by Al Rettig

As the ARCRA board set out to revamp our communication program, it was clear that we needed a new logo that captures the forward-looking spirit that marks our new website, our newsletters and all the other ways we stay in touch with you. We asked our friend and ARC alum Kat Jamieson to volunteer to tackle the job, and she soon created our new look. The former head of the graphics department at Red Cross headquarters, Kat is an accomplished and versatile commercial artist who has now added the fine arts to her portfolio, working and teaching in everything from painting to silk screening to jewelry making and more.

            It's a special challenge to create a look for an organization that has strong Red Cross ties but isn't part of the Red Cross itself. Using the actual Red Cross symbol in the ARCRA logo is out of the question, so Kat's task was to evoke a Red Cross "feel" without treading on international law.

            She did it by incorporating four of the five "equal squares" of the Red Cross--in the appropriate shade of red--at the corners of the new logo. The rest of the design portrays the ARCRA as a vibrant and active 21st century organization, ready and anxious to represent the retirees who built and nurtured the American Red Cross.

            The board is proud of our new look, and we hope you find it attractive and powerful too. We'd love to hear your thoughts, and we thank Kat Jamieson for her outstanding design.