School of Visual Arts (SVA) today, in partnership with NYC Department of Transportation and New York City Council, was honored with an official street co-naming of East 23rd Street between Second and Third avenues. A new sign reading “SVA Way” was unveiled at the northwest corner of the block at a ceremony including SVA President David Rhodes and family member Eric Rhodes, City Councilmember for District 2 Carlina Rivera, as well as NYC Department of Cultural Affairs Commissioner Laurie Cumbo, Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine, NYCDOT Manhattan Borough Commissioner Edward Pincar, Jr., New York State Assembly Member Harvey Epstein, and other local representatives and guests.

The process for initiating the street co-naming began last year amid SVA’s celebration of its milestone 75th anniversary, and included gathering support and approval from surrounding businesses, the local community board and NYCDOT. In addition to proclamations from the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs, the Manhattan Borough President and City Council District 2, a special 75^th anniversary issue of SVA’s biannual print magazine Visual Arts Journal was published along with a commemorative NYC subway poster by famed designer, SVA alumnus and former faculty member Paul Davis (1959 Illustration). The newly named “SVA Way” is home to the College’s headquarters at 209 East 23^rd Street, which has been its permanent address since 1960. This honor is the culmination of a multifaceted tribute to the College’s impact on Manhattan and the arts community at large since its founding in 1947.

“For almost 75 years, SVA has enjoyed a strong presence on East 23rd Street, where generations of aspiring artists have passed through the doors of our flagship building,” said SVA President David Rhodes. “Essential to that history are the many businesses and community members we are lucky to call our neighbors, and we are grateful for their support, as well as the elected officials who have helped make this honor possible. We are thrilled for SVA to continue to make its mark on ‘SVA Way’ and beyond.”

“School of Visual Arts is an anchor for creativity and talent on the East Side, and we will see the co-naming of East 23rd between Second and Third avenues memorialize their contribution to our community. Renaming a street in New York City is a long process that requires multiple approvals from the local Community Board, City Council, and the Department of Transportation. With its international reach, notable alumni, and contributions to New York City’s vibrant arts community, SVA has earned this recognition for 75 years of work,” said Council Member Carlina Rivera (D-02).

"Artists have made New York City the dynamic, creative metropolis it is, and it's thanks to institutions like SVA that our city has nurtured generations of creative movements and communities" said NYC Cultural Affairs Commissioner Laurie Cumbo. "I can't wait to strut down SVA Way in celebration of this incredible institution's 75th birthday. We look forward to the next 75 as we strive to keep New York a place where artists from all backgrounds and disciplines can live, work, and create." 

“SVA has long been a vital part of New York City’s cultural landscape, so it’s a pleasure to inaugurate SVA as part of NYC’s literal, geographic landscape,” said Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. “SVA has nurtured generations of creative professionals, and I look forward to watching SVA and its graduates thrive for generations to come.”

“Congratulations to School of Visual Arts on this momentous occasion,” said Assembly Member Harvey Epstein. “SVA has been a home for creatives and visionaries for decades. I am proud to have this institution in my district and I am glad it is now permanently commemorated through this street co-naming”

Founded by Silas Rhodes and Burne Hogarth as the Cartoonists and Illustrators School in 1947, the College was officially renamed School of Visual Arts in 1956. Since its inception, SVA has been known for its faculty of New York City-based professionals working in the arts. In addition to its seven academic buildings and four residence halls that stretch from Chelsea to Gramercy, the College also has three public galleries on its campus, including the SVA Chelsea Gallery in the landmark Starrett-Lehigh Building, which host exhibitions of work by students, alumni and renowned guest artists. The SVA Theatre on West 23rd Street in Chelsea serves the arts and entertainment industries and the community at large as a stage for the presentation of noteworthy films, talks and other presentations.

The College is also home to the Milton Glaser Design Study Center and Archives, a unique resource to study the work of the great designers, illustrators and art directors who have taught and studied at SVA. The collections allow visitors to examine the design process from conception to completion, through original sketches, artwork and photographs, as well as the final posters and publications, from more than 20 designers and artists, including Milton Glaser—SVA’s longtime acting chair, creator of the “I Heart NY” logo and faculty for nearly 50 years—Chermayeff & Geismar, George Tscherny, James McMullan and Seymour Chwast.

Comprising over 6,000 undergraduate and graduate students at its NYC campus—including an estimated 2,400 continuing education students—and over 42,000 alumni from 128 countries, SVA represents one of the most influential artistic communities in the world.

Some of SVA’s notable alumni include fine artists Keith Haring and KAWS; Steven Universe creator and animator Rebecca Sugar; Marvel Entertainment’s former creative director Joe Quesada; author Pete Hamill; film directors Craig Gillespie and Michael Cuesta; photographers Lorna Simpson and Collier Schorr and designers Gail Anderson and Todd Radom. Exhibitions, guest lectures, symposiums and panels have welcomed such prestigious visitors as Muhammed Ali, Salvador Dali, Meryl Streep and David LaChapelle.

For information about the College’s 31 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, visit sva.edu.