From Glaser to Scher, see SVA’s iconic subway posters together for first time

The School of Visual Arts has been commissioning posters for the subway for almost 75 years. Now one of the city’s most enduring public art projects can be seen under one roof.

Date
17 August 2023

Since 1947, 93 artists have been invited to create posters for the NYC transit stations by the School of Visual Arts. Often encouraging commuters to consider a creative career with the college, these ads “stirred the imaginations of New Yorkers and the countless aspiring and practising artists who visit the city each year,” as SVA president David Rhodes puts it. This new exhibition gathers the full collection of Underground Images together for the very first time.

Over 200 posters have been produced over the years from creatives across the fields of typography, graphic design, fine art and illustration. Some of the artists behind an SVA poster include Milton Glaser, Paula Scher, Marshall Arisman, Gail Anderson and Yuko Shimizu. The new exhibition will present the full history of Underground Images, plus multimedia installations, progress sketches and a recreated NYC subway platform.

Above

School of Visual Arts: Art Is!, design by Pablo Delcan, illustration by Justin Metz, creative direction by Anthony P. Rhodes (Copyright © School of Visual Arts, 2018)

Underground Images has been around for almost as long as the School of Visual Arts itself. Shortly after its inception, known then as the Cartoonists & Illustrators School, SVA started commissioning faculty members, kicking off an almost 75-year-old marketing campaign. The posters have become so ubiquitous that anyone travelling on the NYC transit system has likely seen at least one of the artworks.

The posters ranged in theme and often captured the feeling of the period in which they were created, from activist messages to varied responses to an ongoing prompt: “Art is…”. A new poster debuting later this year will pay homage to the 50th anniversary of hip-hop.

In 2006, SVA began a travelling iteration of Underground Images taking the posters to sites across the globe. “Exhibiting them all over the world has been an adventure, but we are thrilled to present this collection and its fascinating history in the place where it all began,” says David. Underground Images will be on show from 29 August to 14 October at SVA Chelsea Gallery in New York.

Above

School of Visual Arts: I Love NY More Than Ever, design by Milton Glaser, creative direction by Silas H. Rhodes (Copyright © School of Visual Arts, 2001)

Above

School of Visual Arts: To Be Good Is Not Enough When You Dream…, design by Paula Scher, art direction by Silas H. Rhodes (Copyright © School of Visual Arts, 1987)

Above
Left

School of Visual Arts: To Be Good Is Not Enough, When You Dream…, illustration by Jerry Moriarty, design by William Kobasz, copywriting by Dee Ito, creative direction by Silas H. Rhodes (Copyright © School of Visual Arts, 1986)

Right

School of Visual Arts: At 35, Paul Gauguin Worked In a Bank. It…, art direction and copywriting by Gene Case, art direction by Silas H. Rhodes (Copyright © School of Visual Arts, 1968)

Above

School of Visual Arts: At 35, Paul Gauguin Worked In a Bank. It…, art direction and copywriting by Gene Case, art direction by Silas H. Rhodes (Copyright © School of Visual Arts, 1968)

Above

School of Visual Arts: Fly Higher, illustration by Yuko Shimizu, creative direction by Anthony P. Rhodes (Copyright © School of Visual Arts, 2016)

Above
Left

School of Visual Arts: Computer Graphics School of Visual Arts..., illustration by Barbara Nessim, design by William Kobasz, creative direction by Silas H. Rhodes (Copyright © School of Visual Arts, 1984)

Right

School of Visual Arts: Spend a Few Nights With Us. It May Change…, illustration by Audrey Flack, design by Richard Wilde, copywriting by Dick Wasserman, art direction by Silas H. Rhodes (Copyright © School of Visual Arts, 1973)

Above

School of Visual Arts: Spend a Few Nights With Us. It May Change…, illustration by Audrey Flack, design by Richard Wilde, copywriting by Dick Wasserman, art direction by Silas H. Rhodes (Copyright © School of Visual Arts, 1973)

Above

School of Visual Arts: Even a Great Idea Is Only an Idea Until…, illustration and design by Tony Palladino, photography by Luke Lois, copywriting by Dee Ito, creative direction by Silas H. Rhodes (Copyright © School of Visual Arts, 1989)

Above

School of Visual Arts: To Be Good Is Not Enough, When You Dream…, illustration by James McMullan, design by William Kobasz, copywriting by Dee Ito, creative direction by Silas H. Rhodes (Copyright © School of Visual Arts, 1983)

Hero Header

School of Visual Arts: Underground Images: A History. Design and illustration by Tony Palladino, art direction by Silas H. Rhodes (Copyright © School of Visual Arts, 1959)

Share Article

About the Author

Liz Gorny

Liz (she/they) joined It’s Nice That as news writer in December 2021. In January 2023, they became associate editor, predominantly working on partnership projects and contributing long-form pieces to It’s Nice That. Contact them about potential partnerships or story leads.

It's Nice That Newsletters

Fancy a bit of It's Nice That in your inbox? Sign up to our newsletters and we'll keep you in the loop with everything good going on in the creative world.