Behind the scenes (if magazines had DVD commentary, this would be it.)

A Natural Selection

New creative director André Mora offers a window into the visual evolution of City Arts.

I like science, especially evolutionary theory. So let's talk about variation and mutation for a second. When organisms reproduce, genes mix and, through recombination, the offspring is unique. Not so unique that it stops resembling its parents, but unique enough to be individual. Occasionally, mutations occur during the recombination process and the offspring is unique with a capital “U.”

Without getting too Bio 101, natural selection determines which mutations are beneficial and which are harmful — and though some mutations are neutral, they're all subject to the environment in which they live. If an organism is going to survive, it must adapt. So every once in a while we behold a mutation that is not just helpful but allows the creation to thrive.

Lately, you may have noticed City Arts evolving with slight, smart variations since our merger with Sound in October. You now have in your hand the January issue — or you are just about to go pick one up (right?). It represents that aforementioned kind of evolutionary jump that creates a new species. Although the name is the same, the taxonomy inside is a little different — including two new font families with names I know even Darwin would love.

Let's start with the most obvious change: the section names. We planned on changing our calendar in January and soon realized that it was the right time to redefine the City Seen section as well, which housed many types of stories. As we developed the tone of  these parts of the magazine — and made the decision to treat the calendar as  separate department — we also embarked on the ever arduous task of naming.

One day Mark Baumgarten, our executive editor, and I had lunch to share all our ideas. We ordered sub sandwiches and spouted references to plays, movies, Seattle, daybooks … everything. Eventually, instead of simply naming the calendar, we considered naming the sections together. We wanted a complementary pair that could remain true to themselves but also come together to shape the whole of the magazine, as bookends to our feature stories.

Halfway through our meal, Mark and I realized that somehow our sandwiches had been hybridized. Though we were both delivered full 12" subs, half his sub was his order, and half was mine. Whether or not the sandwich-maker was a fan of science, too, and conducting a new experiment, we may never know; but it was becoming clear that we were on the right track.

We reduced the concept of the two sections to the crucial terms: "Culture That Surrounds You" and "Where You Should Be and What You Should See." And as soon as the words, "here" and "now" were spoken, we knew we had it.

The beauty of evolution lies in the surprises. On our way home from lunch, we realized that the "and" of "here and now" would be the perfect solution to a third, smaller section. The ampersand section now bridges the gap and is a home for "The Art You Make."

When organisms evolve they don't merely affect themselves. Many plants and animals have evolved alongside each other in mutually beneficial ways. It's no accident that "You" are represented in every section name and tagline. The most recent mutation in the City Arts DNA is not just for our benefit, as we become better suited for our environment — it's for you, too.

— André Mora, creative director, City Arts

p.s. Oh, the font names? Call them Starling and Maple. But more on that later …