As a movement of Black, Indigenous, and racialized BC-based artists and cultural workers redistributing resources through data-driven action, the organization went back to the drawing board; opting for a more communal, accessible feel.
Following the distribution of over $300,000 for BC-based BIPOC artists facing financial hardship in 2020, the organization’s highly anticipated survey of race-based harm in BC’s arts sector marks a new chapter for SEARA as a key player in influencing sectoral policies, governance, and employment for BIPOC artists.
“We wanted the new identity to carry our histories of solidarity and speak to the unique ways SEARA brings people together to do this work—from events to programs to reports,” says SEARA Program Manager, Dana Qaddah.
Independent graphic designer Victoria Lum was entrusted with bringing this new direction to life and finding a way for the visual identity to communicate a wider strategic shift and a way to spotlight SEARA’s community members.
“The idea was to offer both aesthetic and conceptual space for BIPOC creatives to reflect the nuanced experiences of Black, Indigenous and racialized subjecthood,” says Victoria.
The vision to make room for bold, just futures SEARA is working towards can be seen in the organization’s new logo, whose acronym offers deliberately uneven spacing for artists to address the gap—balanced by the monospacing of its primary typeface: Pantasia by Wei Huang.
“I was especially attracted to the foundry that published Pantasia because of their impressive work in decolonial advocacy, support for emerging artists, and efforts to promote a more ‘accessible, diverse, and equitable future.’”
Pairing seamlessly with International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) fonts like Times New Roman, Pantasia offers typesetting solutions for Indigenous diacritics and other languages.
This announcement features the illustrations of Stella Zheng who turned SEARA’s organizing values into everyday items: a spool to unravel the illusions of perfection; the unassuming power of the apple as pragmatic support and economic justice; a conversation cloud for the thoughtfulness of issues naming; a lotus flower blooming joy as resistance; and, a step stool tangled in the tomato vine’s community roots.
“I wanted to use recognizable objects that artists and creatives use to embody the practical tools and accessible approaches of SEARA,” says Stella.
Find SEARA’s new visual identity on Instagram or stay updated through the newsletter.