AGA Unveils New Logo

kevin.drew · 12-11-2009, 03:00 PM

I'm a big fan of the new gallery.. not so much the new logo.

EDMONTON — The Art Gallery of Alberta unveiled its new logo in Edmonton Thursday, less than three months ahead of its gala grand opening.
The new logo is the acronym for the Art Gallery of Alberta — AGA — presented as overlapping letters of vivid tones of orange, red and green. The logo is made up of three identical elements; a trio of lower case “a” characters with one inverted to become a “g.”
According to the gallery’s executive director, Gilles Hebert — newly arrived from Windsor, Ontario, just over two weeks ago — the inspiration for the logo was based on research about the public’s perception of the gallery, as well as the AGA’s commitment to new programming and to engaging both new and existing audiences.

Rest of the article here

edmonton daily photo · 12-11-2009, 03:10 PM

I'm normally not a fan of Pop Art.. but i kinda like this.

I question what is says about the gallery.. I see it as a great logo for a Modern Art Galley, not so much for a mixed use one like ours.

MJ · 12-11-2009, 03:14 PM

I vote no to this logo. If the AGA had a fourth letter, I'd bet it would be blue.

And here's why I say that: http://pics.ebaystatic.com/aw/pics/c...goEbay_x45.gif

Dusty Bear · 12-11-2009, 03:22 PM

Is anyone else seeing the word "asia"?

Edmontonfan · 12-11-2009, 03:25 PM

^ LOL thats what I saw too!

kcantor · 12-11-2009, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dusty Bear

Is anyone else seeing the word "asia"?

i "see" asia before i see aga as well

, probably because the "horizontal" parts of the "o" part of the letter g slant down instead of up...

i also think the letters are "stacked" backwards (i.e. the a on the left should be in the front and the one on the right at the back so you read them in the right direction - art gallery of alberta, not alberta gallery of art - as you scan them left to right which we are naturally inclined to do).

Sonic Death Monkey · 12-11-2009, 03:31 PM

I'm kinda "meh" on this. It looks too much like a TV station logo from the 70s.

kevin.drew · 12-11-2009, 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MJ

I vote no to this logo. If the AGA had a fourth letter, I'd bet it would be blue.

And here's why I say that: http://pics.ebaystatic.com/aw/pics/c...goEbay_x45.gif

Agreed. For such a bleak/minimalist building (colour-wise) the logo screams "Click here for reduced bookings on vacations to Cancun!"

MikeK · 12-11-2009, 03:54 PM

Meh. I keep thinking the logo for TAP Portugal, Portugal's national airline. I guess that's the aircraft enthusiast in me!

For those not familiar with the logo of that Portuguese airline: http://www.airliners.net/photo/TAP-P...214/1608109/M/

bobinedmonton · 12-11-2009, 04:20 PM

Funny, I think of aspirin (ASA) ....

Jimbo · 12-11-2009, 04:27 PM

I like the logo. Didn't see "asia" until it was pointed out.

edmonton daily photo · 12-11-2009, 04:57 PM

I think we could relate to it more if we understood what the AGA's vision and direction is. To me, it doesn't relate to what I know the AGA to be. Who they will be and what they can do will change when they get into the new space.

I think we will just have to trust that they know what they are doing.

DanC · 12-11-2009, 04:58 PM

So so.
Like the bold colours, like that there is play on the A being a G, but it seems to have no real relation to the new gallery.
It isn't the Andy Warhol museum.

edmonton daily photo · 12-11-2009, 05:00 PM

^ Thats my point DanC.. We really don't know WHAT our new museum is!

DanC · 12-11-2009, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edmonton daily photo

^ Thats my point DanC.. We really don't know WHAT our new museum is!

The new gallery is an everything gallery...all periods, all topics, all types.
I just find this falls way to far into one era/genre of art, lacks universality??

kevin.drew · 12-11-2009, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edmonton daily photo

I think we could relate to it more if we understood what the AGA's vision and direction is. To me, it doesn't relate to what I know the AGA to be. Who they will be and what they can do will change when they get into the new space.

I think we will just have to trust that they know what they are doing.

Very political. I like that approach, edp.

quiksilver · 12-11-2009, 05:29 PM

the inspiration for the logo was based on research about the public’s perception of the gallery, as well as the AGA’s commitment to new programming and to engaging both new and existing audiences.

really? please baffle me with more b.s. about 'based on research'. This is LogoDesign 101; elementary and rudimentary. And not a passing grade. Some egghead cheaped out and scribbled something on his laptop before an ill-planned Monday morning meeting after a bender in Vegas. Let's not confuse simplistic with 'deep thought and well conceived'. This is garbage. Hardly worthy of the new art gallery. Like the building or not, it's presence commands something better than this. An open to the public competition could have produced better results.

edmonton daily photo · 12-11-2009, 05:35 PM

AGO = Art Gallery of Ontario incase your wondering

The Guggenheim is Simply there name in the same Iconic font that is on the front of their building. Very Frank Loyd Wright

I think it is safe to say like the AGO, our logo is ugly and not in line with other Art Gallerys who very clearly use the "Less is More" approach.

edmonton daily photo · 12-11-2009, 05:38 PM

I would have like something with the word Edmonton in it

Like the MFA, logo with Boston below.

