Course led by Dan Shepelavy through the history of graphic design, from medieval heraldry and Harlem Renaissance graphics to digital media and visual culture.
The Barnes Foundation is running a course called Graphic Design: An Unruly History this fall, starting Tuesday, November 3. It's led by Dan Shepelavy, a designer, artist, researcher, writer, and advertising executive who runs Universal Exports of North America. The class runs every Tuesday from 4 to 6 PM through December 1, with no session on November 24.
Shepelavy works through the history of graphic design by looking closely at posters, propaganda, branding, digital media, and visual culture. The scope is wide—it ranges across eras, cultures, and media, from medieval heraldry and Harlem Renaissance graphics to Jamaican dancehall posters, political propaganda, psychedelic print culture, Cold War commercial design, and early computer interfaces. Along the way, the course asks how graphic design shapes communication, identity, commerce, and everyday life.
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The Barnes has been a leader in art education since 1925, teaching in its collection galleries and through an immersive online platform. This particular course is capped at 18 participants, and there's a scholarship available. It costs $250, or $225 for members. The sessions are Tuesdays, November 3 through December 1, 4 to 6 PM, with no class on November 24.
