Logo for Art251, a new art space

We are looking for help in designing a creative and distinctive logo for a new art space -- think "art gallery meets Apple store" -- in an upscale, suburban retail development. Build on our existing logo, taking it to a more professional level, or propose something totally different.

http://www.art251.com

Desired Color Scheme:
We like cool tones (as in color), such as blues, turquoise and greens. Please check out our website / blog. But, we’re open to warm hues as well.

Desired Style:
We are looking for a creative, striking and fresh design. It should have a simple and distinctive look that reflects our space. It should be modern / contemporary, stylish and sophisticated.

Accepted File Formats:
Standard Web Formats (.jpg, .gif or .png); Vector Formats (.eps, .pdf or .ai); Layered Formats (.psd or .tiff)

1. The name
We are looking for a logo design for a new, contemporary art gallery space named “Art251â€. The number “251†refers to our street address. We are located in the suburbs in a new upscale retail / residential development with an trendy, urban feel. We’re in the U.S, but this should not matter. We deliberately do not have “gallery†in our name, since we want our space to be approachable and friendly, not pretentious or impenetrable (like some galleries).

2. Store look and feel
Art251 is an art space. We sell authentic, contemporary art from, mostly, local artists. Our art work covers a broad variety of media. Our artists fall into 2 groups: emerging and established. To accommodate the 2 groups of artists, our space is divided into 2 sections. The section for our established artists is closer in look to an art gallery with wall space, pedestals and high-end displays for art work. The section for our emerging artists will provide a more retail-like experience with separate areas, such as cubes or recessed fixtures. Each artist displays his / her work inside one “cubeâ€. We based our current logo on this idea. We're aiming for an "art gallery meets Apple store", minimalist look without being minimalistic. Art251 will be in a retail center with other stores, and apartments above, the entire development is called Arthouse.

3. Logo look and feel
Our name is “Art251â€, but please feel free to experiment with a separator between the 2 elements, such as “Art:251â€, or “Art|251†or “Artâ—251â€. The logo can incorporate the words “art†and “251â€. Or, we would also accept a design having an abstract logo with the “Art251†name alongside, above or below. The logo and/or the separate logo with name should fit in a roughly square area with dimensions in the ratio of 3 (height) by 2 (width).
We are looking for a creative, striking and fresh design. It should have a simple and distinctive look that reflects our space. It should be modern / contemporary, stylish and sophisticated. Importantly, Art251 is an upscale space, but is open and approachable, and not pretentious and elitist.

4. Colors / Colours (for our friends in U.K.)
We like cool tones (as in color), such as blues, turquoise and greens. Please check out our website / blog. But, we’re open to warm hues as well. Simple use of color, and a limited number of colors is good. The colors should work well together and not be too jarring to the eye. No primaries. No rainbows. No dull or boring colors either.
Feel free to use the colors in our existing logo as a starting point. Critically, we plan to use the logo on our website, store-front sign and printed material. So, colors need to be available in RGB and CMYK color spaces. And added bonus would be a logo that we could also use in black/white print (to keep costs low when color isn’t necessary).

5. Our brand
We want to make our customers feel intrigued when they enter our store, and know they have bought something unique and authentic when they leave. We seek to educate our customers about art, how to appreciate art, how to value art and how to purchase art. We do this in a friendly and engaging way.

6. Target audience
Yes, we’re in the suburbs, though don’t hold this against us! Our target market is 25-50 year-olds, high-income, college-educated, married with kids. We’re not in a trendy area, but consumers are looking for authentic products (art) and an engaging experience. Our customers have high disposable income but are price and value conscious. They have busy lives, well-established careers and social and active home lives. Our customers are looking for unique objects that have creative, compelling stories and will make them feel special and bestow a level of status.

7. Key words that describe Art251
Art, creative, contemporary, unique, sleek, modern, fresh, engaging, friendly, sophisticated (not stuffy), subtle, stylish (not couture), urban, clean, inviting, open, structured, memorable, upscale, unusual, captivating, dynamic, diverse, broad, colorful, cool but not cold.

8. Other details
Website: http://www.art251.com. Our website is still under development, but gives you an idea of our current look.
Blog: blog.art251.com. Please check out our blog for current look of logo and feel of our site.
Tagline: We don’t have one yet, but is likely to have some short combinations of our key words above.
Our retail center: Called Arthouse (we want need look that is very different to the Arthouse logo). See: http://www.arthousekeller.com