The Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Arts Council has a new name and look.
Going forward the council will now be known as Arts On Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows in an extensive rebrand that also includes a new logo, colours, and a redesigned website.
The new website was launched on Monday, Nov. 3, and is described by Arts On as clean, contemporary, and user-friendly – and it will “evolve into an information hub for those interested in learning more about or becoming involved with community arts programming and the local arts scene.”
However, it is not clear what this means about the future relationship between the arts council and the City of Maple Ridge.
The city will be taking over programming at The ACT Arts Centre on Jan. 1, after about a year and a half of failed discussions with the arts council on an operating agreement moving forward.
The arts council had run the facility for the past 22 years.
In the press release Arts On simply stated that the brand overhaul will move the organization forward as a “leading facilitator of community arts and educational programs and services.”
The rebrand, by the Canadian digital agency Takt, has been in the making over the past year and included engagement surveys with patrons, donors, and stakeholders, who indicated that the arts council needed a stronger visual identity, a more modern brand, and a more dynamic, user-friendly website.
“The catalyst for the rebrand was the changing nature of digital communications. The previous branding was created for an analog world and no longer met the needs of today’s digital era,” explained Arts On.
Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Arts Council was founded in 1971 as an independent, non-profit organization supporting artists, programs, and community initiatives. It operated The ACT since its opening in 2003.
“Though represented by a new name and logo, the Council’s values and vision remain the same: to bring the arts to the heart of the community,” Arts On said.
“The MRPM Arts Council will remain a community-based organization that works in partnership with the community to develop, promote, and celebrate the arts, as stated in the organization’s mission statement.”
• The News has reached out to Curtis Pendleton, executive director of The ACT Arts Centre, and to the City of Maple Ridge for further comment.