northeast minneapolis Arts District identity

The Northeast Minneapolis Arts District is the only Arts District in Minneapolis. Planning for the District began in 2003, as a reaction to the loss of artists' studios to development in downtown Minneapolis. A group of artists who wanted more stablity worked with the city to find a way to preserve an area for the arts. The logo was designed in 2006 and fabricated as signs attached to telephone poles that defined the District borders.

The design process included holding community meetings, historic research and conducting surveys to gather background information. The old industrial buildings in the area that are being converted to artist's studios were the inspiration for the final logo.

The specifications for constructing the final logo design, color pallet and type fonts were documented in the Logo Design Manual (select pages shown below). The slogan, "The Arts At Work" completed the identity by further defining the District as the place where art is made.