typography Matters [online]. [Accessed on 25 January 2013]. Available from: http://www.commarts.com/columns/how-explain-typography.html

SCHMITT, H.B. and A.SIMONSON. 1997. Marketing Aesthetics: The Strategic Management of Brands, Identity and Image. New York: The Free Press, pp.21-23, 92-96

SHARPE, T.D. 1974. The Psychology of Colour and Design. London:Burnham Inc Pub

STEGEMANN, N. and B.THOMPSON. 2005. Visual Arts Marketing: The Brand Equity Challenge Facing Galleries. International Business and Economics Research Journal. 4(12), p.1

STRATEGY BRANDING LTD. 2010. Christchurch Gallery Identity [online]. [Accessed on 15 December 2012]. Available from: http://www.strategy.co.nz/our-work/christchurch-art-gallery- arts-and-letters

SUMO DESIGN. [no date]. Our Work: Big Sculpture Weekends [online]. [Accessed on 5 October 2012]. Available from: http://www.sumodesign.co.uk/work/big-sculpture-weekends.html

SUMO DESIGN. [no date]. Our Work: Hepworth Wakefield [online]. [Accessed on 5 October 2012]. Available from: http://www.sumodesign.co.uk/work/hepworth-wakefield.html

TATE. 2012. Tate: our priorities [online]. [Accessed 8 December 2012]. Available from: http://www.tate.org.uk/about/our-work/our-priorities

THE NATIONAL GALLERY. [no date]. The National Gallery: constitution [online]. [Accessed 5 November 2012]. Available from: http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/about- us/organisation/constitution/

THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY. 2013. The National Portrait Gallery: organization [online]. [Accessed 3 February 2013]. Available from: http://www.npg.org.uk/about/organisation.php

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UNDER CONSIDERATION. 2011. Brand New: Asian Art Museum Turned on its Head [online]. [Accessed on 3 December 2012]. Available from: http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/asian_art_museum_turned_on_its_h ead.php

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YORKSHIRE POST. 2008. Where to now for cultural soul of Leeds? [online]. [Accessed on 2 February 2013]. Available from: http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/where-to-now-for- cultural-soul-of-leeds-1-2494077

7. Appendices

7.1. Interview with Leeds Art Gallery

Interview with Catherine Hall, The Head of Site Development and The Acting Principal Keeper of Leeds Art Gallery. Conducted on 31 January 2013, 11am at Leeds Art Gallery

What is the most important goal of your gallery?

“Making the art accessible to our visitors <…> that’s a fundamental priority <…> make collections accessible to the public ”

“The whole service has shifted in a last few years from being focused on looking after the collections and caring for them <…> to actually making them more accessible <…> put a lot of effort into making our buildings more accessible, the way we display things more accessible and the exhibitions we do more accessible. We put a lot of recourses into work with schools and with families, and with other groups. So I think that underpins everything we’re now doing as a service. We are far more outward facing as an organization and I think that comes across in a branding as well.”

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Could you please tell us a bit more about the visitors? Have you noticed any changes?

“We do put a lot more effort, you can see from our What’s On guide <..> as a service we are actually a big service, we actually have nine different museums and galleries, all owned and run by Leeds City Council <..> we obviously are offering a very broad programme across the city <…> our focus is on events linked to the art collection and temporary exhibitions. Temple Newsam has a different focus <…> we aim to be complimentary one to the other. What we are doing is not in opposition to actually caring for and researching the collection, but actually is far broader than that.”

What about the expectations? How do you respond to that?

“The expectations have changed a lot. People want to be able to see things; they want to know more information about material, they want to understand why you bought something, why you’ve got things in store. We try to communicate all that <...> we still obviously have a very strong commitment to preservation and to research and to giving people who got special interest access to our collections; they can ring up and have a look at our pictures and drawings that aren’t on display <…> we’re trying to get a balance. At the end of the day, we are paid for by the public, we are paid for by taxpayers, because we are a local authority gallery. So we have to make sure that people feel that they’re getting value for money out of us.”

“Huge amount of research went in across the country a few years ago to actually get all the oil paintings that public galleries owned in a whole country photographed and put into a database. Originally that took a form of a book <…> all the oil paintings that are owned by public collections in Leeds were published in this book, including all of ours. That was produced in 2004. That book is still available, you can still go and buy it, but now what’s happened is all those images have gone on this website <…> it’s far more accessible <…> launched in partnership with BBC. It’s one of the examples what galleries are doing to make work more accessible. It only covers oil paintings, it doesn’t cover sculpture, it doesn’t cover drawings <…> it’s a start <…> not only people can look at the images on the website, but also help to actually

Migle Padegimaite 200522336 tag them <…> so you look at the picture and it might have a cat, a hot air balloon or whatever <…> people are encouraged to go and effectively catalogue it. That’s a national initiative that we are participating in”

What about your target audience in relation to the segments?

