October 20, 2009
Silver Star Award Exhibition Showcases University's Most Esteemed College of Art and Design Alumni

Philadelphia, PA, October 20, 2009 – As the College of Art and Design at the University of the Arts celebrates its 50th anniversary,it casts a spotlight on the wide array of work of its most esteemed alumni: the winners of the annual Silver Star Alumni Award. The show features paintings, illustrations, crafts, photos, sculpture, book arts and films by nearly 60 of the 73 winners of the award first granted in 1955 to the recently deceased Irving Penn '38. The show runs through November 25 at the University’s Rosenwald-Wolf Gallery (333 S. Broad St.) and in various gallery spaces in Hamilton Hall (320 S. Broad St.).

“The impetus for this exhibition was to enhance the documentation of the work of the award recipients,” said Stephen Tarantal, dean of the College of Art and Design for 24 years. “Since we were celebrating the 50th anniversary of becoming a college in 1959, this year seemed to be an excellent year to do so. Celebrating the college fundamentally means celebrating the faculty, students and alumni who collectively constitute the educational programs – the alumni are the legacy of the school, so featuring and celebrating the Silver Star recipients, the timeframe of which closely parallels the 50-year anniversary of the college, seemed like an important, worthwhile and timely project. This exhibition is quite diverse and eclectic – especially given the comprehensive range of majors that the College has offered.”

In addition to Penn images, the show includes a cherry music stand from Wharton Esherick (1908), the “Dean of American Craftsman,” as he was dubbed by those who followed him; illustrations from Esquire and Sports Illustrated by Arnold Roth ’50, who was inducted into the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame this summer; the Jerry Pinkney ’60 watercolor painting “Bound for That Other Side,” which depicts a family of African-Americans traveling north under cover of night; and screen captures from the puppet animations of Stephen and Timothy Quay ’69. Other participants include illustrator Richard Amsel ’69, who created the original poster for “Raiders of the Lost Ark”; Janice and Stan Berenstain ‘45, creators of the Berenstain Bears books and television shows; and two-time Whitney Museum Bienniel participant Charles Long ’81. Tara Poag ’08, who holds an MFA from the University’s Museum Exhibition, Planning and Design program, curated the exhibition.

The University of the Arts is the nation’s first and only university dedicated to the visual, performing and communication arts. Its 2,400 students are enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs on its campus in the heart of Philadelphia’s Avenue of the Arts. The institution’s roots as a leader in educating creative individuals date back to 1868.

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