School of Visual Arts (SVA) this fall will present “Underground Images: A History,” a new exhibition of more than 200 posters from the College’s iconic Subway Posters collection, which have covered the walls of NYC transit stations for almost 75 years.  In addition to the posters, the exhibition will include multimedia installations, progress sketches and paintings, a recreated NYC subway platform, and more. Presented by SVA Galleries in partnership with the SVA Archives, it will be on view Tuesday, August 29, through Saturday, October 14, 2023, at the SVA Chelsea Gallery, 601 W 26^th St., 15^th floor, New York City.

“Since the earliest days of the College, the subway posters have done more than just generate interest in SVA. They’ve stirred the imaginations of New Yorkers and the countless aspiring and practicing artists who visit the city each year,” said SVA President David Rhodes. “Exhibiting them all over the world has been an adventure, but we are thrilled to present this collection and its fascinating history in the place where it all began.”

Not long after its inception in 1947 as the Cartoonists & Illustrators School, SVA began commissioning these posters from some of its most esteemed faculty members as creative marketing for the College, then took them to the walls lining the NYC subway platforms. These advertising posters were both thought-provoking and eye-catching and have become an essential part of the fabric of the city’s transit system. Since 2006, the traveling iteration of “Underground Images” has exhibited globally, including in Czech Republic, India, Jamaica, Ireland, Turkey, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Italy, Serbia and many other countries and US cities.

For the first time ever, “Underground Images: A History” compiles the complete series of works by 93 celebrated artists, including Milton Glaser, Paula Scher, Marshall Arisman and Gail Anderson, which present a range of innovative styles and mediums that tell the story of SVA. Four divided sections of the gallery will cover everything from the history of the posters to the methods behind their creation, as well as their evolution and cultural impact. The posters show artists at the peak of such respective crafts as typography, illustration, graphic design and fine art.

Projections of the “Subway Series” videos, plus historical photographs, original artworks, objects, oral histories and the aforementioned reproduction of a subway platform will offer an expansive and immersive background on one of the most enduring public art projects in the city. From the familiar prompt “Art Is...” which challenged poster artists to define the practice, to activist messages and aspirational taglines, these special pieces of the College’s legacy also serve as a touchstone for understanding the often-complex times in which they were created. This includes the most recent poster set to debut this fall, which pays homage to the 50^th anniversary of Hip-Hop with a photograph by alumnus and faculty member Angel R. Ibañez, a fixture on the scene who has taken portraits of artists like Run DMC and James Brown.

This exhibition closes out a full year of celebrations recognizing SVA’s 75^th anniversary, a milestone marked by last fall’s special issue of the College’s biannual print publication the Visual Arts Journal, a New York City Mayoral proclamation presented in December 2022, and a commemorative subway poster by famed designer, alumnus and former faculty member Paul Davis (1959 Illustration).

School of Visual Arts has been a leader in the education of artists, designers and creative professionals for seven decades. With a faculty of distinguished working professionals, a dynamic curriculum and an emphasis on critical thinking, SVA is a catalyst for innovation and social responsibility. Comprising 7,000 students at its Manhattan campus and more than 41,000 alumni from 128 countries, SVA also represents one of the most influential artistic communities in the world. For information about the College’s 30 undergraduate and graduate programs, visit sva.edu.