On Campus News

As filmgoers across the country get to know the man behind �I Love NY� and other memorable graphics in the new documentary "Milton Glaser: To Inform and Delight," some may be surprised to find out that the legendary designer�s latest project is not a logo or poster, but a theater in the heart of Manhattan. During the month of July workers will put the finishing touches on the SVA Theatre, the state-of-the-art facility Glaser has designed for the School of Visual Arts (SVA) as a place where the city�s culture, education and business communities can gather and up-and-coming artists can mix with seasoned professionals.

Glaser�s design for the SVA Theatre features what may be the city�s largest kinetic sculpture, a series of three metal cylinders that sit atop the marquee and rotate at hourly intervals like an abstract timepiece. Glaser based his design on Russian artist and architect Vladimir Tatlin�s 1920 "Monument to the Third International," a Constructivist tower that was never built but is considered one of the great works of Modernism. The theater�s facade also features a billboard that quotes an eclectic group of cultural icons on the subject of art, from Paul Gauguin (�Art is either plagiarism or revolution.�) to Frank Zappa (�Art is making something out of nothing and selling it.�). For the interior, Glaser created two gold-leaf light fixtures, custom floor coverings and decorative elements in luminously colored metal overlaid with stenciled designs. �It is on the borderline between graphics and architecture,� says the designer.

Although Glaser has created graphic and decorative programs for restaurants, museums and other building projects in New York City, he has said the SVA Theatre project has special meaning. He was asked to design a theater for the College some 15 years ago by longtime friend and SVA Founder Silas H. Rhodes, when officials began looking for a suitable space. It was Mr. Rhodes who in 1960 invited Glaser to teach at SVA, where he has remained on the faculty ever since and is currently acting chairman.

The SVA Theatre is located at 333 West 23 Street in New York�s Chelsea neighborhood, home to many of the world�s leading art galleries as well as the High Line, the elevated former railway that opened earlier this month as a public park. Leased by SVA in 2008, the building has undergone top-to-bottom renovations. The 20,000-square-foot space houses two separate auditoriums, one with 480 seats and the other with 265, that are equipped with the latest in lighting, sound and projection capabilities. In addition to class meetings, public lectures, film screenings and performances organized by the College, the SVA Theatre hosts events produced by other cultural organizations and community groups whose work is consistent with the College�s mission. Before it closed the last week of June to allow for exterior renovations to be completed, the Tribeca, GenArt and NewFest film festivals took place there. This spring SVA also presented a wide range of cultural offerings to match its growing curriculum, including weekly talks by artists and critics like the animation duo The Brothers Quay and art critic Irving Sandler; preview screenings of films like "Duplicity," the Hollywood feature with Julia Roberts and Clive Owen, and "Objectified," the latest documentary from "Helvetica" director Gary Hustwitt. When the theater re-opens on July 27, it will host the New York International Latino Film Festival.

Milton Glaser (www.miltonglaser.com) is among the most celebrated graphic designers in the world. He co-founded the revolutionary Pushpin Studios in 1954, founded New York magazine with Clay Felker in 1968, established Milton Glaser, Inc. in 1974, and teamed with Walter Bernard in 1983 to form the publication design firm WBMG. Throughout his career, Glaser has been a prolific creator of posters and prints. His artwork has been featured in exhibits worldwide, including one-man shows at both the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris and the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Among numerous professional awards, he is the recipient of The Society of Illustrator�s Gold Medal, the St. Gauden�s Medal from The Cooper Union and he was selected for the lifetime achievement award of the Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum in 2004. Glaser is also a member of The Art Director�s Club Hall of Fame and is the recipient of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) Medal as well as 10 honorary degrees from prestigious institutions including the Royal College of Art in London and the Academy of Fine Arts in Bologna, Italy. In 1998, Glaser was presented with SVA�s Masters Series Award and Exhibition, an annual exhibition to honor the great visual communicators of our time.

School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York City is an established leader and innovator in the education of artists. From its inception in 1947, the faculty has been comprised of professionals working in the arts and art-related fields. SVA provides an environment that nurtures creativity, inventiveness and experimentation, enabling students to develop a strong sense of identity and a clear direction of purpose.

About School of Visual Arts (SVA): www.schoolofvisualarts.edu