Back to the Future
Wortham Theater Center celebrates 25 years with a new logo
The new Wortham Theater Center logo is its first change in 25 years.
Like the building, the design is both classic and modern.Photo by © Geoffrey Lyon
The Wortham Center was built in 1987.
The Wortham Theater Center has seen much since its auspicious opening in 1987 as a privately-funded home for the arts. "The facility says so much about Houston," Sharon Adams, chief communications officer for Houston First, which manages the city-owned Wortham Center, told CultureMap.
Adams applauded the citizens who, in spite of economic struggles, helped to build a state-of-the-art cultural center for Houston — and especially the thousands of private donors who wrote checks for $100 or less in the midst of a hard-hitting oil bust.
"The new logo is much like the Wortham itself — distinctive and grand but not too overstated."
For its 25th anniversary year, the Wortham Center looks back on its history of big names (think President Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey and, most recently, George Clooney), big acts (from the Houston Ballet and the Houston Grand Opera) and big events (in the Grand Foyer).
The Wortham also looks forward to its next 25 years with a new logo, simultaneously classic and modern, that is better suited for the 21st century. Adams told CultureMap that the logo, created by Judson Design, reflects the underscored elegance of the building, which was designed by Morris Architects.
"The new logo is much like the Wortham itself — distinctive and grand but not too overstated, and ready to serve the community for many years to come," said Dawn Ullrich, Houston First president and CEO, in a statement.
On Thursday, Mayor Annise Parker will celebrate the milestone anniversary with a pre-curtain speech on opening night of the Houston Ballet repertory program, Made in America. Attendees are invited to partake in celebratory cupcakes during the first intermission.
