The conversation started quietly at an art reception. Retired Police Chief E.D. Williams was looking into producing a memorial for the indigenous people tribes for which the town is named. Said Williams, “ We need an artist to design the memorial. Will you help us find someone who can do that?” The person he was talking to was Sara Mullins, owner of Galleries On The Go. Her company provides a gallery service as a vendor to the town.
“Yes, I can help you!” was Mullins’ reply. She brought in artist and designer Steve Graff. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Bonnie Dhonau, Town Administrator had a vision to expand the concept from a memorial to include wayfinding signage and a branding / logo initiative. Through a series of council workshops and meetings, a new Ad Hoc Arts Committee was established. The committee is formed of town residents, town staff, and Councilor Bill Smith.
Over the past six months they have worked through a number of design sketches and concepts to present a finalized version of the logo. “The town members feel strongly about maintaining a beautiful community. We’re grateful to DesignSource for helping us create such an outstanding new look.” Bill Smith, Councilor
The wayfinding signage and memorial are paid for by Penny for Pinellas funds under the Phil Graham Gulf Boulevard Beautification Plan. Mayor Jim Lawrence has guided the concept development process by gaining approval from the Barrier Islands Government Council (BIG-C) and hosting informative sessions with Pinellas county officials. Arts committee members are preparing bid guidelines for sign makers to begin their competitive proposals.
As a result of the branding activity, Mullins and Graff have formed a joint venture called DesignSource. They recently designed a new logo, letterhead, and signage for Paradise Island Co-op in Largo.
“DesignSource not only provided the design, but is walking us through an entire logo and branding exercise. We’ll be rolling out our new letterhead very soon.” Bonnie Dhonau, Town Administrator. The branding concept is about 75 percent complete. Next steps include developing a branding manual and marketing templates.
Artist Steve Graff stated: “By choosing a powerful figure we show respect to the Native Americans. This design is more contemporary, less dated, and will appeal to a wider range of viewers.” Galleries On The Go (GOTG), an award-winning fine art gallery service brokered the project. Artistic direction by Steve Graff of Grafficsink LLC. Project management by Rick Mullins, VP of Special Projects, GOTG.
If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Sara Mullins at 727-331-5979 or email at sara@galleriesonthego.com.