That old saying “time flies when…” holds true to my absence in updating my home here.
This story is about what’s been going on with a private art college here in Nashville. I was asked to join Nossi College of Art back in May. They needed help restoring faith in their Graphic Design program and were looking for someone with a connection in the Nashville advertising community to help build back a strong faculty to instruct at a new level. Not to mention they were in the middle of a rebrand and were struggling with some decisions that would help them establish a new perspective in the market– after 37 years it had one more chance to be new again. I was up for the challenge.
This college has a great story. Nossi is actually the name of the woman who founded the school, teaching right out of her home after immigrating from Iran. She believes everyone should have the chance to express their creativity and she became devoted to educating those wanting to explore their opportunities in art.
Today, the school is in it’s 37th year and after a long stay in Goddlettesville, TN has just built a 55,00 sq ft creative oasis right here in Nashville. I encourage you to visit the school, you won’t be disappointed. Complete with state-of-the-art technology and environmental upgrades the facility is truly a place conducive for creativity. Offering Associate and Bachelor degrees from Graphic Design and Illustration to Photography and Videography, it is an art college to be reckoned with. You can find out more about the school by visiting the website.
It’s fun branding an art college and I’m enjoying it more each and every day. Here are some examples of our latest efforts. The new logo/brand design was influenced by the public’s challenge in recognizing the correct pronunciation of the school’s name. Then we just had some fun with language surrounding the long “O” in executing the designs and additional branding.
The journey continues with new students arriving and more on the way. The bonus? Teaching these students everyday. Which brings me to the second part of the story – to grow the quality of the Graphic Design program and lead faculty to new levels of commitment.
The Graphic Design and Illustration program was critically examined by myself and another coordinator leading the Illustration program, Arden VanHeagar. Together we evolved both curriculums and invited additional professionals we knew from the industry to join our existing team of faculty. We are continuing to redefine what it takes to help students be successful in today’s industry.
With a new curriculum, new faculty, a new facility AND the new brand, the growth of Nossi College of Art is underway.
In my next post I’ll share about what I continue to do as a freelance Creative Director. Go ahead and check out one of my most interesting clients, AgencyMJ. Branding photographers is equally as fun. Also, you can find me at the upcoming BarCamp Nashville next weekend Oct. 16th, we’re I’ll be talking about a successful crowdsourcing event I directed.
