Ellis Marsalis Center for Music

Located in the Ninth Ward of New Orleans, the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music uses music as a catalyst for social change. Their youth, adult, and community programming delivers a broad range of services to underserved children and musicians from neighborhoods battling poverty and social injustice. Named in honor of the legendary jazz musician Ellis Marsalis, the Center is a safe and supportive environment where children develop musically, academically, and socially; where local musicians perform, record, and develop professionally; and where the community gathers.

Square Lightning worked with the Center to modernize its legacy branding, first developed after Hurricane Katrina devastated the Ninth Ward. In addition to adding color and dimension to the logo, we expanded the color palette and created an identity system so all assets and communications channels reflect a more vibrant and relevant look and feel. In collaboration with KNOWN Agency, we also reimagined, designed, and built a brand new WordPress website that offered enhanced functionality, visual engagement, and user experience. The website can also be regularly updated from a dynamic library of visual, video, and audio assets we captured and edited during our onsite visits.