Press Room
Underground Images: Iconic School of Visual Arts Posters Fast-Tracked to Paris
Caserne Napoléon
Rue de Lobau, 75004 Paris, France
November 25, 2024 – January 3, 2025
Public Lecture: Monday, December 16, 2024, 7:00 – 8:30pm
La Bibliothèque Historique de la Ville de Paris
24 Rue Pavée, 75004 Paris, France
School of Visual Arts (SVA), in association with the City of Paris (Ville de Paris), presents “Underground Images: Iconic School of Visual Arts Posters Fast-Tracked to Paris.” The exhibition brings together two dozen of the myriad posters created at SVA for display in the vast New York City subway system, offering a glimpse of the history of the College and the collective talent of its acclaimed design and illustration faculty. This special edition of the long-running, traveling “Underground Images” was conceived and organized by curator, educator and artist Oscar Villegas-Páez (MFA 1994 Photography and Related Media), and will be on view along the facades of Caserne Napoléon on Rue de Rivoli, Rue de Lobau and Place Baudoyer 75004 Paris, France.
In conjunction with the exhibition, a public lecture will be held on Monday, December 16, at La Bibliothèque Historique de la Ville de Paris located at 24 Rue Pavée, 75004 Paris, France. SVA Subway Poster artist, chair of the College’s BFA Advertising and BFA Design programs, and Creative Director of Visual Arts Press Gail Anderson will join Head Archivist of the SVA Archives and Milton Glaser Design Study Center and Archives Beth Kleber to discuss the historical importance of the posters and the creation process. Margery Arent Safir, founder and executive director of The Arts Arena, will give a welcome and introduction.
Beginning in the mid-1950s, SVA was in the vanguard of academic institutions in the U.S. to recognize the need for alternative marketing strategies to attract new students. SVA took to the platforms of New York City’s subway with advertising posters that were both thought-provoking and eye-catching, featuring the work of legendary artists like Ivan Chermayeff, Milton Glaser, and George Tscherny. All practicing professionals on the faculty at SVA, they used the poster commission to explore what it means to be an artist and hone their own creative voice. Like the College itself, the SVA subway posters have become in some way inseparable from the city as an incitement to creativity and risk-taking.
For over 75 years, New York City subways have been the showplace for exhibiting visionary posters advertising the School of Visual Arts (SVA). Seen by millions of commuters over the years, and many potential artists, these posters introduced riders to great design and art. In 1947, inspired by France’s universally admired poster tradition, Silas Rhodes, founder of the School of Visual Arts, decided to use posters, created by celebrated artists, in the subways to promote his new art school. It was beyond successful. And now the concept continues to evolve as the College seeks out the best and most interesting artists and designers of our generation to explore the medium’s ever-changing and endless possibilities for creativity.
This exhibition in Paris presents highlights from the full collection of 200 posters produced by the School of Visual Arts. Among the current and former faculty members who have designed this selection of 24 posters are Gail Anderson, Marshall Arisman, Gene Case, Ivan Chermayeff, Paul Davis, Louise Fili, Bob Gill, Robert Giusti, Milton Glaser, Viktor Koen, Marvin Mattelson, Jerry Moriarty, Tony Palladino, Edel Rodriguez, Stefan Sagmeister, Paula Scher, Eve Sonneman, George Tscherny, and Robert Weaver.
The travelling “Underground Images” exhibition is organized by Tyson Skross, director, SVA Galleries. For more information about the exhibition and its full list of contributors, visit sva.edu/about/exhibitions/traveling-exhibitions/underground-images.
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 6,000 students at its Manhattan campus and over 43,000 alumni from some 130 countries, SVA also represents one of the most influential artistic communities in the world. For information about the College’s 30 undergraduate and graduate degree programs, visit sva.edu.