Observe the evolution of the graphic design field in 20 posters created for display in the vast New York City subway system by the acclaimed design and illustration faculty of the School of Visual Arts (SVA).

In the mid-1950s, SVA innovatively pursued new strategies to attract students, taking its recruiting message to previously unplumbed depths—to the platforms of the subway system. Thought-provoking and eye-catching, these advertisements featured the work of legendary artists like Louise Fili and Gail Anderson. All practicing professionals on the faculty at SVA, they used the poster commissions to explore the possibilities of graphic art and to hone their personal voices on a public stage. Like the College itself, SVA’s subway posters are New York City icons, as well as incitements to creativity and risk-taking.

The School of Visual Arts in New York 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 nearly 38,000 alumni in 75 countries, SVA also represents one of the most influential artistic communities in the world. SVA Executive Vice President Anthony P. Rhodes, creative director for the posters since 2007, curated a larger exhibition of these posters, and the museum is grateful to him and SVA for this collaborative project. Special thanks as well to Carlton Nell, professor in the School of Industrial and Graphic Design at Auburn University, for helping to bring this exhibition to the museum.

 All posters © 2020 Visual Arts Press, LTD