art270 blog

The Future is Bright!

As a graphic design company, art270 works every day with amazing people and organizations. Our relationship with Philadelphia Futures and White-Williams Scholars started over twenty years ago, but this unique non-profit has continued to wow us with great work and the dedication they show for Philadelphia high school students 365 days a year.

Founded in 1989, Philadelphia Futures has made a profound difference in the lives of thousands of students through the power of education. White-Williams Scholars, dating back to 1800, had a long and highly regarded reputation of providing low-income students with the financial resources necessary to support their academic goals in high school. The two organizations joined with the intention of combining resources and assets in the pursuit of a common purpose – to provide low-income, first-generation-to-college students with the tools, resources, and opportunities necessary for getting accepted to, and success in college. 

Here are a few amazing facts and figures to ponder:  
The Class of 2019 by the Numbers 
• 100% of our 89 seniors are on track to graduate from high school and have been accepted to college. 
• 43% applied to college via Early Decision, a process that optimizes their opportunity for financial aid. 
• 81% of students earned a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or better. 

Philadelphia Futures Scholars by the Numbers
• 11%, national average, college graduation rate of first-generation students; 70% or above, Futures’ potential college graduation rate, in classes since 2010. 
• 285 high school students are enrolled in the program this year. 
• 350 Futures collegians are enrolled at more than 50 colleges and universities across the country. 
• 51% of our collegians are attending partner colleges, receiving $4.9 million in institutional aid. 
…and 42,000 copies of (art270-designed) Step Up to College Guide were distributed to 102 public, public charter, and parochial high schools, 54 libraries, and 90 community-based organizations and government offices throughout Philadelphia. 

art270 has designed and produced publications, reports, websites, newsletters, invitations, and programs that, by now, number in the hundreds, including the Philadelphia Futures identity. Like the Philadelphia Futures program itself, our relationship has been about consistency and dedicated service. If you know of a high school student that is looking for a little, or a lot of help with the college admission process, watch for the newest edition of the Step-Up-to-College Guide coming this fall. 

To learn more about this amazing organization visit their site.

Does your company have an important message you need to deliver? Call or write Dana Breslin at 215-885-2756, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Our National Parks, right here in our backyard!

As a graphic design company we are constantly being introduced to amazing people and the work that they do every day. This is the fourth in a series of our monthly newsletters where we’ll introduce you to some of these companies and organizations. We think you’ll find their stories intriguing.

With headquarters in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, Eastern National operates park stores in more than 150 National Park Service locations, across 34 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the United States Virgin Islands. Each store is a reflection and an extension of the interpretive themes of its location, making each store unique. Eastern National works with more than 5,000 vendors to supply their stores with educational products that enhance visitor experiences, and develop custom merchandise that is specific to the sites they serve.

Producing up to 100 custom publications per year, Eastern National produces high-quality products that are extensions of the sites’ educational and interpretive programs. They allow visitors to expand on the knowledge they gained while visiting, provide an in-depth look at a site’s theme or purpose, and help visitors take their experiences home with them. In short, Eastern National is responsible for all of the cool stuff you find in National Parks’ stores.

art270 has partnered with Eastern National for over thirty years to create short histories on civil war battles and campaigns, the revolutionary war, famous Americans, and more. We also worked with Eastern National to develop their popular Passport to Your National Parks book series, and most recently a Junior Ranger edition for children.

To learn more about this amazing organization visit their site.

Does your company have an important message you need to deliver? Call or write Dana Breslin at 215-885-2756, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

52!

For the past three years art270 has created the poster and promotional graphics for the Montgomery County Community College annual student show. 2019 marked the 52nd consecutive show. 

So what to do for a strong visual design? Recognizing immediately that the 5 and 2 have similar typographic characteristics when flipped, the team found an interesting typeface rendered in 3D, then boldly colored the letterforms to create a strong, colorful graphic design for the show poster. The simple colored planes are eye catching, and subliminally represent the many different works of art that visitors will experience at the show. 

