Sharon Oiga Presents at ATypl in Montreal

Oiga’s AtypI presentation, 90 Years of the Society of Typographic Arts, tells the story that begins with an event that took place in the 1920s. Designers affiliated with the Chicago Chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) held an unsanctioned, notoriously wild party on Lake Michigan. When the Board of Directors of the Institute in New York learned of the incident, they disavowed the Chicago Chapter on the grounds of lack of control over members. The orphaned designers then gathered to form the Society of Typographic Arts (STA). The salacious start of this professional design organization foreshadowed events to come in their 90-year history, including an infamous dumpster-diving incident to save archival work. Expand your knowledge of design history, hear about STA’s periodically controversial timeline of events, see significant works of design, and learn how designers of this era and region characterized design in the American Midwest as well as influenced design at an international scale.

 

ATypI was established in 1957 by Charles Peignot of France’s renowned Deberny & Peignot foundry. Marking the organizations 60th anniversary ATypI 2017 takes place in Montreal, the world’s second-largest primarily French-speaking city (after Paris). Montréal is additionally a UNESCO “City of Design” and home to the International Council of Graphic Design Associations (Icograda). 

 

The conference kicks off Tuesday, September 12, with a series of immersive craft and technical workshops, followed by the General Session and numerous special events from Wednesday to Saturday, September 13–16. Oiga presents with Guy Villa on Wednesday, September 13. Follow @ATypI on Twitter to watch the story unfold.