We did a piece of research with support from the arts council about three years ago and it showed what our existing audience consisted of. We are a city centre site, so we tend to get a lot of students, adults on their own, adults in pairs. We get families, but we don’t proportionally get as many families as we’d like. When we looked at the demographic breakdown of the people who visit, obviously in tune with most of the galleries across the country, it does tend to be skewed towards the wealthier segment of the population. We know that’s the audience who come and obviously we’re doing more to broaden the appeal both through the activities we run, the kids art space downstairs for families, we have special events happening. So we are trying to broaden that demographic. We’re working with people with learning difficulties, so we’re bringing people that might not think of the gallery as a comfortable place to visit. But we don’t want people to be intimidated by what’s on here. We don’t want to dumb down either. We recognize that there are people that have a very keen deep interest in art, so we want to make sure they are catered as well. So it is quite a balance really.

What about your competitors? Do you see other galleries as competitors?

“We don’t really see them as competitors, we see them as a part of the same effort to broaden the audience. One of the things is an initiative called Art in Yorkshire, where all the art galleries in Yorkshire get together and produce an annual publication, which highlight one or maybe two exhibitions that they are doing that year. It’s about moving people from one gallery to another. So they might be regular visitors to York Art Gallery, but do they know what’s going on in Leeds or Bradford. It’s all about moving people around, so we don’t really see them as competitors, more as collaboration. The second thing that is growing and that we are involved in is called the Big Sculpture Weekend. They changed the branding interestingly and now it’s called the Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle. That’s four galleries – ourselves, the Hepworth Wakefield,

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Yorkshire Sculpture Park and the Henry Moore Institute. We’re working together to really build a critical mass of interest, reflecting the fact that Yorkshire is a very important region for sculpture we’re maximizing that promotional opportunity that exists. In terms of wider competition, there’s a lot of competition for people’s leisure time. One thing that changed that happened a few years ago is that up until twenty years ago the shops were not opened on Sundays, so Leeds Art Gallery was not opened either, as there was nobody in the city centre. When that really took off, the gallery and the library started to open on Sundays, because we knew there were people in town, so that helped us. But that again made more competition for some of our other museums, where all you could do is visit a museum, but now people can go to the shops, cinemas, so there’s more competition for people’s leisure time and money. We are free, but some of our galleries and museums do charge admission.

Does branding help to unite? Is it beneficial?

The first thing that is important to our branding is that we are owned and run by Leeds City Council. That’s really important both for our communication to make it clear to the public that their council tax money is going to help to support the gallery. It’s very significant to us; so all the print materials must have a Leeds City Council logo. If we were a private gallery or a charitable trust, that wouldn’t be there. It’s important that we comply with the Leeds City Council branding guidelines and that people know that it’s not only the negative things that the council does, but it actually supports many really positive life-long learning initiatives, such as the libraries, sports centres, galleries, so it’s important to show that through our branding. I have probably the greatest sympathy for that argument, as I worked for five years in the corporate centre of the Chief Executive’s Office and I was actually one of the people who helped work on this branding. There were an unbelievable number of arguments about it and the whole process went on for about two years. The chief executive felt very strongly that the council logo was very old fashioned, so they needed to simplify it and to look more like a modern local authority. We had a debate about how far we could go about losing the detail of the original crest and we ended up with a compromise. It’s moving the city forward.

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There was a feeling that people shouldn’t have any other logos and that should be the only one appearing on stuff. However, services like ourselves, which are in a tourism market, argue very strongly that we need a separate distinct identity that people can recognize as well as that. So we were one of the first parts of the council to have agreed that we had a subsidiary brand that worked together with the brand guidelines of City Council as well as Leeds Museums and Galleries. The latter brand guidelines show that each site has a different colour and a related logo. Also each site has a little icon that reflects what’s in the collection. The gallery’s icon is the image taken from a very famous work in the collection, which isn’t actually on the show at the moment <…> it’s a live size human figure and it’s called the Brick Man. It was a model for a very large artwork, which was going to go in the city centre in Leeds. It would have been as big as the Angel of the North. So when we did the branding for Leeds Museums and Galleries, this was picked up on as the logo that we could use. In every single case, each of the sites, as well as having their logo with a picture in it, they also have a word logo. So we started off using this [the Brick Man logo] all the time, and not using that [the word logo] <…> but what we found was that because we’re an art gallery and because we show the work of very many different artists, we struggled to be able to use this [the Brick Man], because it was too reflective of one artist’s work. And also the size of it was a bit difficult to use. So it’s been agreed that for most of the time now we’re using that [the word logo]. It’s a bit complicated. When we appear with our other museums, we use that [the Brick Man], but when we do our own publicity, we just use that one [the word logo]. In 2011 we did have two very big exhibitions and it did cause us some problems. One was the Henry Moore exhibition and the other was Damien Hirst. It just wouldn’t have been right to put that logo with the Brickman onto those shows. We just realised that it was always going to be a problem for us. Also, because it was a partnership with Tate, their logo had to be on, as well as the other sponsors’, so it’s a bit difficult to fit everything in. That shows some of the difficulties when working with multiple logos. Sometimes they don’t comply with the guidelines, which show what the minimum size of the logo should be. The big outdoor signs have to have the logos as well. We had three exhibitions together, so all these people had to be credited, so we try to balance it out. We are the only of the sites that abandoned using premade graphics from the guidelines. The Schools Program is something that unites all the sites, to show teacher that we are a family, part of a brand family.