Need a fun and dynamic design for a poster, mailer or eblast for your next event? Call Dana to get us started on your project or to see samples of our latest poster work. 215-885-2756, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
 

Introducing the Curtis Institute of Music

As a graphic design company we are constantly being introduced to amazing people and the work that they do every day. This is the third in a series of our monthly newsletters where we’ll introduce you to some of these companies and organizations. I think you’ll find their stories intriguing.

The Curtis Institute of Music educates and trains exceptionally gifted young musicians to engage a local and global community through the highest level of artistry.

One of the most selective schools in the United States, Curtis accepts four percent of applicants each year on average, and a tuition-free policy ensures that talent and artistic promise are the only considerations for admission.

With a small student body of about 175, Curtis ensures that each young musician receives an education of unparalleled quality, distinguished by a “learn by doing” philosophy and personalized attention from a faculty that includes a high proportion of actively performing musicians. 

Curtis students hone their craft through more than 200 orchestra, opera, and solo and chamber music offerings each year and programs that bring arts access and education to the community. This real-world training allows these extraordinary young musicians to join the front rank of performers, composers, conductors, and musical leaders, making a profound impact on music onstage and in their communities. 

art270 has had the great fortune and privilege to serve this world-renowned organization for more than 30 years. Working with the communications and marketing staff, art270 has designed and produced everything from identity and branding, to newsletters, magazines, annual reports, brochures, books, posters, and lots and lots of marketing collateral—and we continue to work on new projects every day. If you’ve never heard of this Philadelphia-based gem of a school for music and the performing arts, I invite you to visit their website and then run to the next performance. These are no ordinary musicians. The students of Curtis will graduate to become members of the world’s leading performing arts companies and orchestras, including our own Philadelphia Orchestra. 

To learn more about this amazing organization visit their site. 

Does your company have an important message you need to deliver? Call or write Dana Breslin at 215-885-2756, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Making the Headlines in 2019

Once again, art270 has been named a top graphic design firm by the Philadelphia Business Journal for 2018. art270 is one of just four graphic design companies to be recognized in the PBJ’s annual Book of Lists. We’re proud of this accomplishment and know that only through dedicated, personal service and hard work will we continue to make “the list.” 

Here are just a few of the many projects we completed in the past year: 
• Eastern National: A new custom-illustrated Junior Ranger Passport to our National Parks 
• Better Business Bureau: Three editions of Wise Giving magazine 
• Princeton University: Alumni videos, a travel program magazine titled Journeys, and Int’l, an international studies magazine 
• University of Pennsylvania: A new look for Penn Priority, an undergraduate financial aid publication, and two issues of Pillars, an alumni magazine 
• Curtis Institute of Music: Two issues of Overtones magazine, and their season programs 
• Bartol Foundation: A “Teaching Artists” workbook 
• Philadelphia Futures : The 2018-2019 College Guide, an annual report, and more 
• As You Sow: Environmental and social corporate responsibility reports 
• Villanova University: A view book, plus campaign close and special project reports including a report from the president 
• Websites, branding, writing…and so much more. 

Thank you, happy new year, and best wishes for continued success!

Does your company have an important message you need to deliver? Call or write Dana Breslin at 215-885-2756, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Introducing the Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation 

This is the second in our series of introductions to the unique companies and organizations that we have the privilege to work with each day. As a graphic design company we are constantly being introduced to amazing people and the work that they do. We think you’ll find their stories intriguing.

Based in center-city Philadelphia, the Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation loves Philadelphia and the arts. They work hard to support and celebrate the arts in local communities. Their work includes grants to small arts organizations who are making a big impact, and regular professional training events to help artists who teach better share their gifts and support their careers. The director and staff at Bartol are all artists too, so they know how challenging and rewarding a life in art can be.

The Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation was founded in 1984 by George Bartol, a lover of the arts and Philadelphia. Mr. Bartol was the Chairman and CEO of Hunt Manufacturing Co. in Philadelphia, maker of X-ACTO knives, Boston Staplers, and Speedball inks, among other office supplies and art materials. He believed that Philadelphia’s cultural assets differentiated it from other cities, making it more attractive to businesses and individuals as a place to live and work. His children say he was especially committed to arts education, much to their chagrin as small children being toted off to museums every weekend. Like many of you, we imagine, art270 has made good use of the products produced by Hunt Manufacturing.

The Foundation is named after Mr. Bartol's brother, Stockton Rush, who was killed while serving as a bombardier in World War II. George Bartol died in 1989 and his family now supports the George Bartol Arts Education Award in his name. The Award is given to an organization that provides sustained, meaningful exposure and participation in the arts; that demonstrates an active engagement in the lives of its students and community; and that maintains high artistic standards for its faculty and students. Previous winners include Philadanco, Philly Youth Poetry Movement, Fleisher Art Memorial, Taller Puertorriqueño, Spiral Q Puppet Theater, Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture, and many other esteemed community arts institutions.

The Stockton Rush Bartol Foundation has utilized the talents of the art270 staff to create their current logo, past and present websites, and other collateral to support their mission. Most recently, we created a new teaching guide: Trauma-Informed Practice for Teaching Artists.

To learn more about this amazing organization and the work they support every day, visit their site that was designed and programmed by art270.

Does your company have an important message you need to deliver? Call or write Dana Breslin at 215-885-2756, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Introducing As You Sow

As a graphic design company we are constantly being introduced to amazing people and the work that they do every day. This is the first in a series of our monthly newsletters where we’ll introduce you to some of these companies and organizations. I think you’ll find their stories intriguing.

As You Sow is the nation’s non-profit leader in shareholder advocacy. Founded in 1992, they harness shareholder power to create lasting change that benefits people, our planet, and profit. The mission of As You Sow is to promote environmental and social corporate responsibility through shareholder advocacy, coalition building, and innovative legal strategies. Their everyday vision is for a safe, just, and sustainable world in which protecting the environment and human rights is central to corporate decision making.

As You Sow believes that corporations (large businesses) must be a willing part of the solutions to the pressing social and environmental problems we face today. As You Sow, utilizing graphic design solutions by art270, makes that happen. Several times each year, As You Sow engages art270 to create reports on corporate business practices as they relate to environmental responsibility and doing what is right for our planet. Reports have focused on fracking, CEO compensation, the uncertainty and risks of oil and coal investments, Paris compliant engagement, nanomaterials in our food, glyphosate in our food system, helping shareholders vote their values via proxy, plastics and post-consumer packaging, and more. And with each of these projects we have had the opportunity to learn more about what is both right and wrong with how we manage our world. We feel privileged to help deliver the messages. To learn more, visit their site.

Does your company have an important message you need to deliver? Call or write Dana Breslin at 215-885-2756, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

When I use the term “graffiti,” I bet your first reaction is negative. If I use the term “street art,” does that negative gut reaction settle a little bit? Does your mind open up to possibilities?

The street art included in this newsletter came to me via an email chain letter. I enjoyed the creativity of the anonymous “artists" so I thought I’d share these photos with you unsolicited—the way these artists wanted to share their ideas with their respective neighborhoods. No one likes it when people use public space as a canvas for scrawled names or initials called tagging—but when the ideas and messages are genuinely creative, positive and entertaining we tend to let our guard down and maybe have a laugh. Does that mean I’m getting soft in my typically anti-graffiti sentiment, or is this NOT graffiti? You be the judge. 

Hope you’re having a happy summer.

Could your next campaign or publication use a little creative spark? Call or write Dana Breslin at 215-885-2756, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

By now you should be receiving card #5 in our new postcard series covering design and communication trivia.

Cards 1-4 have covered:

1. What Design is and isn’t. There is good design and bad design.

2. You need the art as what? Do I need an eps, a jpg, a gif? The acronym alphabet of file types.

3. e.g. vs. ie. Do you know the difference?

