Soaring to great new heights

May 20th, 2013

If you thought seeing our work on the New York Stock Exchange was impressive, check out our logo design on the side of a rocket being launched into space! Operationally Responsive Space (they’re part of the National Department of Defense; we could tell you more, but then we’d have to kill you) came to ArtHouse for a logo design a few years ago, and now they’re really blasting off.

We always hope our client’s business will take off after working with us, but this just takes the cake.

Arthouse logo design on the Big Board

May 1st, 2013

Highland Capital Management recently invested in ArtHouse for a brand refresh. They got the works: a new logo, stationery, video wallpaper, and marketing collateral. ArtHouse filled the bill across the board. The Big Board that is.

Soon after their brand refresh, Highland Capital was rubbing elbows with the big wigs at the New York Stock Exchange. We know that strong brands accelerate business performance, and are pleased to see they’re doing well. We’d like to think we have a little part to do with their success story. We always like seeing our designs on the Big Board!

The founders of Highland Capital Management are seen below standing behind the NYSE podium to ring the closing bell for the stock exchange.

Play hard, work harder. (Is that how it goes?)

April 29th, 2013

The winter months were extremely busy here at ArtHouse-packed full of exciting design opportunities with many new and existing clients. But even us hardworking designers need some down time every now and then. So, we decided to put our designs on ice for a day and take to the slopes.
It was all downhill from there.

If you think we’re aces in the office, you should see our skills on the hills.

Just Can’t Get Enough

February 22nd, 2013

The renovated “Ambassador Street” has been Denver gem for a year now, and the awards keep rolling in: Earlier this year, ArtHouse Design and the 14th Street Redevelopment team were one of six groups recognized by the Downtown Denver Partnership for “completing an extensive streetscape project leveraging a unique public/private partnership to provide a welcoming pedestrian experience and a lasting first impression of the City’s core.”

Six projects impacting Downtown Denver were honored by the Downtown Denver Partnership at the Hyatt Regency during the 51st Annual Downtown Denver Awards Dinner. The winners included projects and initiatives that have had the most significant impact on the center city. At the dinner, Downtown Denver Partnership President and CEO Tami Door commented on a common theme between the winners: creativity.

“The six award winners have demonstrated that individuals and groups of people have the ability to create, to lead and to positively impact their surroundings. We are honored to celebrate these projects, businesses and initiatives that continue to harness their creativity to propel our city forward.”

To read more about the project, visit the Reuters article here
Or see if you can keep track of how many times our monuments show up in this video. There will be a test:

Helping Patients Take a Turn for the Better

February 12th, 2013

Art and design are recognized as powerful tools to aid patients and their families through troubling circumstances. Our goal as medical wayfinding experts is to transform the hospital experience and support a healing environment. Our colorful, engaging designs are just what the doctor ordered. In addition to the wayfinding systems we’ve created for some of the largest hospitals in the region, we are currently creating intriguing graphics and succinct wayfinding systems at the Children’s Hospital Colorado South Campus and Golisano Children’s Hospital in Rochester, NY.

We’re enjoying the opportunity to collaborate with Ballinger Architects on the Golisano Children’s Hospital project. We’d like to thank them for providing us with great architectural designs and opportunities that made it seamless to integrate theming and graphics.

When it comes to livening up a hospital, ArtHouse is always on call to give a healthy dose of design.

Wholesale branding

June 29th, 2012

A multi-million dollar, multi-year renovation of the Denver Merchandise Mart is currently underway. This Denver icon sought out ArtHouse to reinvent their brand to give them a simplified, more impactful and consistent look. We are excited about the challenge and look forward to extending their new brand into wayfinding solutions, and to creating a more dynamic environment.

Check back soon for updates on the brand new Denver Mart!

Will Run For Color

June 15th, 2012

ArtHouse is a true blue fan of Children’s Hospital Colorado, and we’re not afraid to let our colors show. Our designers hiked up their neon knee socks, slapped on crazy shades and braved clouds of color to support the kids. Denver’s City Park was home to the first annual Color Run over Memorial Day weekend, and thousands turned up to paint the town (and townies) every color under the sun. Join us next year for the colorful sequel to this can’t-miss spectacle.

ArtHouse Branding Set in Stone

May 25th, 2012

Earlier this year we designed a logo for our friends at Lullabeats. They liked it so much, they had it carved in stone! Lullabeats – one of the newest sensations around town – purchased a paver at the new Sam Gary Branch Library in Stapleton in support of the Denver Public Library Systems. The paver makes up part of a sculptural walking path that winds by the front of the library, providing a place for visitors to play or reflect.

Now that’s design that withstands the test of time!

New Faces, New Spaces

May 9th, 2012

ArtHouse is on the move!

