MAFH Prints a Gorgeous Magazine

MFAH-1-e1428000056344When the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH) realized their monthly membership magazine wasn’t engaging its readers, they called in Austin design firm Pentagram for a reboot.

The result is h Magazine, a stunning title that builds its editorial content around the extensive and eclectic collection in the museum.

“Before the makeover, MFAH Today had been a monthly publication for members that included a calendar and announcements of upcoming exhibitions and events,” notes DJ Stout of Pentagram.

“The magazine–more of a catalog, really–was nicely produced but failed to capture the attention of its intended audience. Plus, most of its content, primarily a series of press releases, was readily accessible online. So the MFAH asked [us] to develop a more sophisticated publication with engaging editorial features and dynamic photography and art—just like a real magazine.”

The team recommended organizing each issue around a single theme (the last issue was “water”) and using imagery from the museum’s collection as inspiration.

“The museum’s rich and varied collection is a gold mine for an editorial designer,” says Stout. “With many of the magazines we redesign we’re often confronted with tight budgets or a subject matter that challenges our ability to find dynamic imagery. That is not the case here. We are swimming in a sea of amazing artwork.”

They’ve done a stellar job, with die cut cover, beautiful imagery and cleverly crafted editorial that puts the artwork into context of larger stories. Just gorgeous.

Congratulations to MAFH on h Magazine on a delightful work of printed art.