4. Black and White. A review of the color systems employed by graphic designers.

Card number 5—if you haven’t received it yet—touches on Hyphens, en dashes and em dashes. Which do I use and when?

We love to use design speak over here at art270—but what do you think? Have you learned something new from our postcards? Have a topic you’d like us to cover? Would you prefer that we just send you our thoughts via email? We’d love to hear from you. Be one of the first ten to reply to this email with your thoughts on our postcards and we’ll send you a $10.00 Starbucks Gift Card. Just be sure to supply your address when you write back. We’re looking forward to hearing from you.

P.S. If you haven’t been receiving the cards, please let us know and we’ll send you the cards you’ve missed.

Could your business benefit from a postcard series like this one? Call or write Dana Breslin at 215-885-2756, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

When I recall these words taken from a quote by the renowned graphic designer Paul Rand, I tend to change the spelling and the meaning slightly to say “...make it big...make it ‘read,’ ” as inspiration for designing a promotion that needs to quickly catch the eye of an urban audience. At one time, a graphic designer’s tried and true method for promoting an event or advertising a product was the poster. From the mid-19th century through the mid-20th century, posters dominated communications. From dynamic, single-color letterpress creations, to beautiful full-color stone lithographs, posters were an opportunity to make a graphic impact on a wide audience. Today, with new production technology, the poster has grown both exponentially larger, appearing as huge banners that can cover the entire side of a building, or they have succumbed to miniature sizing on phones and tablets for electronic advertising like Facebook and Instagram.

Every once in a while, however, there is an opportunity to revitalize the pedestrian-scaled poster. Colleges still recognize the power of the poster to advertise to a continuous flow of foot traffic, pulling the attention of students away from micro-size phone images. Check out these two posters, designed by art270 Vice President Dianne Mill, for recent Montgomery County Community College art exhibitions. The faculty art show poster has a little fun mimicking renaissance still life paintings, and the student art show poster highlights the actual art students for the imagery. Both solutions helped to create conversation and drive a larger show turnout. 

When was the last time you used the power of the poster to promote your event or advertise your products and services? If you work in a high foot traffic area, you should think about posters. Do you ride the train every day or take a bus to work? How many times have you read that same poster at the end of the train car or on the train platform day in and day out?

Could your business benefit from well-placed poster exposure? Call or write Dana Breslin at 215-885-2756/This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

I’m sure you, and especially the Temple faithful, have heard enough Owl puns, but I couldn’t resist.

Introducing Inspire, a spanking-new, never-before-seen magazine for Temple University’s Center for the Performing and Cinematic Arts, which includes Boyer College of Music and Dance, the School of Theater, Film and Media Arts, and Temple Performing Arts Center. This 32-page plus cover magazine highlights all that is new and happening in the performing arts at Temple University including feature articles, student highlights, performance schedules, reviews, and lots of great reading for Temple Arts alumni. This very first edition, designed by art270’s Dana Breslin, focuses on potential new building initiatives meant to handle the unprecedented growth of Temple’s arts programs. The early response to the new magazine has been overwhelmingly positive with hoots and hollers for more. Take a look at the magazine here and stay tuned for more new magazines designed by art270 coming this Spring.

Ready to get started on a new magazine or another publication for your organization? Call or write Dana Breslin at 215-885-2756/This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

One of the things I like most about the graphic design profession is that I am continually meeting new people, learning about new subjects, and being immersed into other worlds. This past fall was no exception when art270 had the opportunity to redesign and produce Princeton International Magazine (int’l) an annual publication that highlights Princeton University’s international initiatives and projects. The publication introduces readers to the innovative and multifaceted learning, research, and teaching being conducted across the globe by undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty members. The freshly updated magazine designed by art270’s Senior Designer, John Opet, is full of great photography, great storytelling, and now an easy-to-read and compelling layout that brings it all to life. Go to here to read stories from this issue and more.

Ready to bring new life to your publication? Call 
or write Dana Breslin at 215-885-2756/ This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..