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A 50-year goldmine of design: AIGA New York unveils its poster archive to the public
The unveiling of AIGA New York's poster archive highlights the importance of historical design in shaping contemporary brand strategy. By making this collection accessible, AIGA NY not only preserves its legacy but also fosters a deeper connection with the community, emphasizing the value of tactile and human-centered design in an increasingly digital world.
Its Nice That: Features Graphic Design Print Typography Poster Archive Activism Community A 50-year goldmine of design: AIGA New York unveils its poster archive to the public Travel back through decades of New York’s cultural moods via these “tactile and human” mementoes of design history. Share Features Graphic Design Print Typography Poster Archive Activism Community Share The American Institute of Graphic Art’s (AIGA) New York has made one of its most precious resources available to the public – it’s poster archive.
This previously unseen collection charts the organisation’s role in shaping the city’s iconic visual culture, spanning 50 years of AIGA NY’s events, exhibitions and talks. The collection has been quietly gathered by AIGA NY members and volunteers over the decades, and its impact first reared its head publicly in the development of the organisation’s new visual identity last year.
Each poster, says AIGA NY’s executive director Stacey Panousopoulous, is “a snapshot in time”. A newly opened window into its design archive, this unique visual library provides the public with an inside view of the design, art and activism that’s emerged from the city’s recent history. AIGA NY has ambitions for the collection to become physically accessible with an accompanying book that will showcase the posters in more depth.
In conversation with Stacey and former AIGA NY presidents Juliette Cezzar and Chelsea Goldwell, we uncover what surprising visual threads run through each poster’s take on type, colour, and form and why it’s has been so important to bring this archive back into the hands of New York’s creative community. “The poster archive connects to our current craving for something more tactile and human.”Stacey Panousopoulos “The poster archive connects to our current craving for something more tactile and human.” 1 of 8 AIGA NY: Poster House (Copyright © Poster House, 2024) 1 of 8 AIGA NY: Poster House (Copyright © Poster House, 2024) Q&A with Stacey Pa
nousopoulos, executive director of AIGA NY It's Nice That: The poster archive is a real treasure. Now that it’s available to the public for the first time, what new reflections have surfaced around the series of prints? Stacey Panousopoulos (SP): We’re really excited to bring this archive back to our community. New York has a storied design history and iconic visual culture and many members of the AIGA NY board and all volunteers, have made a significant impact in the elevation of our craft by contributing poster designs. Today, visuals capture our attention for a few fleeting seconds.
The poster archive connects to our current craving for something more tactile and human. INT: How do you think changes in New York’s design scene are traced across this series? What visual or creative shifts can you see have taken place over the last five decades? SP: Looking through the lens of the poster archive, you see evolution and experimentation in typography, image making, conceptual forms of expression, printing and digital techniques.
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The unveiling of a significant design archive by AIGA New York is impactful for the industry, as it emphasizes historical design's role in contemporary branding, while also being a relatively novel initiative in terms of accessibility and community engagement.