The Creative Advocacy Network (CAN) is a broad coalition of arts organizations, businesses, government, and individuals with a mission to create a strong voice in support of the arts in order to strengthen the regional arts ecology and to change how the arts are funded in the tri-county region.

Specifically, CAN needs to gain support to pass a $20 million levy that will be distributed among many arts organizations (like The Right Brain Initiative) and guarantee the continued progress of the arts in Portland and the tri-county area.

CAN asked NORTH to create a brand identity for the program to help focus their efforts on a single message that Portlanders could identify with over the coming months leading up to the vote.

NORTH began an exploration based on the insights that arts are the lifeblood of our region and a necessity, not a luxury. From these insights came the brand platform: Food. Shelter. Art. and the CANifesto proclaiming that in the Portland area, the arts are as vital as food and shelter.

Visit theartscan.org to read the CANifesto, see the impactful design provided by MakeLike and learn what you can do to keep the arts alive and well in our region.

In the third installment of it’s annual “Best of the Year Awards” (held at the Guggenheim Museum), Interior Design Magazine saw fit to recognize Portland’s own Skylab Architecture by proclaiming it the mastermind behind 2008’s Best Small Office…

It’s no surprise to us really, but it’s great to see it recognized publically.

That’s right, NORTH and makelike are lucky enough to be able to walk into an award-winning abode every day.

Congrats to Skylab and thanks to Interior Design for picking such a fantastic space.

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Arnold again asked NORTH to produce some music for Jack Daniel’s.

This time around it is was for a new holiday spot, and as always it was a blast to work on. Thanks again Arnold!

The VFX were produced by the super talented crew at BrickyardVFX in Boston. If you want to elevate the experience, before you press play, crushing up part of a candy cane and dissolve it into a flask of Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel. Some would think this blasphemy, but not the folks at the distillery. I think around there it’s called seasonal cold medicine.

Amid all of the commercials and the website, we’re also helping the Downtown Marketing Initiative partner with P.I.C.A. to do an interactive installation on the corner of 6th and Alder (launching this Friday morning with a ribbon cutting featuring mayor-elect Sam Adams.)

If you look really hard you might be able to find a few sneak peaks.

More to come once this puppy goes live…

Is now the time to pull the plug on arts in schools?

That’s the question that The Right Brain Initiative is asking.

On the 18th of September, in front of nearly 200 advocates, NORTH helped unveil the new identity and mission platform for the Portland-based arts collaboration formerly known as Arts Partners.

Now branded as The Right Brain Initiative, the group is working diligently to integrate arts education experiences into the standard curriculum of every K-8 classroom across the region’s school districts.

After renaming the program, NORTH worked with local artists aged 5-50 to craft an evolving, participatory logo, short film and web presence that feels as genuine and unique as the children who stand to benefit from the program.

Many thanks to The Right Brain Initiative for letting NORTH be part of shaping our kid’s, and collective, future.

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