School of Visual Arts (SVA) will present “Milton Glaser: POP,” a new exhibition of the late design icon Milton Glaser’s grooviest, most whimsical work from the 1960s and 1970s, on view Wednesday, May 17, through Monday, June 5, at the SVA Gramercy Gallery. “Milton Glaser: POP” was designed by SVA Galleries and co-curated by Beth Kleber, head of the School of Visual Arts Archives and the Milton Glaser Design Study Center and Archives; Steve Heller, design historian and co-chair of SVA’s MFA Design program; and artist Mirko Ilić; in conjunction with their new book of the same title (Phaidon, Monacelli Press) published in March. An opening reception in partnership with Monacelli Press and Brooklyn Brewery—for which Glaser famously designed the logo—will take place at the gallery on Friday, May 19, 2023. Registration for the reception is required and space is limited. The exhibition is free and open to the public.

As with the book, the nearly 150 pieces featured in the exhibition—including book, album and magazine covers, posters and advertisements—were largely drawn from Ilić’s own collection and the Glaser Archives, which are housed in the SVA Library. Many have not been seen since their original publication, and others have never been published before. Vinyl inserts and book jackets for Dick Gregory and Agatha Christie mingle with Superbowl and Fanta soda ads, and live music promotions for Dionne Warwick and Newport Jazz Festival, offering a wide-ranging and in-depth look at Glaser’s bold, colorful impact on the cultural shift that would transform the look of pop culture forever.

Though the curation process for the exhibition only took place over the past few months, Kleber, Heller and Ilić began working on the book in 2020, narrowing Glaser's wide-ranging body of work from his partnership with Seymour Chwast at Push Pin Studios. Each of the three authors had personal and professional connections to Glaser. Kleber has overseen, written about and interviewed Glaser about his vast archive of illustrations, artworks and designs since he donated it to the College in 2003. He and Heller were SVA colleagues for decades, and Glaser taught in Heller and co-chair Lita Talarico’s MFA Design program. Ilić, whose studio was on the top floor of Glaser’s building on 32nd Street, often collaborated with the elder designer and became a close friend. The book’s editor, Alan Rapp, is part of the SVA family, too, having graduated in 2010 from the College’s MFA Design Criticism program.

“Milton Glaser: POP” follows the December 2021 exhibition “

SVA❤️Milton: The Legacy of Milton Glaser

,” a retrospective homage to Glaser’s legacy and longtime connection to SVA. Glaser served on SVA’s faculty and as acting chairman of the College’s Board up until his passing in June 2020 on his 91

^st birthday. Born in the Bronx and an alumnus of Cooper Union, Glaser is known for many significant logos, including the famous “I ♥ NY” design.

The Milton Glaser Design Study Center and Archives is dedicated to preserving and making accessible significant works by designers, illustrators and art directors who have close ties to the School of Visual Arts. The collections represent the artistic and intellectual vitality of the SVA community and provide an invaluable resource to students, designers and researchers who wish to study the breadth of a designer's work. Among the media available are sketches and original art, posters, printed samples and ephemera, audio and video recordings and photographic material. The Glaser Archives is a division of the Visual Arts Foundation, Inc., a not-for-profit entity.

The SVA Gramercy Gallery is open Monday through Saturday, 10:00am–6:00pm and is accessible by wheelchair. Masks are encouraged but not required.

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 31 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, visit sva.edu.