Royal West of England Academy

The RWA, Bristol’s oldest art gallery, brings world-class visual art from around the world to the South West. Through its extensive programme of exhibitions, events, talks and lectures, the RWA provides great art for everybody. Bristol has an abundance of cultural attractions, so competition is fierce. The RWA commissioned us to help them find a more contemporary, less dowdy direction to engage a wider demographic.

We conducted extensive research with people inside and outside the RWA to get a handle on its strengths and weaknesses. Armed with this knowledge, we began thinking about ways to engage audiences and prospective funders.

The RWA has an impressive collection and rich architectural palette from which to draw. This was the perfect opportunity to give these historical assets a new lease of life across the identity. This is reflected in the new logotype that echoes chiselled lettering, through to details within an 18^th century oil painting.

The identity respects the history of the space yet embraces the future, adapting seamlessly across digital, print and environmental applications.