Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art

Project Type //
Brand Strategy

Role //
Brand Strategist

Team //
Desk Research, Competitive & Cultural Audit, Stakeholder Interviews, Insights, Positioning & Implications, Creative Brief

Skillset //
Dan Azic, Ria Shah, Alvaro Bigaton, Jennifer Mahon, Alex Gilkey, Ackshita Senthilnathan, Yelle Rothman, Andrew Krantz

Context

The Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art’s “LLMA” origins date back to 1969 when its founders, Charles Leslie and Fritz Lohman, hosted an exhibit of gay artists in their SoHo loft. Today, the Leslie-Lohman Museum of Art is the only LGBTQUIA+ art museum in the world. The organization tells the unedited stories of its queer artists while preserving LGBTQUIA+ art and building community. Every time there was a defining moment in queer culture, LLMA responded in kind, staying at pace with history and culture.

Over the years, LLMA has struggled to communicate its beliefs and its evolved understanding of queerness through its brand.

Challenge

How can LLMA abate its internal decision fatigue, reevaluate its convoluted positioning, and sharpen its diluted visual and verbal identity to communicate its core ethos of inclusivity and acceptance?

Image Source: NYC LGBT Historic Sites Project: LLMA Prince Street

Cultural Evidence

Source: Vice

Proposed bans on drag shows further marginalize gender non-conforming people.

While Tennessee was the first to pass an anti Drag/Trans bill, there are at least 36 proposed bills that target drag in at least 14 other states, including Arizona, Idaho, and Texas.

Source: Them

Increasingly violent rhetoric and incidents against LGBTQ+ groups threaten their safety.

There were at least 124 incidents of anti-drag protests and significant threats across 47 states in 2022, many targeting specific drag shows after encouragement from Republican politicians, and far-right pundits.

Source: HRC

Pushback on discriminatory laws from advocacy groups fight for fundamental rights.

The Human Rights Campaign condemned Tennessee Governor for signing two anti-LGBTQ+ bills and is tracking 340 anti-LGBTQ+ bills that have been introduced in statehouses across the country.

Emotional Driver

LGBTQ+ identification has doubled since 2012, with 21% of Gen Z adults identifying as LGBTQ+. This makes the need for safe spaces to explore fluid identities as essential as ever while under constant threat.