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Do you have an in-house graphic design team?

We do have an in-house graphic design team, but they can’t do everything for us, so we do use other design companies as well. Particularly when we have a show that involves other partners. They bid for the projects and they should handle some of the issues with the copyright work. You have to be very careful that you don’t cause problems by cropping them, shaping or misrepresenting in any way. We often use the company called Sumo from Newcastle and they are actually doing the work for Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle. Some things are done by the local team Threefold Creative, as our graphics team is very small and they are doing all the work for other council departments. We have two or three different agencies that we tend to put proposals to and get different quotes from. We generally start by asking our in-house team, but usually they can’t fit it in, as our deadlines are very tight. They were, however, responsible for designing Leeds City Council brand guidelines.

What about your brand guidelines? How flexible or rigid they are?

We don’t comply with it fully. Just because of the nature of our business, as it’s all about visual representation it wouldn’t be appropriate to use this [the premade graphics] on exhibition opening, because Nike Savvas knows what she wants and it doesn’t suit her work. We do have to have quite a lot of flexibility here and fortunately, it has not been imposed on us. Because of the money we have, we are currently recruiting some more staff to possibly rebrand some of the sites. They have already changed the colour of one of the sites, as it was too close to one of the other colours. So we are quite flexible and we don’t use posters like this [from the guidelines template], because it’s just against the nature of our business and doesn’t reflect us well as an organization. The problems that have arisen with this were when a non-specialist designer would forget to put the logo on and print hundreds of copies, and that’s when people would have arguments. Of course, they were trying to do their best with very limited recourses, because they don’t have any money to design a poster.

The branding extends as far as staff uniforms, as they’ve got Leeds Museums and Galleries on one side and Leeds City Council on the other. We’ve been deliberately told to have both and I

Migle Padegimaite 200522336 had colleagues trying to save money on embroidery by not having one of these. In this case, we must comply with the brand. Whilst for example the Hepworth Gallery is a charitable trust and they can develop a very distinctive identity. Their website is also very distinctive, whilst ours has to comply with Leeds City Council. That does cause us some problems, because the way it’s set up is pretty rigid in terms of content. Another problem that has arisen was that the domain name www.leedsartgallery.co.uk was bought by some one else and we don’t own it. And if you go on that website, it’s populated with Leeds Art Gallery, but it’s not our website. We get a lot of complaints from people who can’t find our phone number or address online.

What do you think about branding in relation to the content of the gallery? Is it more important?

I don’t think so. We obviously let the artists have their say, providing that it provides a balance and satisfies everyone. It’s really got to be a partnership with an artist. When it’s with a living artist, he has to sign off the invitation card and approve it personally. Sometimes we had discussions whether the artworks are represented correctly, as the artists are obviously very sensitive. If we misrepresent something, the artist could ask to shred the whole art, as we are on the copyright. We own things in our collection, for example the Brickman. Antony Gormley [the author of the Brickman] is still alive; we own the model as we bought it 20 years ago, but not the copyright of that object. If we wanted to put that on a postcard and sell it in our shop, we couldn’t do that without asking Antony Gormley’s permission. However, there are a lot of works in our collection that are made by people that are not around anymore, which means that the copyright is inherited by their family. So if we want to produce a card, we have to get permission by them. Moreover, often the right holders will require payment if we want to represent work in our catalogue or a postcard. That’s an additional restriction on us, and that’s why we have strict rules on photography in the gallery. We can’t let people go snapping pictures everywhere, because the work is in copyright and we have to protect it. It’s horribly complicated and it’s great when we have artists like Nike Savvas, who said ‘I don’t mind people taking photographs. Please encourage them to take photographs’. People who have been to their show, particularly this installation [Liberty and Anarchy], they have taken some fantastic photographs. It’s however a very first time that the artists has said ‘ Yes, great, encourage

Migle Padegimaite 200522336 them’. I think it’s a way forward, democratising this. Unfortunately, it’s the law at the moment. About two months ago a professional museums journal had a section about photography and the issues around it. It was easier up until recently when everyone’s got a camera on his or her mobile phones. Everyone’s snapping and it’s very difficult to control. And actually, should you control, is it a way of getting your message out to other people? Because what’s been really interesting with Nike Savvas and the photography is that up until the start of her show we had about 10,000 followers on Twitter and now we’ve got around 16,000. I think that part of it is that people were putting the photographs and we were retweeting them. But when we’ve got a show when you are not allowed to take any pictures, you don’t get those viral messages. So looks like this Nike Savvas installation attracted some new audiences.

