Looking for something a little less ordinary to give to a friend, coworker or loved one this holiday season? Below are some recent and noteworthy endeavors from members of the SVA community, ranging from fine art to furnishings, from clothing to candy. (And to see this year's list of recommended books, click here.)
Happy holidays from the School of Visual Arts!
Pour-over coffee kits, $15 and up.
Kara Cohen and Ilana Kruger (BFA 2013 Visual & Critical Studies) designed Dripkit for on-the-go coffee lovers who long for the perfect pour-over cup. The beans are roasted in Brooklyn and the grounds come in single-use paper brewers with built-in filters, which the creators have pledged to make 100% biodegradable by 2021.
Thomas Holton, Papaya, 2011, from the series "The Lams of Ludlow Street."
Photographic prints, $100 each
Twenty-one photographers contributed limited-edition archival pigment prints for this fund-raising effort, aimed at starting a new interactive platform dedicated to covering and combating America's gun-violence epidemic.
The participating artists include Gerald Cyrus (MFA 1992 Photography and Related Media), Michael Chovan Dalton (BFA 1990 Photography), Yoav Friedlander (MFA 2014 Photography, Video and Related Media), Thomas Holton (MFA 2005 Photography, Video and Related Media) Jeff Chien-Hsing Liao (MFA 2005 Photography, Video and Related Media), Jonathan Lipkin (MFA 1993 Photography, Video and Related Media), Abby Robinson (faculty, BFA Design and BFA Photography and Video), Kathy Shorr (BFA 1988 Photography), Charles H. Traub (chair, MFA Photography, Video and Related Media), Daniel Traub (MFA 1998 Photography and Related Media) and Oliver Wasow (faculty, MFA Photography, Video and Related Media).
Set of six napkins, $42
The hurdle for hosting a formal dinner part is now a bit lower. These napkins, created by designer Julia Lindpaintner (MFA 2017 Products of Design), come with their folding instructions printed on the fabric, and are available through the MoMA Design Store.
Handmade knives, $175 and up.
Steve Pellegrino (BFA 2013 Design) makes his high-end Japanese- and Western-style culinary knives by hand in his Philadelphia-area studio.
Sock sets, $28 and up
Co-founded by Wen-Yan King and Chu Chi Lin (MFA 2009 Computer Art), Untold Rebel sells deliberately mismatched socks, each made with antimicrobial fiber, arch compression, seamless toes and padded soles. A portion of all proceeds goes to Donors Choose, which raises money for underfunded public schools.
Parrot, leaf and pineapple candy box, $60
Sweet Saba, the high-concept candy company run by Maayan Zilberman (BFA 2001 Fine Arts), sells sugar sculptures for the art and fashion set. This pineapple piece, exclusive to Bergdorf Goodman, is no different, skillfully crafted and packaged in a clear jewelry box.
Custom embroidery, pricing varies
Using a vintage Singer, Hilary Corts (BFA 2010 Photography) creates custom embroidered clothes, patches and wall hangings out of her studio in Glendale, California; contact her for a quote.
Decorative composting kits, $130 and up.
Composting has never been more aesthetically pleasing than with these kits, made and sold by Jessica Panicola (MFA 2019 Design for Social Innovation). Handmade from clay and finished with a glazed exterior, Compottery's ceramics are compact, making them ideal for tables and windowsills, and also serve as pots for growing micro-greens.
Limited-edition kilim rugs, $573 and up
MFA Design faculty member Stefan Sagmeister designed this flat-weave rug, which comes in five different sizes; a portion of the proceeds go to GoodWeave, which supports the fight against child labor.
Women's apparel, $99.99 and up.
Bundle up in style with these high end wool coats by current BFA Fine Arts student Carol Cao, which are 50% off until Wednesday, January 15. If coats aren’t what you are looking for, Cao also offers a variety of other apparel, from skirts to dresses and blazers.
Apparel, gift book and phone holders, $13 and up.
Loryn Brantz (BFA 2007 Animation), Kyra Kupetsky (BFA 2015 Animation) and Zee Myers (BFA 2004 Computer Art) lead a staff of animators and content creators to produce this popular Instagram cartoon, the biggest star of BuzzFeed's Media Labs project. "Cuppy," as the character is known to fans, is now available on various merchandise, spreading messages of self-love, motivation and social justice.
This feature incorporates content from the spring 2019 and fall/winter 2019 editions of the Visual Arts Journal.