The Branch Museum of Design Names Benjamin Moore Its Creative Color Partner

The Branch Museum of Design, Virginia’s only design museum, has announced a new partnership with Benjamin Moore that gives color a front row seat in exhibition storytelling. The partnership brings Benjamin Moore’s color authority into the design process.

Photo: The Branch Museum

“Story is what turns a room full of objects into an exhibition,” said Kristen Cavallo, Artistic Director of The Branch Museum of Design. “Our mission is to engage visitors in design stories that shift how they see the world. That means everything in the room has a job. Benjamin Moore sets the standard for color and coatings, and through their expertise in emotive storytelling, the walls become integral to the entire exhibit.”

The partnership formalizes a relationship that has been taking shape throughout 2026, as Benjamin Moore colors took on a larger role in The Branch’s exhibition design. For Undeniable: The Designs of Christian Siriano and Ashley Longshore, Silhouette AF-655, the Benjamin Moore Color of the Year 2026, anchored the exhibition palette. The Branch was drawn to Silhouette AF-655 because it was inspired by tailored suiting. The shade extended the fashion story beyond the garments and helped visitors feel as though they had stepped onto the red carpet themselves.

For Americana, The Branch’s summer exhibition marking the nation’s 250th anniversary, paint became a narrative device. In the Great Hall, the walls were left deliberately unfinished to reflect that America’s story is still being written. In the Long Gallery, Norm Clasen’s Marlboro photographs hung beside seven Harley-Davidson tanks. Both brands built their image on independent spirit and grit. The walls were painted in Benjamin Moore’s Valley Forge Brown HC-74, the color of the open road. It grounded the work in the dirt and distance those brands promised.

For the current exhibition, Becoming, the galleries are painted in Benjamin Moore’s Eco Spec Interior Paint, the brand’s most eco-responsible line. The featured artists, Thornton Dial and Sanford Kogan, built their work from found materials and gave them a second life. The art and the paint make the same case for sustainability. The exhibition also features the Benjamin Moore Color of the Year 2027, Webster Green HC-130, a quintessential green that transcends styles and timeframes with ease, along with additional shades from the Color Trends 2027 palette, including White Down OC-131, Nelson Blue CW-635, Shakespeare Tan 228 and Durango 2137-30. Together, they offer a renewed take on timeless color.

Familiar shades, seen anew.

“Both Benjamin Moore and The Branch believe in the transformative power of Benjamin Moore’s paint, making this partnership a natural fit,” said Harriette Martins-Szilvasi, Senior Vice President, Marketing at Benjamin Moore. “With paint and color selection as key design decisions, we are invited to enhance and elevate experiential exhibit design.”