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www.wearecreativewest.org
WESTAF Unveils New Name and Visual Identity
Celebrating a half-century of history and debuting a new, inclusive identity: Creative West
DENVER, CO (September 18, 2024) — Today, WESTAF – the Western States Arts Federation – is excited to reveal its new visual identity and name – Creative West. The new name frames the work of artists and culture-bearers broadly and inclusively, and underscores a founding belief that place matters to the creative process.
WESTAF partnered with Seattle-based brand strategy and interactive studio People People on its first-ever effort to transform the brand and bring to life WESTAF’s vision for its next era. The new identity includes a redesigned logo representing the region’s interconnected multitudes and expressing collective themes of intertwinement, imperfection, openness and transformation, and the vibrant color palette inspired by the landscapes of the West and modern typography represent an innovative, forward-thinking approach. Together, they form an identity that reflects deep optimism – for the communities, for the region, for the work, and for the next 50 years.
“So much has changed – for WESTAF, and for the world – since our founding in 1974,” said Christian Gaines, Executive Director of Creative West. “Throughout this rewarding process, the WESTAF community has taken a look back at how we got here, while imagining what tomorrow may bring. In so doing, we have gained deeper understandings of the work while recommitting to our role and purpose in the larger arts, culture and creativity landscape.”
This significant milestone comes at an important time in the organization’s history – at the tail end of its 50th year. While this marks a new chapter for the organization, the programs, services, and products are not changing. Its mission and values will remain the same, as will the focus on providing direct, practical support to arts agencies, artists, culture bearers, and creative organizations to generate creative capacity in the West and beyond.
For more information about the new brand and to view the new visual identity, please visit wearecreativewest.org.
About Creative West (formerly WESTAF)
Creative West is a nonprofit U.S. Regional Arts Organization that builds equitable technology, funding, advocacy, and policy systems to generate creative capacity in the West and beyond. By building systems that change systems, we advance equity, justice, and regenerative action—seeing these values as essential as creativity itself. We offer direct, practical support to arts agencies, artists, culture bearers, and creative organizations, aiming to work distributively in support of community-defined goals. Our direct-service work includes funding, programming, leadership development, research, advocacy, technology, and convening to move arts and cultural policy forward.
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