san antonio college

2/14/2008




Intervals:
Photography and Lecture Series

Casey Orr
Leeds, England
Nancy Breslin
Newark, Delaware U.S.

Artist’s Lecture: February 14
10:50 am - 12 noon
Reception will follow lecture

Intervals is an exhibition of two photographers whose works chart the indeterminate nature
of “time spent”.

Exhibition: February 4  - March 23, 2008
Visual Arts Center Gallery
San Antonio College
[ Visual Arts & Technoogy Department ]

Casey Orr/ from "By Water" series

Nancy Breslin/ from "Squaremeals" series

On Thursday, October 25, Alex Bitterman of the School of Design at the Rochester Institute of Technology will examine the history of branding, how brands affect the consumer frame of reference in developing countries, and the societal responsibilities of designers, in his lecture, "Brandcodex: deciphering the role of designer in a branded world." This event will be held at 10:50 AM in Room 120 of the Visual Arts Center on the San Antonio College campus. The lecture is free and open to the public, though seating is limited.

Over the past decade, Professor Bitterman has specialized in the study of universal design, the social responsibility of the designer, advertising, branding and identity programs, graphic design, and place branding. As such, his research has focused on universally designed spaces, places, products and systems, including the accessibility of those systems for individuals with physical, cognitive, cultural, or situational impairments. Most recently, Alex Bitterman has been investigating the effectiveness, typology, and functional usability of identity programs for public transit systems.

Prior to joining the faculty at RIT, Alex Bitterman was a member of the faculty at the School of Architecture and Urban Planning at the University at Buffalo and served as Director for Information Design and Dissemination at the Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access (IDEA), an internationally respected, multi-million dollar research institute funded by the U.S. Department of Education. As the Fred R. Bunkow Fellow at the University at Buffalo, Bitterman was the editor-in-chief of Intersight, the academic journal of the School of Architecture and Planning. He is also a founding co-editor of Diversity in Design, an international, peer-reviewed journal, and is the editor-in-chief of the forthcoming Multi, the journal of social responsibility in design practice and design education. Prof. Bitterman's most recent book Buffalo is a Cool Place to Live, was published in May 2006 by k629 press.

For additional information regarding the lecture, please contact Debra Schafter at 785-6074.

10/3/2007


Film: 'Helvetica'

The Department of Visual Arts and Technology is pleased to present the San Antonio screening of the documentary film Helvetica on Wednesday, October 3 at 7:00 PM in the McAllister Auditorium on the SAC campus. The director, Gary Hustwit, will also make a special appearance at the event and will take audience questions at the conclusion of the film.

The 2007 feature-length independent film, Helvetica, encompasses the worlds of not only typography and graphic design, but also of communication, psychology and global visual culture. Developed in Switzerland 50 years ago, the font type has had a ubiquitous presence in the international urban landscape for half a century, dominating everything from corporate logos and advertisement, to signage for transportation systems and fine art prints. Filmed on high-definition video in the United States, England, the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, France and Belgium, Helvetica explores how urban and typographic designs collide and collude, while some of the most illustrious and innovative names in the design world today offer a fluid discussion about the creative process, and the choices and aesthetics behind their use of type. Movie critic for the Chicago Tribune, Michael Phillips, succinctly summarizes, "the real achievement of the picture is the way it sharpens your eye in general and makes connections between form and content, and between art and life."

While Helvetica marks Gary Hustwit's directorial debut, he has produced several feature music-themed documentaries, including I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, an award-winning film about the band Wilco; Moog, a documentary about electronic music pioneer Robert Moog; and Drive Well, Sleep Carefully, about the band Death Cab for Cutie. Since its world premiere at the SXSW festival in Austin this past March, Helvetica has been shown in cities from Auckland to Istanbul, and from Boston to Belfast. Released in time for the font type's 50th anniversary, it has also been screened at Zurich's Helvetica50 celebration and at a commemorative exhibition at New York's Museum of Modern Art.

Admission to the screening is free with a San Antonio College ID, and $4 for the general public. For additional information regarding this event please contact Debra Schafter at 785-6074.