Throughout history, people have moved in and out of Over-the-Rhine. A passage of stories, lives, histories, and humanity has occurred in the neighborhood’s rich two hundred-plus years in existence. From stories of financial success and flourished family histories to tales of the downtrodden, Over-the-Rhine has served as a time capsule of these people's stories as it has passed through time.
The image mark is an abstracted visual embodiment of the term “passage,” thus leaving the logo open for interpretation. This ambiguity leads to a deeper meaning exclusive to each person that views it, allowing them to connect their own personal experiences to the museum.
The museum’s name, Pass:Us, is a derivative of the Latin root word of “passus.” With a linguistically abstracted word grounded in the history of the English language itself, the museum makes its statement of positives and negatives. Throughout history, the residents of Over-the-Rhine have been passed over, silenced, and dehistoricized. If the museum were to have a name with only a positive connotation, the stories and struggles of its inhabitants would be effectively erased—we aim to highlight the past so it is never forgotten and to give a pass to the current generation to progress forward in a society that attempts to enforce social hegemony on the marginalized.
