SVA Masters Workshop in Rome, Italy

For the third time since the start of the program 6 years ago, I have been invited to be part of the School of Visual Arts’ Masters summer workshop in Rome, Italy. The workshop- organized by SVA New York – focuses on design history, theory and practice. The two weeks program encourages participants to look at Rome as the birthplace of western typographic tradition and to understand and appreciate classical Italian inscription and typography. The curriculum of the workshop focuses on lettering; Italian vernacular typography; Visiting Roman inscriptions sites; lettering design; letterpress techniques and contemporary Italian design.

I joined the SVA team for the workshop’s final project presentations as a special guest critic at the Palazzo delle Esposizioni. The workshop participants presented the outcome of their projects, which were all typographically driven and focusing on various themes such as food, architecture, culture and anything Roman than inspired them. The projects developed in the workshop varied in medium (print, digital and video), yet they all creatively expressed a personal journey resulting from each individual experience in Rome. Participants developed concepts and viable projects with significant potential for publishing or business development. I was particularly impressed by the high quality of hand lettering presented in the projects, as well as typeface design projects develop.

Being in the workshop was a chance to meet again the SVA family that I belong to, t and be in touch again with the faculty behind this workshop such as Steven Heller, Louise Fili, Lita Talarico, Mario Fois and Cristina Chiappini, among others.