We’ve outgrown these walls of ours, and are moving on to bigger and better things. In the past year, we added
new design talent to the staff and found that we’d outgrown our Uptown office. We now have a custom studio
with a look that embodies our innovative design solutions and our growing, forward-moving firm.

Our custom-built Stapleton studio is centrally located between downtown and DIA with an enviable view of the peaks.
It’s easily accessible for both local and international clients, and gives us the space we need for all of our big ideas.

Special thanks to Lynne Thom Architects for creating this stunning space.

Bright Lights, Big City

May 9th, 2012

Who doesn’t love a good ol’ fashioned field trip? Especially when it involves hand-painted letters, rarefied neon AND huge signage?
Marty and Polly recently took a field trip to the The Boneyard – otherwise known as the Neon Museum – in Las Vegas.
We don’t know which has more intensity; the lights of Las Vegas, or Marty when he talks about how much fun he had taking
a tour through its sanctuary of signs. The Boneyard has over 150 donated and rescued signs from Las Vegas casino resorts,
local businesses, and motels. It is three glistening acres full of Vegas history; a testament to the art of the sign.

Arthouse Fan Mail

January 19th, 2012

We know our blog entries are quite riveting, but we never expected to be showered with such a wealth of fan mail.
Some of the responses have been rather amusing, and we just had to share:

“I told my grandmother how you helped. She said, bake them a cake!”

“I would title your site the dreamland! While Santa claus scrapes at our doorway just once each year, you weblog is open the entire year C amazing!”

“I’ve said that least 3975229 times. The problem this like that is they are just too complicated for the average bird, if you know what I mean.”

Mini-Me Marty

January 13th, 2012

The brains behind the business, Marty assures us that all of his creative chops wouldn’t fit into the mold that created his Mini-Me. And Marty makes that outfit look gooood. So, does this action figure represent Marty’s Id, Ego or Super Ego? Or maybe it’s his conscience, telling him to stop social networking and get back to designing… Either way, we bet it has a female voice that sounds a lot like our project manager, Clara.

Special thanks to Bobby T. for this mini-treat.

Arthouse is mixin’ it up!

December 23rd, 2011

Our designs aren’t the only thing around here that are packed with punch. Our drinks hit just as hard. From Clara’s Cuban Canchanchara to Megan’s Muddled Mixture, we’re sure we’ve got something to tantalize the ol’ taste buds.

Clara’s Cuban Canchanchara

Juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 oz white rum
Crushed ice

Mix the lime juice with the honey and white rum until the honey dissolves. Put everything into a cocktail shaker with crushed ice.
Shake well with the ice and strain into a champagne glass, on the rocks or straight up, your choice.

Clara suggests mixing a whole pitcher of Canchanchara at once instead of just one drink. (And yes, you’re SUPPOSED to share)

Megan’s Muddled Mixer

5 raspberries
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 parts Grey Goose Le Citron vodka
fresh squeezed lemonade
lemon wedge for garnish

Muddle 5 fresh raspberries with 1 tsp. sugar.
Pour into tall glass over ice.
Top with vodka and lemonade.
Garnish with lemon wedge.

Beth’s Bazooka Bomber

1/2 oz creme de bananes
1/2 oz triple sec
1 dash grenadine syrup

Pour creme de bananes, triple sec and grenadine over ice in an old-fashioned glass or tumbler, and serve.

Marty’s Madman Manhattan

2 oz rye whiskey
1/2 oz sweet vermouth
2-3 dashes Angostura bitters
maraschino cherry for garnish

Pour the ingredients into a mixing glass with ice cubes.
Stir well.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with the cherry.

Mix em up, Drink em down!

Monumental Success

December 12th, 2011

Earlier this year we blogged about the 14th Street redevelopment project we’ve been working on. Now we’re ready to brag!

Seven wayfinding monuments are finally lighting up downtown. And five more are in the works. We took a break
on Thursday, Nov. 17, to rub elbows with Denver city officials and place bets on whether or not we’d get any recognition—
Megan lost when Mayor Hancock dropped our name during the ribbon-cutting ceremony; it was brief, but it was there!

We left with a great feeling of accomplishment. And a pretty sweet swag bag.

Click here to read more about enhancements made to Denver’s “Ambassador Street.”

New Hire in da ArtHouse!

December 7th, 2011

ArtHouse has added a team member to its arsenal of creative and talented—and, let’s be honest, a bit eccentric—designers.

Beth Rosa couldn’t get enough of school and graduated in August with her second degree: a Bachelor of Fine Arts in
Communication Design from Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design (RMCAD). She was involved with several projects as
an intern at ArtHouse and has proven her skills every mukluk-clad step of the way—despite telling us during her interview
that her favorite things are hamburgers and nonsense.

