A 90 Year-Old Secret

The University of Virginia’s Fralin Museum of Art is home to over 14,000 objects spanning cultures and time periods. Visitors are stunned by the high caliber of the collection and rigor of research that goes behind each work of art – thanks to a passionate staff of curators and the academic devotion of faculty and students.

But most people simply don’t know The Fralin exists. And those who know of The Fralin don’t believe it’s for them. We needed to refresh the brand of this nearly 90-year old institution to invite everyone–within UVA, Charlottesville, and the art community–to explore The Fralin Museum of Art. With a new building on the horizon, it was a perfect time for a new brand to reflect the museum’s bold vision moving forward.

Making Art Feel Not So Distant

To get to the soul of The Fralin brand, we started with research. We interviewed folks from The Fralin staff, UVA and the Charlottesville community. Audited the category of university museums. Conducted our brand workshop with The Fralin’s core team of stakeholders. And analyzed the cultural head and tailwinds influencing the audience.

Leveraging our learnings from the discovery phase, we developed a brand house as a blueprint for the creative work to follow. Most importantly, we crafted an ownable positioning for the brand: “Bring art closer to you.” An active statement that speaks to reducing barriers and creating a personal experience with every visitor.

Soulful, Thoughtful, Colorful

Then we got to concepting how the brand position translates for The Fralin’s external audience. The words needed to be potent with meaning, and the visuals needed to strike attention. This is an art museum, after all.

Enter “Art Together” and a vibrant new visual identity. The line is an invitation to listen to what art is saying and to let your voice be heard. Building on the positioning of “Bring art closer to you,” by making the learning, teaching, expressing and enjoying of art a communal experience. Not just a one-sided one. The bold visuals represent The Fralin’s belief that an art community should be colorful, diverse, curious and approachable.

With a new brand came a new logo. For years, The Fralin’s logo was their building on UVA’s campus. It was time for The Fralin to forge its own identity in its logomark. We redesigned the logo with the same modernity and vibrancy as the creative platform.

Teaching a Museum to Fish

We equipped The Fralin team with brand guidelines and a toolkit of assets to makeover all materials, from social media to exhibit brochures to the signage on their front door.  The Fralin’s new branding is rolling out across all channels in Summer 2025 as it celebrates its 90th year. Stay tuned for results and more.