Some of the latest offerings by SVA entrepreneurs hold a lot of appeal to those looking to support small businesses and the SVA community. With that in mind, we have compiled a short list of some of the newest offerings made by various SVA alumni, ranging from unique fashion jewelry and pop-art boardgames to a free podcast that could inspire you to become an entrepreneur yourself. Check it out below.
The Official Charles Fazzino Gift Shop
Housewares, games, luggage, prints and apparel, $5 and up fazzinogiftshop.com
Perhaps best known for his long tenure as the official artist of the Super Bowl, for which he creates posters and other commemorative merchandise, self-described “3D pop artist” Charles Fazzino (BFA 1977 Media Arts) also maintains an e-commerce site. Fans can buy a variety of items—including 1,000-piece puzzle kits ($14.99 – $16.99) and Charles Fazzino Monopoly World Edition board games ($599 – $899)—all featuring his detail-packed work.
Shami
Custom, fine and fashion jewelry $25 – $1,350 shamiofficial.com
Kelly Shami (BFA 2013 Design) learned about jewelry design while working at her father’s jewelry store in New York City’s Diamond District and remained interested in it when she started working full-time in the music industry after graduating from SVA. In 2017, she and her twin brother, Mark, launched their own jewelry brand, Shami, in honor of their father’s dedication to the trade. Shami’s line of hoop earrings, custom nameplates, link bracelets, and more is designed with her generation in mind; thanks to her music-world connections, her pieces have been worn by celebrities like Beyoncé, Ariana Grande, Halsey and Dua Lipa in music videos and for performances.
The Striving Artist
Podcast, available on Apple, Spotify and Anchor strivingartist.com
Lettering artists and entrepreneurs Lauren Hom (BFA 2013 Advertising) and Stefan Kunz have teamed up for The Striving Artist, a podcast about the realities of making a living as a modern-day artist. Topics covered to date include creative burnout, audience-building and how to price work.
Christine Sun Kim x Lingua Franca x Whitney Shop
Embroidered sweatshirts and cashmere sweaters $160 – $400 shop.whitney.org
Christine Sun Kim (MFA 2006 Fine Arts) designed a series of sweaters for the Whitney Museum’s fourth collaboration with New York City-based clothing brand Lingua Franca. The collection, which features embroidered versions of Kim’s handwriting and drawings of signs in American Sign Language, continues the artist’s exploration of how people communicate across languages. Kim’s charcoal drawings on “deaf rage,” through which she highlights the everyday frustrations faced by deaf individuals, were included in the Whitney’s most recent Biennial.
Everyday Witch Oracle
40-card oracle deck and guidebook, $23.99, llewelyn.com
Writer Deborah Blake and illustrator Elisabeth Alba (MFA 2008 Illustration as Visual Essay), the duo behind 2016’s Everyday Witch Tarot kit, have teamed up again for this companion set, aimed at witches—and interested readers—of all skill levels.
Writer’s Block Game
Pencil set with stand, $48, store.moma.org
Micah Lynn (MFA 2019 Products of Design) created the latest item in the ongoing collaboration between MFA Products of Design and The Museum of Modern Art’s MoMA Design Store: a pencil kit that doubles as a game, for those idle times when you’re waiting for inspiration to strike.
A version of this article appears in the spring/summer 2020 edition of the Visual Arts Journal.