The Pumphouse Crew

Photo by Growing Tree Photography

This is one I worked on while at Modern Art. Open-minded clients that are passionate about what they do + good communication = super fun project.

The Situation at Hand

The Common Wheel connects people with bikes, nurtures a welcoming community, and advocates for all this is good and holy. Back in 2014, Founder, Chris Caldwell wanted to build on an already successful brand with a kick-ass logo to spruce up the Pumphouse, bicycle co-op, and donation center and highlight the fantastic staff and programs of this Lancaster, PA non-profit.

How We Helped
Creative Direction, Branding, Art Installation

The Common Wheel staff believes in bike-riding and all of the things that make it healthy for people and their communities. The Pumphouse is located in Reservoir Park Inside the Pumphouse, they run their flagship program, Earn-A-Bike, an after-school program where kids learn to build their own bikes. Along the way, they develop skills to maintain their bikes and ride safely and responsibly.

In addition to the Earn-A-Bike program, The Common Wheel accepts bike donations, fixes them up, and sells them to benefit their programming. At that time, there was a workshop inside the Pumphouse. Anyone could come in and work on their bike alongside folks that knew what they were doing. Mechanics had their own workbenches. We made signs to designate their individual spaces and to let visitors know they were welcoming and there to help.

Photos by Growing Tree Photography

Like most non-profits, The Common Wheel’s budget was limited so we had to come up with creative solutions for their assets. We created price tags that doubled as postcards promoting their membership program.

Photo by Growing Tree Photography

This project came easily since at that time the Common Wheel’s office shared a space in Modern Art. Our collaboration was natural and since we had already built trust between us, everybody felt comfortable pushing thinking out of the box and trying new approaches. Tequila Tuesdays also helped grease the wheels.

Me painting the Common Wheel logo on their office wall and using Chris’s shirt as a reference.