Could you please tell us if there are any explanations or interpretations behind the graphic logo or chosen swoosh graphics?

No, sorry, I was not involved in this and I’m not entirely sure.

What do you think about print versus social media marketing channels? It was mentioned in your report that you have been trying to reduce print advertising.

Yes, it is inevitable. There is not much more money to do print anymore. Things like e- newsletters are far more effective way of getting to your existing customers. We have a designer who does it once a month, however, it’s not something that he would usually do and it takes up a lot of time, so he stopped doing it now. We will be accepting new staff soon and they will be reintroducing and reassessing e-newsletters. Now we use Twitter a lot and there are three of us who have a log in. Ted, who started it off, he will be tweeting about exhibitions or collections. Marica, who works in the shop, she’ll talk about what’s in the shop and the special offers they got and I do everything else – thanking people, retweeting. I think the reason why we gained so many followers was that we were actually engaging with them, replying. I have to be very careful though with things I say. People like a bit of a joke, but it shouldn’t be silly. It should be clear that we are real people here. However, we don’t do Facebook as it’s more time-

Migle Padegimaite 200522336 consuming. Whilst I can tweet just having my lunch at home. We do have Leeds Museums and Galleries Facebook page. The council have very rigid approach to social media.

Could you tell me more about the Art in Yorkshire Goes Modern project?

It’s an initiative being led by York Museum Trust and they are pulling together regional art galleries to promote the program. Last year it was Art Goes Modern. I think it’s a strong message that Yorkshire has some fantastic art. It is supported by Welcome to Yorkshire, a tourism body for Yorkshire, which also supported The Yorkshire Sculpture Triangle. There’s also a mobile app on Art Goes Modern.

7.2. Interview with The Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery

Interview with Layla Bloom, The Curator of The Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery. Conducted on 31 January 2013, 3pm at The University of Leeds

What is the most important goal of your gallery?

“We don’t have anything enshrined in our forward plan. There are no fast and hard rules. But after we reopened in 2008 after our refurbishment we had a market survey done. The conclusions of the report were that there were certain audiences that we already got in and that there were things that we could do to improve that. And there were other audiences that we don’t get enough of. That would require more investment. What we decided to do with the given resources was to focus on the audience groups that we did get. It was about entrenching our current visitors, getting return visits and building up a strong and solid audience. So mainly to focus on the audience we’ve already got. Recently we started to expand into the areas of development. Claire’s position is an example of that. She is on a three year pilot to specifically address some of the development areas such as doing education in the gallery. Part of that is tackling this issue we had with families and schools; two audiences we didn’t get. Concerning marketing, Jude has been working on getting our brand known. It was a new brand in 2008 and a tricky one. It has a long name. It is a tricky brand to work with. [The aim was] securing the current audiences, making them solid and developing return visits <…> things like the Burton

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Saturdays, getting people coming back regularly for events. And it’s only last year that we started on the second phase. So there is no concrete goal. Before the gallery got refurbished we got about 9.500 visitors per year. After refurbishment, in the first year we got about 16.500 visitors. That was a huge jump. <…> We’re at the point of getting 20.000 visitors per year. There was a big jump after refurbishment and it’s still rising but slower. Now we’ve got a solid audience and are quite happy developing.

Could you please tell us a bit more about the visitors? Have you noticed any changes?

The current audience segments we already get are staff and students <…> and this is what we’ve been working on, developing what we can do. Friends of university arts and music, they are neither staff nor students but they are very interested in what we do. And there are people who live locally, are wealthy, educated people who visit art galleries anyway. So how do we make sure that we’re getting these people who live locally? The fifth segment: art professionals and peers; so colleagues in the area. These are people that are very motivated to come to the gallery already. In the development area these are the segments we are starting to tackle now: schools (one we are not doing as well on), community groups, families and cultural tourists. That’s not really being treated yet. The segments have very different characteristics. For example staff <…> relaxed lunch time get away. Students look for a source of inspiration <…> somewhere to escape university time; it’s your gallery <…> the idea of ownership. The different ways of appealing to them are also quite different. The way you communicate with students is clearly different from the way you communicate with older people.

How do you communicate those different messages to different segments? Is it through branding, copy writing, different targeted locations?

Yes, all those things. After this report in 2009 we didn’t have a twitter or facebook, so we started that <…> for the gallery to reach younger audiences. The student audience is the one we spent the most time on because it changes every year. It is quite diverse. We had some

Migle Padegimaite 200522336 marketing students do internships with us <…> looking specifically on the student experience and ways to improve that, trying to make better links with the student union or positioning material in the student union. Certainly to improve our listings. This gave us a lot of ideas to target better. It’s a question of money too. We did a poster campaign but that was very expensive although we had a better student uptake. So we can only do that when there is particular funding for that. We’re working on the low cost options like social media.

