Chrysler Museum of Art Visual Identity Designed by Pentagram
January 01, 2026Focus2026Arts & CultureIdentityUS US
An identity system derived from architectural form and designed to support accessibility, clarity, and long-term institutional growth across a multi-program museum campus.
Founded in 1933 and located in Norfolk, Virginia, the Chrysler Museum of Art holds a collection of more than 30,000 works spanning art, design, and one of the most significant glass collections in the United States.
With free admission and a strong emphasis on accessibility, education, and public engagement, the museum positions itself as an open and welcoming cultural institution. As part of a broader expansion of its campus and the Perry Glass Studio, the museum sought a unified visual identity capable of bringing its growing range of programs and spaces under a single, coherent system.
Matt Willey of Pentagram and the team approached the identity by grounding it in the museum’s architecture and values. The ‘CM’ monogram is constructed from the arches found at the base of the museum’s façade, translating a physical point of welcome into a typographic gesture.
Designed to be restrained and flexible, the system acts as a container for the collection rather than competing with it, allowing artworks to remain central. A modular pattern derived from the geometry of the wordmark extends across print, signage, merchandise, and exhibition materials.
For the Perry Glass Studio, a dedicated warm orange tone was introduced—differentiating the space while remaining fully integrated within the larger identity system. Together, the redesign positions graphic design as an infrastructural tool, supporting clarity, cohesion, and expansion across the museum’s evolving campus.