Exhibition

School of Visual Arts presents “The Book Show,” an exhibition of original art and books by the MFA Illustration as Visual Essay class of 2019. Curated by Chair Marshall Arisman and faculty member Carl Nicholas Titolo, the exhibition will be on view from Friday, December 7, through Saturday, January 12, at the SVA Gramercy Gallery, 209 East 23rd Street, New York City.

“The Book Show” is an annual event showcasing books produced by students during their first year in the MFA Illustration as Visual Essay program. The program, established in 1984, offers a rigorous, classroom-based curriculum with a strong commitment to the art of storytelling for figurative artists.

This year’s exhibition highlights the work of 19 artists from the class of 2019, each of whom explores their unique vision in the form of a book. Stories include a vision of the apocalyptic future done in woodcut (Marc Aquino-Michaels); a children’s book about a boy who tries to sculpt himself a mother (Revati Bose); a visual essay about a personal journey through constant tendonitis in the artist’s drawing hand (Nan Cao); a true story of an undocumented immigrant from El Salvador trying to survive in the United States (Liam Eisenberg); a silk-screened children’s book about an indoor cat venturing into the world, finding friends and foes alike (Courtney Menard); and a vibrant children’s book about a girl who climbs out her bedroom window at night and lands in a world she never imagined (Meijia Xu).

The SVA Gramercy Gallery, located at 209 East 23rd Street, is open Monday through Friday, 9:00am – 7:00pm, and Saturday, 10:00am – 6:00pm. It is fully accessible by wheelchair. The gallery will be closed from Thursday, December 20, through Tuesday, January 1, for the College’s winter recess.