AGO Unveils Bold New Logo

Toronto – The Art Gallery of Ontario has unveiled a new logo that will represent the Gallery well beyond its fall 2008 opening.

Centered inside a black square, the Gallery’s new logo uses multiple typefaces and a wide spectrum of colors to create a unique effect reminiscent of light refracting through glass. By combining a strong iconic form – the black square – with a shimmering juxtaposition of overlapping colored typefaces, the logo captures both the stability of the century-old institution and the forward-looking energy of the new Gallery. A signature wordmark has also been created, which incorporates the logo and the Gallery’s name in English and French.

“This fresh new logo acknowledges and respects our heritage, while clearly reflecting the incredible changes taking place and the dynamic institution that the new AGO will be,” said Arlene Madell, the AGO’s director of marketing and visitor services.

Created by Bruce Mau Design in consultation with the AGO, the new logo is the result of extensive brand research on the public’s perception of the new Gallery. The research shows that the public has a positive, long-standing relationship with the AGO and looks forward to the Gallery’s spectacular Frank Gehry-designed building and innovative ideas.

Bruce Mau Design has collaborated with Frank Gehry on a number of projects, most notably the signage and typographic identity for the architect’s Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.

“The Art Gallery of Ontario is re-launching with a renewed mission to bring art and people together to experience spaces that are dynamic yet timeless, popular yet iconic. The new logo is similarly imbued with fluid motion and spontaneity, counterbalanced by stability and legibility,” said Mau. “We are extraordinarily grateful to our collaborators at the AGO, with whom Bruce Mau Design has enjoyed a 20-year creative relationship, for the opportunity to contribute to the transformation of this locally and internationally critical institution.”

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