Immediate Release Calumet Region, IL/IN – The Lakota Group has been chosen as the agency that will create an identity and brand for the Calumet Heritage Area. The resulting brand will be part of an implementation toolkit that municipalities, parks, historical societies, and other organizations can use to introduce Calumet Heritage Area identity and banding to the region.
By creating a unified identity and brand for the Calumet Heritage Area, the region can come together to promote this nationally significant place that boasts globally rare natural areas alongside industrial corridors with strong cultural heritage. Extensive community and stakeholder engagement will be taking place to ensure all voices are heard throughout the branding process. 6 agencies submitted proposals for this project, and after thorough evaluation and discussion was completed by partners from Calumet Heritage Partnership and Calumet Collaborative, The Lakota Group was chosen due to their familiarity with the region, commitment to community and stakeholder engagement, design skills, and experience in wayfinding and placemaking projects. “We’re thrilled to have been chosen to design an identity and brand for the Calumet Heritage Area. Our first step will be to step back and listen—to the many organizations and people that carry this region close to their heart. The emotions that accompany the attachment between people and place are complex and address feelings of personal and collective belonging, memory, history, and identity. A Calumet Heritage Area brand must capture this in a way that honors the past while also looking forward and positioning the region into the future,” says Scott Freres, President of The Lakota Group. Calumet Collaborative and Calumet Heritage Partnership, both bi-state non-profit organizations, have partnered to create the Calumet Heritage Area, and are continuing their collaboration to achieve congressional designation as the Calumet National Heritage Area. Both organizations are working closely with the Field Museum, who will lead the management planning process of the heritage area on behalf of its partners. The ultimate goal of the effort is to elevate the rich stories of heritage and promote the natural and cultural assets of the region. “A unified identity and brand for the Calumet region will raise awareness of the incredible cultural, environmental and heritage assets in the region,” says Sarah Coulter, the Executive Director of Calumet Collaborative. “Telling the stories of these assets through branding strengthens pride and sense of place for both residents and visitors”. The Calumet Heritage Area is a place of nationally significant natural, industrial, labor, and cultural heritage assets, that are preserved and interpreted to advance economic opportunity, and enrich the lives of its residents and visitors from across the nation. Learn more about the Calumet Heritage Area at calumetheritagearea.org. This project is supported by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources’ Coastal Management Program through a federal grant from the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce. This program is also supported by ArcelorMittal. -- Contact Calumet Collaborative Ashley Hodges ashley@calumetcollaborative.org (708) 297-9162 ext 701
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