We’re really excited about the work we’ve been doing with the Seaworthy Gallery located on Martha’s Vineyard, Massachussetts. Tucked near Five Corners and a short walk from the Steamship Authority in Vineyard Haven, the gallery features the photography of Jeffrey Serusa. He shoots with 8 x 10 and 4 x 5 wooden field cameras and works from huge negatives to create dramatic, oversized prints. Using a fluid scanner at a very high resolution, Jeffrey generates a file between 3.5 and 5 gigabytes. So large that it allows for printing at sizes over ten feet without loss of detail. All of this from a single 8 x 10 piece of film! Try that with your iPhone.

Before we began working with Jeffrey, his gallery had an existing illustration of an oarsman in the waves. It had so much potential but was limited by a lack of sophisticated typography and comprehensive branding. By modifying the illustration and building a set of components that all work in harmony, we created a brand system that can be utilized across a multitude of media.

Seaworthy Gallery business cards. The design elements are reminiscent of keys used on navigational charts and maps. 

We started by hand-modifying a word mark that would immediately reference the nautical namesake and seafaring themes of the gallery. We added the illustration above the lettering and created versions, both with and without the icon. We picked up on the colors within the gallery, using the rich navy blue paint from the walls. A crimson red—similar to the color of bottom paint used on ship hulls to mark below the waterline—is used as a secondary color. The stationery system also includes an anchor icon developed to further define the brand and features design elements reminiscent of keys used on navigational charts and maps.

The Seaworthy Gallery branding is further extended with an emblem of two crossed oars and the initials “S” and “G” along with the date of establishment. This element is used as an accent to the primary brand. It is stamped on packaging, printed on clothing and gallery merchandise.

Branding for the Seaworthy Gallery uses a system of malleable elements that all work in conjunction with one and other.  If you end up on the shores of Martha’s Vineyard, stop by Jeffrey’s gallery and check out his beautiful work.