Located in Connecticut's historic Georgetown region, The Granite is a nonprofit event space dedicated
to connecting generations through community, learning, and creativity.
Branding a performing arts center is challenging enough—but when that venue is a century-old church with deep local and historical ties, every branding decision takes on greater weight.
Originally named the Gilbert Memorial church, "The Granite” Church was built in 1901 to serve four adjacent Connecticut towns, an area collectively known as Georgetown. Sitting at the crossroads of these communities, the church became a spiritual gathering place, knitting the region into one. But after decades as a community hub, the church experienced dwindling attendance and eventually fell into disrepair, until it was purchased by a private family foundation.
Through strong leadership and extensive community involvement, the former church was reimagined as The Granite: a performing arts center and gathering place that honors its historic roots while creating a shared cultural home for the Georgetown community and its visitors.
Working closely with The Granite’s leadership, we developed a set of brand principles and a visual identity that balanced historical reverence with a contemporary, forward-looking spirit.
We spent time inside the former church, learning its history, speaking with residents and stakeholders, and immersing ourselves in Georgetown. From these conversations and observations, three defining values emerged as the foundation of The Granite’s brand:
Georgetown is steeped in history and shared identity. Any branding needed to honor that legacy and the values embedded in the building, the village, and its role in local life.
For generations, the church functioned as a central gathering place for Georgetown—hosting moments of connection, reflection, and shared life. Preserving that role was essential as The Granite evolved into its next chapter.
Throughout our conversations, a consistent theme emerged: The Granite needed to be a welcoming place for all — open, approachable, and accessible to people across backgrounds, ages, and abilities.
Our creative exploration began with a mood board, inspired by imagery, color palettes, and typography drawn from a range of architectural references and visual identities—helping establish a shared design language and explore different design directions.
Our direction for the logo was strongly influenced by the building’s architecture. We studied which elements were most distinctive, which offered the strongest visual character, and which would be immediately recognizable to those familiar with the space.
As we researched Georgetown’s history, we also uncovered a range of historic insignias, local correspondence, and promotional materials. Together, these references helped establish a visual foundation for the logo’s development.
Guided by our research, we developed a color palette and typographic system that brought a modern, artistic sensibility to a historic setting, while remaining versatile enough for both print and digital use.
We explored three distinct creative directions, one of which clearly emerged—striking the right balance between contemporary expression and respect for Georgetown’s values. Alongside the primary mark, we developed a complementary symbol and avatar, now in use across apparel, signage, and marketing materials.
As the identity continues to live in the world, we look forward to seeing it evolve through use—becoming a recognizable and enduring symbol of The Granite for years to come.
To rally the community around this effort, it was so important to establish branding that symbolized all that the Granite Church represented. With this particular mark, I think we did just that.
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