I had a look at the research report. Most people were attracted by the posters and the guide as opposed to social media. Has it changed?

It has changed. That was before we had twitter. Now people come to our events – they are not necessarily regular visitors – and we have them fill out forms and most of the people found out about the events trough twitter – for events. So all the things in the report were before we had twitter. It all changed. But it’s probably a good idea to do a report every five years to do your audience research. We are looking to do a new research report next year. It might be a very different picture. We certainly know that for the events most people found out about through twitter.

According to the report visitors only found out about the exhibitions in the gallery and did not do any research beforehand. Is it useless to do any promotion as visitors seem to be quite spontaneous anyway?

I don’t think it’s useless. It has made us more careful of the kind of advertising we put in Parkinson court. The design of those posters used to be just put together on a computer. Now we have a more professional design, full listings of what is happening. Whereas before it was just something pinned up with what’s happening. This way we catch that passing traffic. But I think people will come when they hear about certain events and exhibitions. Certain exhibitions in the past had really different audiences and if we hadn’t promoted them to those audiences they wouldn’t have come. We do have people saying that they saw this on such and such website. But we still get a large majority just walking by.

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So there are different behaviours in terms of special events?

Yes.

Do you think the new branding – is it efficient? Have you received any feedback?

This branding was developed in 2008. We haven’t been quite as strict in keeping to it. The design of the gallery is still the same. We use these banners and in our formal communication we use this. We use these two different logos interchangeably. At first we were concerned it is quite a tricky brand to use because there isn’t a monochrome version. That’s one big problem. It is a colour only version. There isn’t a black and white version which is really awkward when you have black and white publications. We sometimes kind of had to adapt it. Sometimes it’s in black, sometimes it’s in grey or whatever works. It’s not ideal though. The name itself is a bit awkward. It’s quite a long name but because of some very important supporters we can’t change that. But I’m very pleased because I’ve been here since that name was adopted and that was five years ago. And people remember the name. It’s starting to roll off the tongue. Some people say the Burton Gallery but they do recognise it now. I think the pink and grey are good signifiers. It can become difficult when we are doing special exhibitions. The bright pink looks way to contemporary. But we have that flexibility with our exhibitions to keep our branding quite calm and low but not with the main publications.

One of the comments of the research report was that branding was awkward and too bright for the gallery.

Yes, absolutely. For instance, sometimes it does work. This one was contemporary exhibition and we kept the branding quite close to the official branding. This one is another example. We were looking at historic book illustrations. It just looked so terrible with that pink. So what we did and it’s only for exhibitions that we can do that <…> it’s not an official monochrome version <…> but with the pink it would have looked so weird. So with exhibitions we try to stick to it but if it’s not possible we try to explore ways to include it in a more subtle way. But with general/generic publications we keep the pink in there.

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So your brand guidelines are not that rigid?

The only thing that is rigid is the University of Leeds logo. It always has to be at the top right. It’s always included. Our branding is a lot more flexible because it is a sub-branding. The university is the key-branding. This is the Burton Saturday leaflet. It’s very branded as compared to an exhibition catalogue that has a certain theme. The other awkward problem we had with branding is the website of the university library. It’s already branded. We had a bit of a debate about this because our branding was pretty new. So we paid for all this rebranding. And then the library – we’re part of the library – was rebranded. So what they came up with was using this colour which is to fit the other library sites. This is the library branding. It has to have that book there. It is not ideal to have two different brands. I think we maintained the connection by using pink. The pink seems to be the signal.

So there are some difficulties when you’re under the university.

We’re the library and the library is under the university. It’s different from other art galleries that are independent.

Do you use in-house graphic designers? Or do commission studios?

A lot of it is done in house. Printing copy bureau do some in-house design. It’s just really basic. When we do a more significant publication <…> this was done by APPETITE. They actually designed our branding in the first place. The university has a list of ten to twelve approved designers who should know all the university branding rules including the gallery which is a sub brand. We have sometimes used external designers when there were special projects. We send them the branding guidelines and they can see the rest online. They do have to keep that in mind. But it’s up to us to check in whether that is good enough. If they are deviating too much you have to be careful. The communications team will get concerned if it’s too different. There was a case where there was too little branding. There was a little on the back but you have to be careful. So we try to keep that balance.

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So you try to balance it with using in-house for more casual leaflets and external designers for special events?

Yes. We had a template design for the Burton Saturday events. So we can do that in house. Is the dove your graphic symbol for the Saturday events?

Yes. The dove comes from the Burton family which had a dove symbol on their crest. That’s where we took it from. We use this in the gallery on the labels. We wanted to indicate when the Burton family helped us so we used the symbol as a sub-sub-brand. You can see if it’s not a Burton Saturday event then it has a different symbol. The Burton Saturday has this pink dove. And they came up with this idea with the doves have different things in their beaks. So they came up with the idea of using the dove as a plain icon. Then you can use it to signal different activities, for example a drawing activity or a poetry performance. It’s not a logo but it’s a sub-brand. It uses the same typography that we’ve been given and just uses the dove as a visual symbol which can be filled which you can see on the leaflet. It can be filled with images. So if you look at the posters you see there is a different dove for different activities. We don’ how much people notice it but we thought it gives some visual identity without changing the brand too much.

