People fill the Waterville Opera House for opening night of the Maine International Film Festival on July 12, 2019. Michael G. Seamans/Morning Sentinel file

Waterville Creates! has announced its new brand identity with the launch of its updated website that features a consolidated ticketing platform.

According to a news release sent Wednesday, the rebranding process for the nonprofit arts organization has been in the works since 2018, when it formally merged with the Waterville Opera House and the Maine Film Center.

“The new graphic identity builds on initial branding work undertaken as part of the merger process in 2018, when Waterville Creates and its divisions developed key messaging and a communications plan,” the release read.

The new brand identity will honor each of the organization’s divisions which are the Waterville Opera House, the Maine Film Center, and the Ticonic Gallery + Studios, formerly known as Common Street Arts.

“The next logical step was to develop a cohesive graphic identity that honors the unique programming of each division yet conveys the collaborative nature that is the essence of Waterville Creates,” Shannon Haines, president and chief executive officer said in a prepared statement. “The unified brand, website, and ticketing system are essential elements to creating an exceptional patron experience for residents and visitors.”

The new collaborative website, www.watervillecreates.org, takes the place of each division’s individual websites and allows visitors to easily navigate between venues.

The website features a consolidated ticketing system where patrons are offered a “much more robust overview of the many events and performances offered across the organization,” according to Tamsen Brooke Warner, executive director of the Waterville Opera House.

The organization saw an opportunity for the rebrand after the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020.

“We saw a unique opportunity to embark on these organizational improvements given all of the challenges that 2020 presented for our organization,” Mike Perreault, executive director of the Maine Film Center, said in a prepared statement. “Our thinking was that when we are ready to gather again for in-person events and performances, these projects will have us well-poised to welcome patrons back to experience film, theater, and special events unlike ever before.”

The redesign was funded by grants from the Maine Arts Commission and the Kay E. Dopp Fund of the Maine Community Foundation.