[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hen Arc Nightclub & Lounge opened just outside Kenmore Square recently, it had a decidedly new and modern vibe aimed to distance itself from An Tua Nua, the Irish pub that used to occupy the space. But as the weeks-old Beacon Street venue starts pulling in an impressive stream of local and national dance music DJs to its room, it does feature one thing that’s certainly recognizable, and that is its logo: a square and compass crossing to form an “A,” mirroring the Freemasons’ symbol and missing only the “G” that’s been used by the Masons for centuries.
Arc manager Randy Deshaies tells Vanyaland that the club has been getting “a lot of questions,” about the incorporation of the logo, “but not much push back.”
A spokesman from the Grand Lodge of Masons of Massachusetts, however, tells us this: “Since 1733, when Freemasonry was established in Massachusetts, the square and compasses – symbolizing moral rectitude and the aspiration to ‘circumscribe our desire and keep our passions within due bounds’ – have been widely recognized as the Fraternity’s symbol.”
While the Grand Lodge of Masons of Massachusetts says it’s currently “reviewing” Arc’s use of the logo, Arc’s designer, Dave Smyth, admits “there are no real connections to the Freemasons” and the club is wholly independent from any groups or causes.
“I will say that the definition of the symbol (that of precision and perfection) also seemed to bleed into the whole sparse simple industrial theme of the bar,” Smyth says. “If it gets people talking about it, I guess it’s a success and perhaps they may try to find other hidden meanings in some of the decor and aesthetics.”
When Smyth was hired to create a logo for Arc, one of the potential new names of the space was The Ark, a shout-out to an old ’60s/’70s psychedelic nightclub around the corner on Lansdowne Street (where the House of Blues currently sits). The owners decided that the name “The Ark” had too much baggage, so in order to raise a glass to the past while creating something new, the owners settled on Arc. Smyth quickly went to work.
“So this suggested to me an arc of energy, or the arc of an arc welder, so I decided to go with a retro industrial feel, hence the welding masks behind the bar, the antique burners and oil cans, metallic surfaces, etc.,” Smyth says. “The logo came about as I tried to incorporate a modern feel to the outside I happened upon an antique chalkboard compass while browsing in a store. And it struck me I could incorporate it into the ‘A’ of the logo. It now sits behind the bar front and center.”
[pullquote align=”right”]I think these guys are just trying to grab a little of the ‘mystique’ of freemasonry like Jay-Z has been doing,” says Ian Adams.[/pullquote]A Freemason based in New York tells Vanyaland that unauthorized use of Masonic symbols is forbidden by the Grand Lodge. “That said, I don’t think the nightclub will have any problems,” he adds. “I hope the ‘designer’ didn’t get paid too much for his work because all he did was remove the ‘G’ in the middle from a Masonic square and compass. Everything else is exactly the same – including the hinge on the compass at the top. If the Grand Lodge wanted to be strict, they could definitely sue. I doubt they will, but they could. It’s just one of those things.”
It wouldn’t be the first time the square and compass has been utilized for things not associated with the Freemasons, says Amicable Lodge Freemason and musician Ian Adams of garage rock band Z*L. “The ‘G’ isn’t necessary for it to be Masonic, but I think these guys are just trying to grab a little of the ‘mystique’ of freemasonry like Jay-Z has been doing,” Adams says. “It’s not a big deal, freemasons just think it’s funny.”
Does he find it offensive?
“Not really offended,” Adams adds. “We know the real deal.”