Featured Project: Arts Workers United

- Services
- Identity & Visual Systems
- Content & Marketing Strategy
Arts Workers United (AWU) is a social welfare organization that aims to connect Arts Workers and their allies to create a thriving and just socio-political landscape for the U.S. arts economy. They’ve set out to educate, organize, and mobilize makers and legislators to become civically engaged advocates of the Arts.
As Arts Workers ourselves, we were honored to join forces and help bring their vision to life. Together, we crafted a world of language and a celebratory, accessible expression that resonates with everyone they seek to impact.

A system that speaks to audiences conventionally at odds
We knew the AWU identity system needed to be taken seriously—pushing against pre-conceived notions that the arts are cultural “nice-to-haves” instead of the economic powerhouses they are. We also needed to be representative of all Arts and Arts Workers, not diluting the vibrancy, inclusion, and optimism that is inherent in all modes of craft.
Harkening back to historic imagery and motifs associated with labor movements, the core AWU mark is a modern interpretation of a traditional union seal. It’s an identifier that can be used easily in any application. This nod to history is balanced by a decidedly modern approach to typography, color, and visual expression, further forging a link between the timelessness of the past and the contemporary world of Arts work.



“What began as a humble ask for a seal quickly turned into a ‘yes, and’ collaboration that encouraged us to dig deep and build something even bigger than we imagined. That we now have a full design system … a visual vocabulary we can use to speak to the nation in powerful and resonant new ways.”
—
Matthew Lee-Erlbach
Co-Founder of Arts Workers United






Cheers to a more creative future
The AWU team is busy working behind the scenes of the proverbial (and well, literal) show. Currently, they’re celebrating the release of their Ovation TV Show The Green Room and furthering their legislative efforts. The next phase of the AWU brand story will take the form of a website where you, too, could support and celebrate Arts Workers. Until then, check out their current campaign Be An Arts Hero, to get involved.