Brand Strategy And Identity For Canada’s National Art Museum

AREA 17 partnered with the National Gallery of Canada to create a new brand strategy and identity as part of the institution’s effort to decolonize and better reflect contemporary social and cultural realities. Informed by nationwide focus groups, Indigenous Elders, artists, staff, and diversity specialists, the work centered on the Algonquin concept of “Ankosé,” meaning everything is connected. AREA 17 translated this into an open, evolving identity system that replaced rigid square forms with a permeable circle inspired by Indigenous worldviews. The project also included a behavioral framework to help teams apply the strategy across daily communications and decision-making. Following the launch, the Gallery’s audience grew threefold, with stronger engagement from younger and more diverse visitors.