• What is your organization or company? Give background history including by whom, when, and why it was founded.

I will be working to design a brand for ArtCity Eugene (“ACE”). ACE is a new community arts makerspace in Eugene which was co-founded by Charly Swing and  Erika Propst in 2016.

According to their website, “ArtCity developed out of the intention to address and resolve artists’ immediate need to sustain their livelihood in Eugene and work in a salon-style studio community. In this environment artists will work near professional peers, surrounded by inspiring activity, growth, and opportunity.” (http://www.artcityeugene.com)

• What do they do or make – describe the products and services and what makes them unique.

“ArtCity” is a space which helps those living in the Eugene community to sustain their artistic practices, with a vision of becoming a new, “culturally rich” arts hub of the west coast. What makes them unique is the fact that they are a large, all-arts-encompassing makerspace with a specific mission to sustain practicing artists. The only other makerspace I could find in Eugene, “Eugene Maker Space,” seems to be targeted more at people wanting to  make art as a means of connecting  with their community, while ACE specifically emphasizes it’s support for those wanting to sustain their artistic practice in a collaborative environment, calling for people who identify as “artists,” or are associated with “arts organizations.” There also appears to be an application process for ACE, whereas EMS just requires a monthly membership fee.

• Describe the culture of the organization or company. What is the work environment like – the atmosphere? What is the building like – exterior/interior, architecture, fittings and furniture? How do the employees work together? What are the jobs and roles of individuals? How does management treat them?

The ArtsCity website strongly emphasizes the idea of a “creative, collaborative environment.” While it is still unclear to me how the organization functions, besides artist residencies, they host “Drink & Draw” events around the city.  I could not find information on a specific building that they are housed in, but on their website they describe themselves as a “salon-style studio community,” and mentioned their “work of acquiring a building to be the nexus of our multidisciplinary studio community.” They also acknowledge the need for artists to have “adequate and affordable space” in which to carry out their practice. I plan on asking Charly Swing for more specifics about what they are looking for in a studio space in our meeting.

• Who is the targeted audience? What are their demographics? (Age, gender, income level, where they live, own or rent, etc.)

I could not find information about the demographics of their target audience. However, again, they are emphasizing their support for those who identify as artists and are in need of a work space to sustain their practice. These are the only details they provide as to who they are targeting.

• What is the organization or company mission statement? Tagline? (Can be the same – Nike’s is, “Just Do it!”

According to their website, the following statement appears to be their mission statement:
“We are artists, arts leaders, and forward-thinking citizens of the Greater Eugene Area working together to create a platform for multidisciplinary artists to ignite culture, economy, and community.”