Museum of Fine Arts, BostonArt For All

Boston’s principal art institution has one of the most comprehensive collections in the Americas, an enviable assortment of masterpieces from centuries past, all the way through to contemporary icons. But, like many large museums, its grand Neoclassical building and prestigious reputation have in the past proven to be intimidating and off-putting to potential visitors. Even though the Museum of Fine Arts has evolved its programming to feature more diverse artists and community initiatives, external perceptions had not until recently aligned with this shift.

Pivoting MFA’s positioning involved reminding all Bostonians that its spaces and collections are for everyone, not just the elite. Through a new visual identity and messaging, the goal was to convey a sense of belonging for visitors of all ages and backgrounds, who should feel a sense of warmth, welcome, and inclusion in the museum’s communications, as well as see something new and surprising happening at MFA.

The new MFA logo more prominently features “Boston,” and literally connects the letterforms of the A and B to firmly tie the museum to its location. A bold, contemporary and slightly quirky type includes special glyphs that create a sense of belonging and connection; embracing from above and supporting below.

For visuals, a confident primary palette of white, black and the brand’s heritage red is supported by various vibrant shades. The messaging system incorporates a red triangle, an evolution of the museum’s previously used red square, as a flexible element to activate content that directs a viewer towards information and points to the future. It features as part of an animated ticker that reinforces the idea of news and excitement, and feels dynamic even when static.

The slogan “Here All Belong” was chosen for the relaunch campaign as a promise of active inclusion that reflects what the museum is, and stands for, today. It’s applied within a flexible visual framework supported by portraits from the MFA collection, which were selected from a diverse range of time periods and regions, and create a human connection to the viewer.

The arrival of the Obama Presidential Portraits by Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald at the MFA on September 2022 presented the perfect opportunity to reveal the new identity and slogan. Posters were installed all over Boston ahead of the exhibition, enticing a more diverse audience to the museum. Together, the revised identity and the campaign ensure that MFA feels welcoming and highly accessible, and that its world-class collection of art can and will be enjoyed by everyone.

ARTWORKS CREDITS:

Colossal Statue of King Menkaura (Mycerinus), Old Kingdom, Dynasty IV, c. 2490–2472 BCE. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Marquis de Pastoret, Hippolyte Delaroche, 1829. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Court Ladies Preparing Newly Woven Silk, attributed to Emperor Huizong, early 12th century. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Portrait of a Young Woman, Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun, c. 1797. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Postman Joseph Roulin, Vincent van Gogh, 1888. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Mulay Ahmad, Peter Paul Rubens, c. 1609. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Three Sisters of the Copeland Family, William Matthew Prior, 1854. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Lullaby: Madame Augustine Roulin Rocking a Cradle (La Berceuse), Vincent van Gogh, 1889. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Joseph Moore and His Family, Erastus Salisbury Field, c. 1839. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Day of Atonement, Karl Knaths, 1939. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Portrait of Kabuki Actor Nakamura Kichiemon, Sekino Jun'ichirô, 1947. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Reproduced with permission. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Actor Nakamura Shikaku II as Shizuka Gozen at Horikawa, Natori Shunsen, 1926. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Mr. Tiffen of East Kingston, New Hampshire, A. Ellis, c. 1820. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Ubi Girl from Tai Region, Loïs Mailou Jones, 1972. © Loïs Mailou Jones Pierre-Noel Trust. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Statue of Athena Parthenos (The Virgin Goddess), Roman Imperial Period, 2nd–3rd century CE. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Bocca Baciata (Lips That Have Been Kissed), Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1859. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Self Portrait, Ellen Day Hale, 1885. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Portrait Mask, Olmec, 900–600 BCE. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Head of a Woman, Roman Imperial Period, c. 100–125 CE. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Mummy Mask, Egyptian Roman Imperial Period, c. 1–50 CE. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Mummy Mask of a Woman, Egyptian Roman Imperial Period, c. 101–200 CE. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Clover, Tateishi Harumi, 1934. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Negro Student, Loïs Mailou Jones, 1934. © Loïs Mailou Jones Pierre-Noel Trust. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Hannah, Isidor Kaufmann, late 19th–early 20th century. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Tipsy (Horoyoi), No. 1 from the series Fashions of the Modern World, Kobayakawa Kiyoshi, 1930. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

The Tea, Mary Cassatt, c. 1880. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Paper Moon Portrait of a Young Woman, unidentified artist, 1911 or later. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Barack Obama, Kehinde Wiley, 2018. © 2018 Kehinde Wiley. Courtesy of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.

Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama, Amy Sherald, 2018. Courtesy of the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.

Visitors at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (SC270875). Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Event at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (SC414563). Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Visitors at the George D. and Margo Behrakis Gallery, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (SC438495). Photograph © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.