In the summer of 2016 The Photographic Resource Center (PRC) entered a resident partnership with Lesley University in Cambridge. It has been a mutually beneficial venture and has allowed the PRC to continue its programming and exhibitions to encourage and support the photographic arts. In addition to our programming, we were excited to engage with the Graphic Design Department Lesley University to help in our effort to rebrand the PRC.
Last winter, we enlisted the help of Professor Charlie Conn who teaches graphic design, and he led a small class of four students to design a new logo for the PRC. The PRC partially funded the class and acted as a client for the students. A former PRC board member, James Mahoney, led a design committee which helped guide the students in finding solutions to meet the needs of the PRC’s rebranding efforts. We are pleased to have selected a design by Lesley University student Julia Kirwin.
Kirwin described her process as follows: “The PRC is a unique organization that differs from more conservative rivals by focusing on the cutting edge of photography. They needed a new logo that could communicate the unique energy of the PRC. My solution was a mark that is lively and breaks out of an established frame or mold. It conveys movement and excitement, and is adaptable for many situations with dynamic and reaching forms within the design. It can be used to showcase the myriad ways the PRC engages its members, curates or juries exhibits, and offers a wide variety of programming. It emphasizes the PRC’s artistic attributes and the talent that the organization shares with its community.” Materials for the rebranding will be produced by the class, and we intend to engage Kirwin for additional branding materials for the PRC in the near future.
Article written by Suzanne Revy