PARSONS THE NEW SCHOOL FOR DESIGN PRESENTS
ILLUSTRATION TODAY: A SYMPOSIUM ON THE STATE OF THE ART

November 11, 2006, at The New School, Tishman Auditorium, 66 West 12th Street



c. George Hardie

NEW YORK, October 11, 2006— Parsons The New School for Design will present “Illustration Today: A Symposium on the State of the Art,” organized by Parsons Department of Illustration, on November 11, 2006. This important day-long symposium will bring together three generations of influential illustrators, animators, toy designers, writers, artists and producers to explore the medium today by addressing the ongoing evolution of the field.

“Illustration is entering into a golden age as new opportunities in motion graphics, toy design, and graphic novels are rapidly opening up, and older avenues, such as children’s books, are being reinvented,” said Steven Guarnaccia, Illustration Chair at Parsons and former art director at The New York Times. “This event is a rare opportunity for our students, as well as professionals in the field, to meet some of the most original and innovative illustrators and exchange ideas regarding the future of illustration.”

The day’s events will include a keynote speech by The New York Times and Artforum critic Sarah Boxer; George Hardie, the influential British illustrator behind iconic album covers for Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, in conversation with The New Yorker cover illustrator Christoph Niemann; a dialogue between beloved children’s book creator Maira Kalman, MacArthur Award-winning illustrator Peter Sis, and The New Yorker cover artist and Ice Age and Robots film designer Peter De Sève; Father and son animation and comics pioneers Kim Deitch (Boulevard of Broken Dreams) and Gene Deitch (Tom Terrific) make a rare joint appearance; top practitioners Psyop, Aaron Stewart, and Paper Rad discuss how illustration has jumped from the printed page to other media with Kenna Kay, Parsons Illustration Faculty Member and Vice-President/Creative Director for TV Land and Nick at Nite; and a cutting edge toy design panel with British creator James Jarvis and the two-man Miami company, Friends With You. The symposium will be moderated by Steven Guarnaccia and Dan Nadel, Parsons Illustration Assistant Professor and Grammy award-winning art director and publisher of The Ganzfeld.

Tickets are $10 for the general public and can be purchased after September 5th via the New School Box Office, 66 West 12th Street, [email protected] or 212.229.5488.  Box office hours are Mon.– Thurs., 1-8 pm, Fri. 1-7 pm.   

Parsons BFA Illustration program engages students as visual artists who are poised to become influential, pictorial communicators. Through studio and digital course work, the program builds proficiency in drawing and media-based skills; creativity in concepts and problem solving; awareness of art and design history, and current social and cultural concerns; and fluency in technological tools and software. For more information, visit www.parsons.newschool.edu/illustration.

Located in the heart of New York City, Parsons The New School for Design is one of the most prestigious and comprehensive degree-granting colleges of art and design in the nation, with approximately 3,500 students in degree programs from all 50 states and approximately 60 countries. Parsons has been a forerunner in the field of art and design since its founding in 1896. By locating visual beauty in the ordinary things of middle-class American life, Parsons virtually invented the modern concept of design in America. In 2006, Parsons celebrates the centennial of its Fashion Design, Interior Design and Communication Design programs, which were the first of their kind in the nation. Parsons’ rigorous programs and distinguished faculty embrace curricular innovation, pioneer new uses of technology, and instill in students a global perspective in design. For more information, visit www.parsons.newschool.edu.