In looking to refocus its image for a new generation, while also embracing its long and rich history, TBA teamed up with former local resident Jillian Seguin, who currently consults on brand projects for a wide range of companies. Seguin also manages student recruitment for Northern Michigan University’s Northern Lower Peninsula. Her website redesign launched in early August at thunderbayarts.org and already has drawn hundreds of hits.

“I think you will find it a refreshing, new, cutting-edge image of all things Thunder Bay Arts, thanks to Jillian Seguin’s hard work, ability to process our feedback, vision, technical skills and eye for aesthetics,” said TBA Board member Tim Kuehnlein, who worked closely with Seguin to convey the organization’s vision for the future.

The new logo features a blue heron in place of the previous shore bird. It plays off TBA’s signature Blue Heron sculpture erected along a scenic stretch of the Thunder Bay River.

“It’s all part of our overall rebranding/marketing strategy as discussed since the Blue Heron sculpture was revealed, and it is based on a series of long-range planning, marketing discussions and meetings,” Kuehnlein said. “First came the logo, name truncation from the former Thunder Bay Arts Council to the new Thunder Bay Arts, and now the website,” he added.

Here is the back entry to Thunder Bay Arts Gallery.

Seguin, who began her formal art training in 2008 at Alpena Community College and then graduated in 2012 from Western Michigan University, was drawn to the project for multiple reasons: her love of art, respect for the organization, and appreciation of the significant impact ACC and Kuehnlein as her former instructor at the college had on her life.

“As an artist myself, the mission and TBA organization was a pure passion project for me to collaborate on,” Seguin said.

She’s pleased with the results of that collaboration.

“Aesthetically, we wanted the site to be a balance of design and functionality, and we collectively achieved that goal,” Seguin said. “Tim was also very cognizant of pushing the modernization of the brand while still being true to the actual programming and experience a typical patron will have with TBA.”

She said the hope with both her logo and website redesign is that long-standing patrons will feel valued in the outstanding programming they helped TBA build, and at the same time, newcomers will feel intrigued to engage with the organization in fresh ways.