Was there an intention behind choosing the colour pink in your branding? Was it to target women or trying to be contemporary?

I think it was trying to be contemporary. There was another option: purple and yellow which we didn’t like. We though this one was more appropriate. We had to do something more classical. The fact that grey <…> so it is a combination of classic grey and contemporary pink.

What kind of branding did you have before 2008?

There was a whole different name to it. It was just the University Gallery Leeds. The branding was fairly simple. It didn’t really have a brand. I don’t think it had a good identity.

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Who are your main competitors? Do you try to collaborate?

I would see it more as collaborators. If you think of main competitors then that would be Leeds Art Gallery. It used to be that Leeds Met University used to have a art gallery. That closed last year. Maybe it’s two years ago. But they are quite different in their approach. Leeds Art Gallery has a similar art collection but it’s huge and it’s central. They are getting hundreds of thousands of visitors per year. We don’t really see them as competition. We have joined forces with them on a few occasions. And they don’t have access to the academics like we do. So for example we ran a symposium on Sadler last year. Because we have interesting academic connections, we can organise conferences on it and get the money for it. They can’t do that in the same way. But we held it at the Leeds Art Gallery. So we were running it with our money but they were hosting it because they also had an interest in Sadler. We haven’t done so much with Project Space Leeds but we are talking about getting together on an art and industry trail. We don’t have any direct competitors in what we do. We team up with other museums on campus, for example the Marks and Spencer’s archive. We ran joint events with them. Leeds Met art gallery when it was around had a focus more on emerging artists because they didn’t have a collection. We focused more on historic collections. Now that they have closed we’re trying to do a bit more with the contemporary – certainly with the events programme.

What about students’ work? Have you had any considerations?

We have in the past. The gallery was set up initially in the 1970s to show the work of students and staff in the department. It was set up with the fine art department. But it seemed they couldn’t maintain a regular programme. So the university decided to change the focus of the gallery. But we’ve had students proposing exhibitions. As long as they meet the same standards as everyone else I don’t mind. But they have to submit a proposal like everyone else. Some of them have been really good and we’ve shown their work. We’re also trying to get prize exhibition going but hasn’t happen yet. We’re trying to interest a sponsor in a graduate art prize. But it’s hard to get sponsorship these days.

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Do you thinking the branding of art galleries should be treated the same way as any other brands like shopping malls or fashion labels?

People expect art galleries to be branded and so we need to meet that challenge. To an external visitor going to a theme park or an art gallery might just be a day out with the kids. So they want to see the same kind of branding and advertising which can be tricky for art galleries – especially for art galleries over museums because they don’t charge admission. So we’re relying on subsidies. So we don’t have the budget to do the same advertising as commercial sites. People expect it to look clean and fresh. So in our terms of branding we’re looking for short cuts to keep it short and fresh – something that we can do ourselves. But because our salaries are not dependent on profits we can focus on quality. We can deliver workshops to small groups and offer a great experience to them without charging them and this is why the government is subsidising us. There are art galleries in Canada that charge admission and their visitor numbers are a lot lower. But in the UK the art galleries are for free which is fantastic because in the US and Canada the art galleries really have to fight for the visitors. They also have big commercial teams that work on sponsorships.

Is the approach to branding art galleries in Canada different compared to the UK?

Generally speaking it is quite different. In Canada and the US they are really trying to sell the exhibitions – big advertising everywhere. And they focus a lot more on block buster exhibitions: Picasso, Van Gogh <…> the big names to draw people in. You see it on the television; you see it on the busses. And then you get there and you’re paying $20 to go in. I think it’s in the culture. People expect to pay that kind of money to go to art galleries. They get much lower visitor number because of it but they manage to make enough money. Also there is a greater culture of sponsorship and donation in North America than there is here. Getting someone to sponsor you there is a lot easier. There are more people that want to get involved in the art world. They are happy to sponsor exhibitions. Here it’s more like pulling teeth. But we’re getting better. The universities are also getting better. In North America the universities have amazing alumni that give so much back to their universities. Whereas here you have Oxford and Cambridge – but other universities don’t get those alumni teams to give them something back. My university

Migle Padegimaite 200522336 back home they send me so much more information. They have events all over the country for their alumni. And this is how they build relationships and people want to be part of this. So even Leeds – a big university – is still far behind North America. So as a uiversity art gallery we’re really caught in between the two things – both universities and art galleries are only getting better now in this sponsorship thing. So we’re lucky that art galleries are free here.

Are you comparing yourself to other university galleries in the UK?

