FIT’s annual Art and Design Graduating Student Exhibition presents the work of more than 800 students receiving AAS and BFA degrees from the college’s School of Art and Design. The exhibition, which is on view May 9 to 24 at FIT, features 16 diverse areas of study: Accessories Design, Advertising Design, Computer Animation and Interactive Media, Fabric Styling, Fashion Design, Fine Arts, Graphic Design, Illustration, Interior Design, Jewelry Design, Menswear, Packaging Design, Photography, Textile/Surface Design, Toy Design, and Visual Presentation and Exhibition Design.
The pieces in the exhibition represent the culmination of each student’s unique experience in FIT’s challenging undergraduate Art and Design programs. Featured among the high-quality work are juried selections, thesis projects, and award-winning designs. This presentation is the manifestation of several years of in-depth research, experimentation, critical thinking, and artistic proficiency.
Students have created jewelry, toys, photographs, packaging for products, computer animations, illustrations, interior designs, virtual reality games, graphic designs, textile/surface designs, displays, paintings, sculptures, fashion designs, and more. They have grappled with such issues as how a young artist creates work that is relevant in our contemporary culture; how to create a dynamic balance with design, craft, economics, ethics, sustainability, and social responsibility; and how to express political attitudes and explore emotions that provide an actual and figurative snapshot of a society.
“The role of an artist or designer today is changing,” said Troy Richards, dean, School of Art and Design. “There are many pathways and many options for emerging talent. While our numerous programs allow students to focus on a discipline, it is the flexibility of our curriculum that provides students opportunities for interdisciplinary exploration. This reflects the changing times and also a restless and innovative spirit that pervades and energizes our community of students. The art and design work on display in our graduating student exhibition embodies this spirit; in it we see skills that transcend disciplines and integrate technology with personal vision and passion.”
The exhibition is free and open to the public. FIT is located on Seventh Avenue at 27th Street in New York City. Displays can be found throughout the main floors of the campus. Visitors can enter at the Marvin Feldman Center or at The Museum at FIT in the Shirley A. Goodman Resource Center.