Recent News

SVA Gallery School of Visual Arts (SVA) presents “POST NO BULL”, an exhibition of work by current students and
alumni (1971-2009) of Adrienne Leban’s pioneering course Advertising and Graphic Design for Social Change.

Curated by Leban, the work includes posters and other graphics completed between 2000 and 2010.

The exhibition will be on view March 13 - April 10 at the SVA Gallery, 209 East 23 Street, New York City.

RECEPTION: THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 6-8pm

School of Visual Arts (SVA) presents “POST NO BULL,” an exhibition of work by current students and alumni of the BFA Advertising and Graphic Design Department who have taken Adrienne Leban’s course Advertising and Graphic Design for Social Change. Curated by Leban, the work includes posters and other graphics completed between 2000 and 2010.

“‘Post No Bull’ - a play on the phrase ‘Post No Bills’ stenciled on plywood walls in the street - is very much an ‘outsider’ statement in a world dominated by commercial corporate advocacy,” explains Leban. “It is an unusual exhibit of advertising and design work in that it presents a cultural critique of the conventional use of advertising and graphic design itself. We’ve never had such a major show solely dedicated to this use of the form, nor has any other art school, to my knowledge. This generation - Gen Y - cares more about social responsibility and working to help others than any in the past three decades. The result is a giant ‘wall magazine’ composed of more than 60 visual communicators’ works of social consciousness and conscience. We’ve also included visual messages created in the UK by the 13 -14 year old Scottish students of my former student, artist-teacher Lorena Steinert (BFA 1987 Fine Arts), suggesting the global extent of this movement for social change among the young.”

Among the works on view is the anti-war poster campaign Be Heard, which was created by Leban’s students and is in the permanent collection of the Library of Congress. Also seen here are the posters designed for the nonprofit TV-Turnoff Network, which were installed in the Washington, DC Metro system, and for the Abandoned Infant Protection Act, 80,000 copies of which were distributed throughout the New York City school system. In addition, the exhibition includes the animal rights advocacy work of alumnus Patrick McDonnell (1978 Media Studies), author and creator of the syndicated comic strip Mutts.

Artist, activist and faculty member of the BFA Advertising and Graphic Design Department since 1969, Adrienne Leban is principal of The Lifework Studio, Inc. (TLS) which she founded in 1971 (www.thelifeworkstudio.com). Dedicated to creativity and social advocacy projects, TLS publishes the Creativity Tools suite consisting of the books Create with Me and Draw with Me and Eye-Catcher, a paper-folding game. The suite has been in major museum bookstores and is used in design courses in the U.S. and Japan. Leban’s social change work includes the successful campaign for the legalization of loft-living in New York State; citywide poster campaigns for voting and anti-war organizations; and writing and speaking on social issues such as feminism, censorship, affordable housing and quality of life.

Bio-Geo Energy Patterns, The Lifework Studio Gallery, New York, NY

"Bio-Geo Energy Patterns" is an installation composed of 81 unique 9"x12" archival prints made from original freehand drawings. These geometric forms capture the energy moving through Leban and are created without any pre-visualized outcome in mind, and with no sketches, plans or narrative agenda. Each work is mounted on wood panel and is available individually or in any combination. Check purchase info.

To view individual works, visit the "Bio-Geo Gallery" section of the website.

Mandalas, 2002-2008, The Lifework Studio Gallery, New York, NY

"Mandalas, 2002-2008" is an exhibition of mandalas for stimulating awareness of unity and wholeness. Initiated after the terrible events of September 11, 2001, Leban's digitally created mandalas serve to help us re-member and experientially put back together the dismembered whole. Offered as archival digital prints. Check purchase info.

To view individual works, visit the "Mandalas Gallery" section of the website.