It’s quite tricky to do benchmarking in that way with the other university galleries because they’re so different. It’s not like a city art gallery. The city art gallery of Leeds you can compare to Birmingham or Chester art gallery. But it really depends on the history of the university. We’ve got this great collection that has been built up over hundreds of years. Leeds Met have no collection. Their galleries were just about current exhibitions. Think it’s the same with Sheffield. They have a great dynamic curator there. And then you have the really big guys: you have the Fitzwilliam etc. These are world renowned and they are affiliated with the university. So we can’t really compare to them. In Manchester there is the Whitworth Art Gallery which is also part of the university. It’s massive, there are about 30 people who work there. It’s a very different situation compared to Leeds. It was a separate art gallery for a long time and then it became part of the university. So it’s tricky to compare ourselves. Durham University for example have a collection of Asian art. So a university art gallery is really not comparable to others of the same size.

According to the research report only four per cent of the visitors thought there was sufficient signage about the art gallery. What are the reasons?

The main problem with external signage is that we are in a historic building. So we can’t put big signs on it. After this report came out we fought for this small standalone sign outside Parkinson building. So we have updated. We are also on a few of those green arrows that are on campus everywhere. Since that report came out we have managed to improve some of the external signage. We can’t put banners outside, they won’t let us.

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Are you planning to make any changes soon? I think we have to reconsider the branding if our new project will go ahead because then we will have two exhibition spaces. We want to propose to the visitor that there are two exhibition spaces so the branding shouldn’t be separate. They need to be linked in.

7.3. Interview with Threefold Creative

Interview with Lynne Calvert, The Creative Director for Threefold Creative. Conducted on 29 January 2013.

Could you please tell us a bit more about the work that you have done for Leeds Art Gallery? Could you specify what were the outcomes?

Our first project for Leeds Art Gallery was a preview card/invite for the Drawing:Sculpture, Dawn Chorus and Contested Ground - exhibitions that incorporated a range of artists work. Elements of these were then taken and applied to both internal and external signage.

The next project that followed was the Autumn/Winter Events Guide, which was a 20 page, A5 booklet. We also worked on another project after the guide, which was the invite and internal and internal graphics for the Nike Savvas exhibition ‘Liberty and Anarchy’. The key point of any work of this nature for a Gallery or Museum is primarily to increase footfall to the institution by marketing the events in an effective way and generally raise awareness of events and all their activities too. We have not had final feedback on the outcomes and as to how the visitor figures have been. We would look at that once the length of the exhibitions had run and we were approaching the next season. I did have the opportunity to chat to one of our clients who said the Events Guide had been very well received and got very positive feedback but we will need to see how that translates to visitor numbers*.

We also handled the purchase and production management of the print process on the guide and on the invitations in this instance.

Was it the first time you worked with an art gallery? How did it feel?

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It was an exciting proposition to work with an art gallery, there is such history, something that gives art - the raw or classic creativity such a window to such a wide and diverse audience. On a very personal level and having studied in Leeds it was particularly appealing to actually creating something for the gallery rather than purely being a visitor.

How did Leeds Art Gallery approach you?

We got the work through recommendation from one of our contacts at Leeds City Council. A very high percentage of our work, our clients, has come through recommendations.

How do you approach a design brief from a gallery? Does it somehow differ from the other briefs?

We approached the brief in exactly the same way as we would any brief. We would automatically take a look at the client, their competitors, their history, the current trends in their marketplace, the potential, the things that are key in that marketplace, current trends, current potential threats. Following a close look at their objectives we would consider the best way to fulfill and exceed the brief to meet their expectations.

Where you given the brand guidelines of the gallery? Did you have to follow them? What is your opinion about the guidelines? Any advantages or disadvantages?

Leeds City Council has been a client of ours for a number of years now. The gallery were aware we had access to guidelines and were familiar with the issues around working with a public sector organisation, their branding, working with other partners with their own branding and identity issues. In this instance we did not have to follow the guidelines whole heartedly which was interesting, they specifically wanted us to bring something else to the mix. Use of logos, their position, exclusion zones and use of partner brands were the main issues.

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Did you have to use any specific colours, typefaces or shapes in order to comply with the guidelines when doing work for the gallery?

In this instance again we were able to work with both our own recommendations for Drawing: Sculpture but we were also to use the font Din on some of the internal signage which was a font they were already utilising on internal graphics.

How did work for the events guide differ from the branding and styling for exhibitions, if it did?

Leeds Art Gallery wanted to produce a leaflet that showcased, through short text and eye catching visual imagery, what it’s all about. It also wanted to get across the visitor experience both from experiencing and seeing the art itself along with all the other aspects – the beautiful, historic tiled dining/cafe area, the shops, and the educational resource. They wanted the design to reflect the quality, authority and position of the gallery as a real national attraction, competing with the likes of The Tate and The Hepworth. They wanted a contemporary feel, this would also appeal to a younger audience, think there was a feeling that actually there should also be younger people coming through the doors than are currently doing so. We were involved in commissioning photography on the guide. The front cover shot featured a young couple in the Gallery. The choice of paper stock was interesting and very intentional for price, look and feel, as client wanted a lightweight uncoated stock. Leeds Art Gallery is quite rightly mindful of the public not wanting to see something that felt too expensive or extravagant as of course public money is being spent on this.

