[Bcma-l] Press Release: Kelowna Museums Unveil New Name and Logo

[bcma-l@museumsassn.bc.ca]

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*News Release*

Kelowna Museums Society · 470 Queensway Avenue · Kelowna BC V1Y 6S7

(250) 763-2417 · info@kelownamuseums.ca

For Immediate Release

Importance: High

June 15, 2007

*KELOWNA MUSEUMS UNVEIL AWARD WINNING LOGO AND NEW NAME*

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The Kelowna Museums’ new logo is a winner. The new logo won the Silver 
medal at the Summit Awards, based out of Portland, Oregon. The Summit 
Awards organization administers rigorous awards competitions throughout 
the year with the goal of recognizing outstanding creative 
accomplishments. The awards competition had 5114 entries in 225 
categories, with 104 entries in the category of Brand Redesign for which 
the Kelowna Museums’ logo won Silver. Entries for the competition are 
received from around the world.

The new logo was unveiled on May 14^th at a press conference at the 
Okanagan Heritage Museum. The flagship facility of the Kelowna Museums 
Society has been re-named the Okanagan Heritage Museum as part of a new 
brand identity that includes the redesigned logo. The new name better 
reflects the mandate of the Museum, which is to collect, preserve, and 
present the heritage of the Okanagan Region- a mandate that was 
established in the early 1930s.

The name change was prompted by the integration of the Okanagan Military 
Museum into the Kelowna Museums Society in 2006 and the question of how 
the Museums could be best represented and united under the umbrella of 
the Society. The idea for the re-branding of the Kelowna Museums, united 
under one logo, was born. “The Kelowna Museums have evolved from what 
they were five or ten years ago,” comments Rob Peter, Vice President of 
the Kelowna Museums Society Board of Directors, “and we can see that 
evolution in such initiatives as the Museums’ collaboration with the 
Westbank First Nation, the building of the Ursula Surtees Regional 
Conservation Laboratory in 2001, and the development of the Kelowna 
Public Archives as a public resource and research facility. We are 
strengthening the Kelowna Museums and bringing them together under one 
direction.”

Today, there are four museums that operate as your Kelowna Museums, and 
they are: the Okanagan Heritage Museum, the BC Orchard Industry Museum, 
the BC Wine Museum & VQA Wine Shop, and the Okanagan Military Museum. 
All four museums are located downtown in the heart of Kelowna’s Cultural 
District.

All four facilities of the Kelowna Museums will be represented by the 
award winning new logo, a Grizzly Bear paw print with a human hand print 
within it. The Grizzly Bear paw print was chosen because the name 
“Kelowna” means Grizzly Bear in nsyilxcen, the language of the Okanagan 
(syilx). “The new logo reminds us of connections to our past and our 
cultures while also looking toward the future and the imprint that we 
make as residents of this valley,” remarks Wayne Wilson, Executive 
Director of the Kelowna Museums. The tagline for the Kelowna Museums, 
“Alive With Our History”, continues to reflect the human history and 
natural history stories we tell.

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Rob Peter has championed the re-branding process from the beginning. His 
unfailing support and expertise has moved the project to fruition. Phred 
Martin of Splash:Design created the award winning logo with input from a 
team that included Wayne Wilson, Peter, Dale Knowlan, KMS Board of 
Directors, and Sandra Kochan, Public Art Coordinator for the City of 
Kelowna.

The Kelowna Museums Society is a non-profit charitable organization 
dedicated to the promotion of a greater interest and awareness of the 
agricultural, military, wine-producing, and cultural heritages of the 
Okanagan Region through collection, preservation, exhibition, and 
interpretation. The Okanagan Heritage Museum is located at 470 Queensway 
Avenue. Open Monday to Friday 10:00am-5:00pm and Saturday 
10:00am-4:00pm. Admission is by donation. For more information please 
visit www.KelownaMuseums.ca <http://www.kelownamuseums.ca/>.

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Media Contact: Risti Nykiforuk

/Marketing & Special Events Coordinator/

Kelowna Museums

(250) 763-2417 ext. 22

events@kelownamuseums.ca