The colorful new logo represents the museum’s multidimensionality and new mission of “expanding horizons”
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Oct. 23, 2023) – Sullenberger Aviation Museum, the premier aviation museum of the Southeast, this morning unveiled its new logo and visual identity, marking the final step in its brand evolution from the former Carolinas Aviation Museum to a reimagined transformational exploration of the power of flight with a mission to inspire, educate and elevate the next generation.
The new visual identity signifies not only a personification of the new brand, but an inspiring new vision for the 31-year-old organization. While the new facility – set to open in summer 2024 – will continue to exhibit historical aircraft, it will also serve as an elevated educational resource and innovation center to help shape the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) workforce development pipeline throughout the region.
The logo, created by integrated marketing agency Luquire, mimics the shape of a pilot’s wings and the tri-color visual is indicative of the museum’s varied and multidimensional experiences, while supporting the museum’s promise of “expanding horizons.” Comprised of blue, green and yellow colors, the logo is equal parts a celebration of aviation and an introduction to the new, inclusive space where the next generation of innovators and ambitious changemakers from the Carolinas and all over can learn about the wonder of flight.
“Housing one of the foremost collections of flying machines anywhere combined with powerful multi-sensory storytelling and interactive spaces, the Sullenberger Aviation Museum truly is a dynamic transformational and memorable experience, and this bright, innovative representation of who we are – unlike any museum logo we’ve seen – brilliantly showcases our mission and vision,” said Sullenberger Aviation Museum President Stephen Saucier. “In a world of seemingly unlimited options for entertainment and fulfillment, people are craving unique opportunities to exercise their sense of play and satisfy their expectations for immersive, interactive narratives – and we know this museum has the capacity to do just that.”
The logo’s bright colors were selected to represent the playfulness and interactivity of the museum and parallel its three distinct locational experiences – the welcome center, a main exhibit hall and a preserved historic hangar complemented by an outdoor plaza – in addition to its three thematic areas. The largest is a themed exhibition zone in the new Main Gallery known as Innovation Nation that presents the history of aviation as a testament to humankind’s capacity for creativity and imagination of possibilities beyond the known. The space will include stories of design, competition and safety while also offering interactive experiences for visitors including vertical wind tunnels, flight simulators, cockpits that visitors can get inside, games and make and take activities.
“Museums are special, offering visitors the chance to embrace and challenge the past while reimagining the future, and the aviation industry is filled with just that – individuals who have altered the course of history though their ingenuity,” said Katie Swaringen, the museum’s Vice President of Collections. “By sharing their stories, the museum will inspire visitors of all ages to pursue their own dreams and goals and explore their own potential.”
Innovation Nation will also house the A320 from US Airways Flight 1549, better known as the “Miracle on the Hudson,” and a corresponding exhibit. Flight 1549 has been part of the museum’s collection since 2011, but when the museum reopens it will include new artifacts and mementos, including letters from passengers to museum namesake Capt. C.B. “Sully” Sullenberger, who, along with his crew, landed the plane safely in New York’s Hudson River on Jan. 15, 2009.
“The Sullenberger Aviation Museum will not just help us know and understand past achievements, it will enable and inspire us to create a brighter future,” said Capt. Sullenberger.
The museum will also include a makerspace, in which visitors can learn about aviation via interactive, hands-on activities, and a Flight Forward Catalog, which will serve as a vital resource to help students and adults connect to careers in STEM-based industries. Open to all visitors in-person and virtually via the museum’s website, the makerspace will give visitors an opportunity to explore, design and problem solve via hands-on learning experiences and tools, including a paper airplane launcher and target, Lego robotics, 3D printers, snap circuits and more.
Spearheaded by Sullenberger Aviation Museum Vice President of Education Dr. Misty Sweat, the catalog will be complemented by the Flight Forward Program, a conglomeration of North Carolina aviation industry and educational professionals, several colleges and universities, trade schools, workforce development groups and the Charlotte AIR Institute, that will work together to create strategic opportunities for student training, networking and recruitment across STEM-based fields.
“STEM and career-focused exploration and accessibility are at the core of the Sullenberger Aviation Museum’s experiences, and we are dedicated to creating an opportunity pipeline for curious students to deepen their understanding of the diverse people, innovation, and opportunities in aviation, and lean into that curiosity through immersive and interactive touch points.” said Dr. Sweat.
The unveiling of this inspirational new logo is just the first in an exciting series of upcoming milestones for the museum leading up to its opening in summer 2024.