Beth owns every season of Family Guy; loves to kick balls—soccer balls, that is; and has a borderline
obsession with stickers. Ask her about that one time she was kicked out of King Soopers…

Don’t be fooled by Beth’s wackiness; this girl is for real. Come meet Beth and the rest of us
at ArtHouse in our uptown Denver office at 19th and Sherman.

ArtHouse Abroad Again… in Asia!

November 23rd, 2011

In October we returned to China, this time in five-star Dalian, where we’re blending
Western design with French Provincial architecture at Longview Mountain.

Tucked into the hillside and overlooking the Yellow Sea, Longview is a resort community of
more than 150 private residences. We’ve designed intricate wayfinding signage and
two elegant gateways with such fine detail, even Mayor Wancai will want to take a tour.

Exotic food, historical landmarks and beachfront views? Now that’s our kind of site visit!

To partner with ArtHouse Design, locally or globally, contact us at 303.892.9816 or info@arthousedenver.com.

Makin’ Plans in Foreign Lands

October 7th, 2011

Located in the center of Abu Dhabi, Mushrif Central Park is a 30-acre oasis in the United Arab Emirates. The project features a transformation into a ‘people’s park,’ complete with an interactive children’s museum, a petting zoo, fountains and jogging trails. Working with ValleyCrest Design Group–JamesHyatt Studios, ArtHouse is proud to be cultivating this monumental destination. For this team, great design is a walk in the park.

 

ArtHouse Design Wins 2011 UCDA Award

August 12th, 2011

The ballots are in: UMC is a winner. Working in tandem with Oz’s architecture team, ArtHouse Design created logos, signage, column wraps and menus for the remodel of the infamous cannibal-themed Alferd Packer University Memorial Center at CU Boulder. The innovative designs and comprehensive re-envisioning of the space earned ArtHouse an Award of Excellence from the 2011 University and College Designers Association (UCDA)
Design Competition. The judges selected 186 winners from the nearly 1100 entries submitted for the highly regarded annual competition.

Ooh! Aah!

July 5th, 2011

Come one, come all—this is a site to behold! It’s the time of year to salute new beginnings, moxie and journeys into uncharted territory. So gather friends and family around and enjoy the show: With 30 new projects, team biographies and more, there’s a whole lot to celebrate.

Get in on the fun: www.arthousedenver.com.

Walk This Way

July 4th, 2011

Who knew the old broad could look so good?

Larimer Square, Denver’s oldest retail block, has always been a charming destination for fine dining and boutique gifts. But the grande dame of Denver retail just got a facelift and a sassy swagger. Presenting “The Walkway,” home of avant-garde restaurants and swanky shops and adorned with custom eye candy provided by ArtHouse Design. A decadent awning, custom shadow boxes, intricate lightpole directories and charming wall décor now welcome shoppers into downtown Denver’s newest hot spot.

 

14th Street Redevelopment

July 4th, 2011

Known as Denver’s “Ambassador Street” thanks to its wealth of visitor-friendly arts and culture attractions, 14th Street is currently receiving a makeover that will essentially roll out a 12-block red carpet for Denver’s visitors. These welcoming improvements include wider sidewalks and shorter crosswalks, bike-friendly improvements, elegant granite planters and improved pedestrian lighting. And to complete the visitor experience, ArtHouse Design has created stately informational kiosks, banners and the project’s pièce de résistance: striking monuments that will become eye-catching landmarks throughout the 12-block corridor. These illuminated sculptural towers will provide crucial wayfinding information, strengthen the identity of 14th Street, and serve as pillars of light and art.

Get a sneak peek, courtesy of Parsons Brinkerhoff.

REVing Up

April 20th, 2011

To meet the needs of the new, 10-building VA Medical Center in Aurora, Autodesk Revit has
become the most recent weapon added to our wayfinding arsenal. The VA coordinators,
a multi-team collaboration, brought Revit into the mix as a way to coordinate the
architectural and signage models nationally—and automatically.

Screenprint Workshop // Ink Lounge

March 15th, 2011

Marty, being a stellar boss and all-around fabulous human being, rented out
Denver’s Ink Lounge for a Friday afternoon of beer, baby faces and ballpoint
engines. We learned the quick and dirty basics of printing, got good and messy,
and walked away with a pile of handmade posters and shirts.

This was all made possible with the help of screenprinting savants and
co-owners of Ink Lounge, Stu and Nicky Alden.

Check them out—and brace yourself for job envy—at InkLoungeGallery.com.

Pretty Paper Petticoats

March 15th, 2011

The 2011 Paper Fashion Show was a full house, boasting 1000 scintillated spectators
and 60 custom paper creations. From their coiffed (or dreaded, or spiked) heads
to their toes donning handmade paper shoes, each model was a walking work of art.

Look for our entry in next year’s show; this is an event worth braving the crowds for.