SCHOOL OF VISUAL ARTS PRESENTS "PITCH"
An exhibition of socially- and globally-minded products created by 18 students graduating from the MFA Design Department at New York's School of Visual Arts will be on view at the Visual Arts Gallery from May 2 - 17, 2008.


/Graphic Design News Articles/ - NEW YORK, NY, April 30, 2008 - School of Visual Arts (SVA) presents "Pitch," an exhibition of socially- and globally-minded products created by 18 students graduating from the MFA Design Department at SVA. These products have been realized through graphic, web, industrial, and motion design to be both commercially viable and culturally significant. The exhibition is curated by Dorothy Twining Globus, a faculty member at SVA and curator of exhibitions at the Museum of Arts & Design. "Pitch" will be on view at the Visual Arts Gallery, 601 West 26th Street, from May 2 - 17.

The featured designers move beyond the traditional role of graphic designer in developing their original concepts to include market research, brand strategies, and business plans. With such a comprehensive scheme for their products, these entrepreneurial designers explore how their ideas will positively influence society.

INFORMATIONAL CAMPAIGNS AND WEB RESOURCES

Kevin McDonnell's campaign, Manhattan 1609, visualizes New York City as the wilderness it was the year of the city's founding, to inform urbanites of Manhattan's natural past. Alexandra Kane's Governor's Island: A Graphic Campaign invites you to escape the city's busy pace and explore an emerging New York destination. Anne Van Wagener envisions the end of dog racing with Greyhound Guardians, a campaign exposing the dark side of this sport. Joshua Hester's web site, You'll Be Fine, provides health information on what, according to the designer, 20- and 30-somethings really care about: sex, drugs and video games.

OBJECTS THAT INSPIRE LEARNING AND REFLECTION

Sumayya Al Senan's line of products, Eyesee, celebrates the effects of vision, including color blindness. Esther Wu offers Fig.1, a line of drinkware inspired by and promoting interest in science. Zeynep Orbay's line of household objects, Moire, playfully references graphic design and typography on the dining table. Floa, designed by Sophy Lee, is a system of flower pots, formed like blooming petals, that encourage attentive care for plants. Tamara Gildengers Connolly explores the historical roots of Judaism through Kli, her line of contemporary Judaica.

THE WORLD OF PLAY

Jerry Braccia has created Sproo, a system of action-figure model kits. Jee Sun Yoon has written and illustrated The Sky is Falling, a playful interactive book incorporating mudra hand gestures as characters in the story of Chicken Little. Bomina Kim's line of toys, Nu, repurposes recyclable cardboard as toy templates for children to construct their own imaginary worlds. Wichai Lertariyanunt has created Gig, a healthy children's beverage, with packaging designed to encourage interactive play.

DIGITAL TOOLS FOR COMMUNICATION

Paige Freeman's software, Stellaria, creates a customizable gift of music based on the star patterns of a significant day. Joseph Traylor has designed a dynamic typeface, Halo, specifically for large digital displays.

CONTEMPORARY LIFESTYLES AND POPULAR CULTURE

Len Small presents Merge/Feast, a book and podcast series sharing the complexities of mixed relationships and their manifestations at the dinner table. Marc Rabinowitz's book, Hear Here, reexamines the teaching of musical theory through visually dynamic imagery taken from the world around us. Michael Roma's weekly web show, LAME, invites you into the world of "nerd" culture through reviews of games, movies and other popular media.

The MFA Design Department prepares students to excel as both form givers and "authors" of original concepts across a broad range of media. Building on fluency with the languages of graphic design and typography, the department focuses on the independent creation of ideas. With the aim of transforming designers into entrepreneurs, the program encourages students to think for themselves in creating objects of value to others, drawing inspiration from visual communication in the fine as well as applied arts.

The Visual Arts Gallery, located at 601 W. 26th Street, between 11th and 12th avenues, 15th floor, is open Monday through Saturday, 10am to 6pm; closed on Sundays and public holidays. Admission is free. The Gallery is accessible by wheelchair. For further information call 212.592.2145.

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Press Release Contact Information:

Michael Grant
School of Visual Arts
Asst Directior Communication
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New York, NY
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