A brand not just devoted to the arts, but inspired by them.

What makes Elma so special is a boundless love for art and the artists who create it. In addition to being a world-class hotel, it’s also a state-of-the-art arts center, with two concert halls, several art galleries, and a resident artist’s studio.

Our relationship with Elma included a dizzying variety of deliverables — over 150. It was been immensely rewarding to be involved in a project of this scale.

A little gallery in print

Elma’s love of art reached into every corner of the hotel. We wanted it to reach into every page, too. The brochure was that world between two covers. Something to take home, keep and come back to.

A stay in color

We paired vivid stripes of color with clean typography and plenty of white space, giving the identity a playful streak and room to breathe. Even a business card could offer a little taste of the stay to come.

A vision so grand, it needed so much

Elma was designed to be a leading destination for cultural events of all kinds – concerts, art exhibitions, theatrical performances, dance recitals, and more. So we created a vibrant Elma Arts brand to accommodate it all – something unexpected, much like the art it celebrates.

Branding is never more rewarding than when the brief is "celebrate beauty."

Wow., What didn't we make? Brochures, invitations, playbills, key cards, laundry paperwork, posters, the foundation for digital creative work…all the myriad communications that accompany any world-class artistic event. It was important to design a system that was flexible and easily customizable.

Fortunately, we were able to work closely alongside Elma founder Lily Elstein to bring her vision and passion to life.