MylesC · 12-11-2009, 05:58 PM

Hmm....

I'm not overly keen on this logo.

danimalrex · 12-11-2009, 06:16 PM

Definately lacking in the 'classy' department.

ike9126 · 12-11-2009, 07:52 PM

Not a fan.

marccountry · 13-11-2009, 12:42 PM

The last thing anyone should do is simply 'trust that they know what they are doing'. As underfunded as their new flashy building will be, do we really need them spending money changing 'AGA' into 'aga'? Talk about throwing good money after bad...

Design 101 would have at least told them to drop the middle inverted 'a' down so, as a 'g', the round part rests on the same line as the round part of the right-side 'a's.

There is a simple reason why, unlike the Boston MFA, we do not have our city name anywhere in this logo, or in the name of the gallery: Edmonton does not have a city art gallery any more. We used to, but, in the shuffle, we lost it. Now, we have a faux-finished ersatz museum to show us all in Edmonton the fine work being made in Calgary, Lethbridge, Banff, etc., to serve as a lesson/punishment to Edmonton's visual art community.

Maybe the AGA should switch logos with the Alberta Society of Artists: http://www.artists-society.ab.ca/home/default.aspx

edmonton daily photo · 13-11-2009, 02:47 PM

Wow Bitter.. ^

The word Edmonoton could easily appear under the AGA

Barry N · 13-11-2009, 03:06 PM

Aw come on, Edmonoton. Really ?

marccountry · 14-11-2009, 10:00 AM

Was there something in my comment to disagree with, or do you always haphazardly ascribe motivations and emotional states to people you don't know, 'Edmonton Daily Photo'? I assume the later.

Everyone I've shown the logo to immediately thinks the letters are 'asa'. Why didn't the gallery, or the designers they hired, do that? How hard would it have been to simply show the damn thing to a few people first, to find out that it didn't work, before releasing it to the public.

Add it to the list of poor judgments made by the AGA brass...

edmonton daily photo · 14-11-2009, 10:50 AM

Maybe you should read what I wrote at the bottom of post 18

12-11-2009, 03:00 PM	#1
kevin.drew Partially Addicted to C2E Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Downtown	AGA Unveils New Logo I'm a big fan of the new gallery.. not so much the new logo. EDMONTON — The Art Gallery of Alberta unveiled its new logo in Edmonton Thursday, less than three months ahead of its gala grand opening. The new logo is the acronym for the Art Gallery of Alberta — AGA — presented as overlapping letters of vivid tones of orange, red and green. The logo is made up of three identical elements; a trio of lower case “a” characters with one inverted to become a “g.” According to the gallery’s executive director, Gilles Hebert — newly arrived from Windsor, Ontario, just over two weeks ago — the inspiration for the logo was based on research about the public’s perception of the gallery, as well as the AGA’s commitment to new programming and to engaging both new and existing audiences. Rest of the article here

12-11-2009, 03:25 PM	#5
Edmontonfan Addicted to C2E Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Edmonton	^ LOL thats what I saw too! __________________ Edmontonian and proud of it!

12-11-2009, 03:31 PM	#7
Sonic Death Monkey Addicted to C2E Join Date: Mar 2006	I'm kinda "meh" on this. It looks too much like a TV station logo from the 70s. __________________ I've lived in the downtown area for nearly 20 years. Never been assaulted. Never been mugged. Never been raped. Never been murdered.

12-11-2009, 03:54 PM	#9
MikeK Addicted to C2E Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Either Edmonton, Grande Prairie or Vancouver	Meh. I keep thinking the logo for TAP Portugal, Portugal's national airline. I guess that's the aircraft enthusiast in me! For those not familiar with the logo of that Portuguese airline: http://www.airliners.net/photo/TAP-P...214/1608109/M/ __________________ Is there hope for Edmonton? Yes!

12-11-2009, 04:20 PM	#10
bobinedmonton Addicted to C2E Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Edmonton, Alberta	Funny, I think of aspirin (ASA) .... __________________ BobinEdmonton

12-11-2009, 03:10 PM	#2
edmonton daily photo Addicted to C2E Join Date: May 2008	I'm normally not a fan of Pop Art.. but i kinda like this. I question what is says about the gallery.. I see it as a great logo for a Modern Art Galley, not so much for a mixed use one like ours.

12-11-2009, 03:14 PM	#3
MJ Addicted to C2E Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Edmonton, AB	I vote no to this logo. If the AGA had a fourth letter, I'd bet it would be blue. And here's why I say that: http://pics.ebaystatic.com/aw/pics/c...goEbay_x45.gif

12-11-2009, 03:22 PM	#4
Dusty Bear Addicted to C2E Join Date: Mar 2006	Is anyone else seeing the word "asia"?

