ALLIANCE FOR CALIFORNIA TRADITIONAL ARTS
Taproot Artists & Community Trust
Brand Identity / Collateral Design
Traditional artists tend the cultural taproots for their communities.
Creative Direction & Design: Schessa Garbutt
Design Support: Angelino Baltazar
About
Traditional arts practices are potent political acts of social belonging, power, and justice. Music, dance, craft, oral tradition, foodways, and other heritage ways are transmitted and engaged in as part of the cultural life of a community. Yet, the vast majority of traditional artists—and the organizations, collectives, and informal networks of practice they lead—have never received the philanthropic investment that would allow them to realize long-term visions for change in their communities. The Alliance for California Traditional Arts (ACTA) aims to fund culture bearers across Turtle Island (U.S.) with their new, national Taproot initiative—providing $50,000 grants to traditional artists in 2024.
Our Solve
It was important to the client team that the identity for this new grant initiative paired well with ACTA’s branding. The ask was to create a simple visual identity system that felt earthy and organic, drawing some of the texture from the core brand. Taking lead from the metaphor of the taproot, Firebrand created a brand that honors the many roles that roots play for plants (nourishment, communication, reservoir) while curating a color palette inspired by the root itself—energetic, lively hues with earthy balance subdued tones to speak to the ways that new funds bring new opportunities for growth to the traditional, native, and immigrant artists that serve their communities as culture bearers.
“Firebrand has been an extraordinary collaborator on our Taproot Fellowship project. Schessa listened to us well, asked thoughtful questions, made helpful recommendations, and did careful visual research to design and developed a stunning, memorable, and exciting branding kit for us.”
— Jennifer Jameson Merchant, Assoc. Program + Media Director at ACTA
Behind the Logo
Taproots are special among root types in the plant kingdom because they feature one main root which can reach depths of 400 feet in some species. These roots often dig deep to subterranean water tables, making plants more drought-resistant and providing trees like Sequoias with the stability to grow very tall and very old.
To capture the brand tone in the logo design, we referenced block printing methods used by some of ACTA’s artists. It was important to us to show not just the root extending beyond the frame, but also the sprouting plant that it is supporting—community. Traditional arts are our taproots—providing connection to our ancestors, holding our histories, and creating avenues for community connection.
Identity & Collateral Design
The logo family for Taproot includes an ovular badge design as well as single-color & inverted colorways.
Branded presentation template
Brand patterns inspired by different taproot habits.
Accessible color palette (WCAG AA compliant).
Template designs for Taproot’s social media.
“Schessa was able to take our ideas and actualize them beautifully, in a prompt and communicative manner -- and somehow made it look easy! Their work showed us what we were missing and we hope to continue working with Firebrand for years to come.”
— Jennifer Jameson Merchant, Assoc. Program + Media Director at ACTA