Would you say there are any specific challenges or positive experiences when branding and working with a public art gallery?

There were challenges as there are on any job. Some of the interesting ones were when it came to photography. I had not fully realised the complexities around what we could and could not include with regard to the exhibits shown in any photography but were brought up to speed

Migle Padegimaite 200522336 before we started the process. There are or all sorts of legal and copyright issues which is understandable though at times frustrating. This meant we could only shoot in certain areas and literally had to avoid certain walls or images in shot. Another challenge, (which we were fully aware of through our experience art directing and commissioning photography) is with regard to photography of the general public in the gallery space. You need to have consent forms that must be signed by the people included. If you are to included anyone under the age of 18 then a parent or guardian must authorise the photography and it’s use. Threefold have a photography consent form but on this occasion the gallery had its own.

Another challenge is around budgets and especially in this economic climate. We have been aware of the financial limitations, this isn’t unique to the gallery but sadly the public sector is being hit big time with all the cuts. With this in mind we always need to make sure we are not proposing anything that is going to give them a problem with regard to production costs whether print, image content (i.e. it would be wrong for us to go back with proposals which involved commissioning lots of photography or illustration when that would instantly give them a problem financially). It’s the way it is and all part of the challenge and part of the fun too in a strange way, it makes you even more resourceful and helps problem solving skills. It is a very positive experience working with the gallery. We love the diversity of our work and our client base. It is important to us as an agency that we are also working on both public and private sector work. The gallery is for everyone, art can be powerful tool in society and the community. It is great to be a part of the marketing of such an institution.

What is your opinion in general about branding public art galleries? Do you think their branding should be treated equally as any other institutions?

I am a little unsure how to answer this one, - I think public art galleries should be branded and their branding approached in exactly the same way as any other business or institution, absolutely.

What do you think makes a successfully branded public art gallery? What are the benefits? Could you give have any examples of such galleries, personal opinion?

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I do like the branding of The Hepworth Wakefield which whilst contemporary also feels classic. All very clean, has a clarity but yet the typography has some subtle quirks. It is a good example of a brand that has its own personality but doesn’t fight with anything. I like the colour too. It manages to do a lot with not very much!! All very appropriate for an art gallery. Their photography is strong too. With any gallery it is not just the brand it is everything that goes with it down to photography through to the tone of voice used in any documents.The benefits are that you know it’s the Hepworth instantly. If I turned this on its head though I could say it does look a little high brow and whilst I do like it there are also other galleries identities I have liked that perhaps contradict some of the points I make throughout the questionnaire and are perhaps more inclusive to a wider audience. Take for example the Tate. I have only visited the Tate in Liverpool. I have always liked their branding and use of the brand across the gallery. Tate has in the past been a bit quirkier and louder than a lot of galleries. They also were very bold with colour. I was also impressed with some of the art gallery merchandise as opposed to other galleries. Again I think of it as being quirkier and a bit bolder generally. I hope this all helps and isn’t a hindrance as there is an interesting point here that there is room for some more adventurous approaches. However again with the Tate whilst they can be bold you will also find that they are bold only when appropriate, nothing can fight or have a detrimental effect on the key exhibitions and work on display. The Tate achieves this.

Have you noticed any shifts in the field of branding public art galleries?

It does strike me there is still a particular look that spans across the galleries and I can understand where this comes from. It is important that any branding and design styling works well within the gallery and has flexibility from both a typographical and from a colour perspective. Whilst it wants to have it’s own personality it does not want to clash or fight with the art and exhibitions on display. Fonts need to have flexibility of styles/ weights so that they can be easily utilisied whether on a small object label or on in house signage, on any generic literature. They need to have clarity and a classic longevity so as not to date quickly and be easy to read. This explains why many galleries and museums have used sans fonts or fonts with a

Migle Padegimaite 200522336 subtle quirk as readability is key. Nothing too flowery or strong. At the end of the day in a gallery the graphics are there to simply inform about the art on display. It mustn’t compete or distract or fight for the viewer to look at it. We also have produced a lot of exhibition graphics for Leeds City Museum. These are for special exhibitions on the third Floor. Some of these rules apply but also we have created brands and graphics that work with the exhibits in a strong way and actually are very much a part of the exhibition. The content of the exhibits is often very different.

At the end of the day branding and graphic design within galleries is there to remind you where you are, to compliment, to inform, to punctuate. It must not conflict with all the art and artists on display. The art should be the hero. Building the brand and getting the public familiar with the institution builds trust in the brand and the gallery as an authority in art. We want to encourage the audience to keep coming back, to be aware of the gallery as a point of reference, as a friend and valuable resource on many levels to art lovers everywhere.