12-11-2009, 04:27 PM	#11
Jimbo Addicted to C2E Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Oliver, Edmonton	I like the logo. Didn't see "asia" until it was pointed out. __________________ aka Jim Good; "The sooner you fall behind, the more time you have to catch up." - Steven Wright

12-11-2009, 04:57 PM	#12
edmonton daily photo Addicted to C2E Join Date: May 2008	I think we could relate to it more if we understood what the AGA's vision and direction is. To me, it doesn't relate to what I know the AGA to be. Who they will be and what they can do will change when they get into the new space. I think we will just have to trust that they know what they are doing.

12-11-2009, 04:58 PM	#13
DanC Addicted to C2E Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Strathearn, Edmonton	So so. Like the bold colours, like that there is play on the A being a G, but it seems to have no real relation to the new gallery. It isn't the Andy Warhol museum. __________________ Thinks density = vibrancy...crazy I know.

12-11-2009, 05:00 PM	#14
edmonton daily photo Addicted to C2E Join Date: May 2008	^ Thats my point DanC.. We really don't know WHAT our new museum is!

12-11-2009, 05:29 PM	#17
quiksilver Addicted to C2E Join Date: Aug 2008	the inspiration for the logo was based on research about the public’s perception of the gallery, as well as the AGA’s commitment to new programming and to engaging both new and existing audiences. really? please baffle me with more b.s. about 'based on research'. This is LogoDesign 101; elementary and rudimentary. And not a passing grade. Some egghead cheaped out and scribbled something on his laptop before an ill-planned Monday morning meeting after a bender in Vegas. Let's not confuse simplistic with 'deep thought and well conceived'. This is garbage. Hardly worthy of the new art gallery. Like the building or not, it's presence commands something better than this. An open to the public competition could have produced better results. __________________ He who posteth too much, should moveth out of his parents basement and get a life.

12-11-2009, 05:35 PM	#18
edmonton daily photo Addicted to C2E Join Date: May 2008	AGO = Art Gallery of Ontario incase your wondering The Guggenheim is Simply there name in the same Iconic font that is on the front of their building. Very Frank Loyd Wright I think it is safe to say like the AGO, our logo is ugly and not in line with other Art Gallerys who very clearly use the "Less is More" approach.

12-11-2009, 05:38 PM	#19
edmonton daily photo Addicted to C2E Join Date: May 2008	I would have like something with the word Edmonton in it Like the MFA, logo with Boston below.

12-11-2009, 05:58 PM	#20
MylesC Addicted to C2E Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Edmonton, AB	Hmm.... I'm not overly keen on this logo. __________________ Man of Downtown

12-11-2009, 06:16 PM	#21
danimalrex Addicted to C2E Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Edmonton, Ab	Definately lacking in the 'classy' department.

12-11-2009, 07:52 PM	#22
ike9126 Partially Addicted to C2E Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: EDMONTON, AB	Not a fan. __________________ Mike

13-11-2009, 12:42 PM	#23
marccountry First One is Always Free Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Edmonton, Alberta	The last thing anyone should do is simply 'trust that they know what they are doing'. As underfunded as their new flashy building will be, do we really need them spending money changing 'AGA' into 'aga'? Talk about throwing good money after bad... Design 101 would have at least told them to drop the middle inverted 'a' down so, as a 'g', the round part rests on the same line as the round part of the right-side 'a's. There is a simple reason why, unlike the Boston MFA, we do not have our city name anywhere in this logo, or in the name of the gallery: Edmonton does not have a city art gallery any more. We used to, but, in the shuffle, we lost it. Now, we have a faux-finished ersatz museum to show us all in Edmonton the fine work being made in Calgary, Lethbridge, Banff, etc., to serve as a lesson/punishment to Edmonton's visual art community. Maybe the AGA should switch logos with the Alberta Society of Artists: http://www.artists-society.ab.ca/home/default.aspx

13-11-2009, 02:47 PM	#24
edmonton daily photo Addicted to C2E Join Date: May 2008	Wow Bitter.. ^ The word Edmonoton could easily appear under the AGA

13-11-2009, 03:06 PM	#25
Barry N Addicted to C2E Join Date: May 2006	Aw come on, Edmonoton. Really ? __________________ I tweet in moderation. My family has a history of problem tweeters.

14-11-2009, 10:00 AM	#26
marccountry First One is Always Free Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Edmonton, Alberta	"Bitter"? Was there something in my comment to disagree with, or do you always haphazardly ascribe motivations and emotional states to people you don't know, 'Edmonton Daily Photo'? I assume the later. Everyone I've shown the logo to immediately thinks the letters are 'asa'. Why didn't the gallery, or the designers they hired, do that? How hard would it have been to simply show the damn thing to a few people first, to find out that it didn't work, before releasing it to the public. Add it to the list of poor judgments made by the AGA brass...

14-11-2009, 10:50 AM	#27
edmonton daily photo Addicted to C2E Join Date: May 2008	Maybe you should read what I wrote at the bottom of post 18