AIGA expands online archives to include items since 1924

NEW YORK, August 27, 2008. The AIGA Design Archives, the largest searchable online archive of curated communication design selections in existence, now represents selections from AIGA design exhibition catalogues from 1924–2007, including the longest running competition in AIGA’s history, “Fifty Books of the Year,” as well as “Contemporary Commercial Printing,” “Printing for Commerce,” “Design and Printing for Commerce,” “Fifty Advertisements of the Year,” “50 Ads and 50 TV Commercials” and “Communication Graphics.” All available catalogues have been scanned and are searchable in the AIGA Design Archives.

The expansion of the online archive was made possible by a grant of $22,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the continuing support of AIGA members nationwide through contributions to the AIGA Archive Fund. The addition of 7,500 selections commenced one year ago and will conclude August 31, 2008.

Richard Grefé, executive director of AIGA, the professional association for design, commented: “Design today is a dynamic profession, challenged by the opportunities of media that were not even conceived when AIGA was founded by a small group of graphic designers in 1914. Yet, even today, the use of words and images to improve understanding—the fundamental value of communication design—builds on the originality of those designers who came before. AIGA is proud to have used 21st-century technology to make the visual references of the finest designers of the past 84 years available to designers, students and the public.”

The physical artifacts selected in all competitions since 1980 are also available for study. These artifacts and materials are housed in the AIGA Design Archives collection at the Denver Art Museum, under the supervision of the AIGA assistant curator of design. Selections from the book competitions since 1923 are also kept for posterity at Columbia University’s Butler Library, Rare Books and Manuscripts Division, in New York City. The work of AIGA Medalists and AIGA’s institutional history are maintained in the AdamsMorioka Archives Vault at the AIGA National Design Center in New York City.

The goal of the online archive is to enable a larger audience to access the materials documenting past selections from AIGA competitions, which are central to the history of the design profession. Visitors are able to create lightboxes of images, annotate them for reference and share them with others. This project reinforces AIGA’s pledge to not only identify effective design, but to make it available to a global audience and to preserve the legacy of the profession.

About AIGA Design Archives

AIGA Design Archives is an online collection representing selections from AIGA’s annual juried design competitions. It reflects the quality of work being created and the shifting aesthetics or sensibilities of the designers of the day. AIGA continues to hold annual design competitions, which means the collection will continue to grow by 200–300 selections each year. The digital archive promises to be recognized as the ultimate resource for contemporary American design research and reference. The award-winning interactive resource is accessible online to audiences worldwide and allows searches using a variety of criteria. Design Archives now includes more than 19,000 selections from AIGA’s competitions from 1924–2007.

The AIGA Design Archives can be viewed at designarchives.aiga.org.

About National Endowment for the Arts

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is a public agency dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts, both new and established; bringing the arts to all Americans; and providing leadership in arts education. Established by Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government, the NEA is the nation’s largest annual funder of the arts, bringing great art to all 50 states, including rural areas, inner cities and military bases. www.nea.gov

About AIGA

AIGA, the professional association for design, is the premier place for design—to discover it, discuss it, understand it, appreciate it, be inspired by it.

AIGA’s mission is to advance designing as a professional craft, strategic tool and vital cultural force. AIGA stimulates thinking about design through journals, conferences, competitions and exhibitions; demonstrates the value of design to business, the public and government officials; and empowers the success of designers at each stage of their careers by providing invaluable educational and social resources.

Founded in 1914, AIGA remains the oldest and largest professional membership organization for design. AIGA now represents more than 22,000 design professionals, educators and students through national activities and local programs developed by 62 chapters and 240 student groups. AIGA is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) educational institution. www.aiga.org.

For further information, please contact:
Steve Rogenstein
Director of marketing and communications
AIGA | the professional association for design
Tel 212 710 3121   Fax 212 807 1799
steve_rogenstein [at] aiga [dot] org