Client, Year

2019

Services

Logo
Brand System
Identity Development
Branded Environment
Interpretive Graphics

Photography

Mount Vernon Place Conservancy

Honoring the country’s first Washington Monument

Overlooked for centuries, America’s original Washington Monument is a national treasure at the center of an active neighborhood park in downtown Baltimore. The Mount Vernon Place Conservancy was established in 2008 to restore and protect this living slice of history. To complement MVPC’s mission, Ashton developed a flexible identity system that can emphasize the monument’s iconic status or lean into its modern programming, depending on the audience.

Constructed in 1815, this monument was the first in the nation dedicated to George Washington. Its column conceals 227 spiral steps, which climb to an observation deck looking out over the city.

The monument, as well as the parks flanking it, are collectively known as Mount Vernon Place.

The MVPC logo’s iconography is derived from the monument, while the simplifcation of its forms is inspired by the geometric framing of its surrounding parks.

Bright, branded materials create a unified experience and sense of adventure at the historic site.

The MVPC identity also supports the Conservancy’s branded events. Its most popular, Flower Mart, is Baltimore’s oldest ongoing festival.

Adding pops of purple and painted imagery to the MVPC identity bridges the event to its past while making it come alive for current attendees. The featured image, painted in 1915 by Baltimore artist Griffith Baily Coale, depicts the 100th anniversary of the Washington Monument. 

In June, MVPC kicks off its annual Summer in the Squares series, which brings live concerts, movies, art activities, and yoga sessions to the park squares.

The identity welcomes this return with pops of pink, conjuring warm feelings of high vibes and higher temperatures. 

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PO Box 50337, Balt., MD 21211

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