Colorado State’s 16th Biennial Colorado International Invitational Poster Exhibition Satellite Shows Open

Seven satellite galleries will display posters representing unique historical and geographical subjects as part of the 16th biennial Colorado International Poster Exhibition hosted by the Department of Art in the School of the Arts at Colorado State University.

The highlight of this year’s satellite exhibitions is the honor laureate exhibition of Iranian artist Majid Abbasi, “Persian Variations: An Exhibition of Majid Abbasi’s Book Covers & Poster Designs.” The show will be presented in the Curfman Gallery in the Lory Student Center Oct. 2 – Dec. 11 and an opening reception will be held from 6 – 9 p.m. on Oct. 1.

Abbasi resides in Tehran and is a leader in the Iranian graphic design community. He is the founder the prestigious studio, Did Graphics, Inc. and has been a board member of the Iranian Graphic Design Society. Abbasi is well known internationally where his award-winning work has been published in numerous magazines and books. He has participated in many prestigious national and international exhibitions and has juried several more.

“Majid is a specialist in Iranian typography and viewers will enjoy his creative use of an unfamiliar alphabet,” said John Gravdahl, CSU art professor and coordinator of the show.

The companion show, “Persianissimo; An Iranian Contemporary Poster Exhibition,” is at the Fort Collins Museum of Contemporary Art, 201 S. College Ave., Sept. 27 – Dec. 22 and an opening reception will be held on Sept. 30 from 7 – 9 p.m. “Persianisimo” is an exhibition of posters from 20 of Abbasi’s Iranian contemporaries in graphic design. “It will consist of a full range of topics and clients and is a unique opportunity to see the art on the streets from a changing country,” said Gravdahl.

Other international collections include, “4th Block Eco Posters,” a worldwide commemoration of the 1987 Chernobyl disaster outside Kiev, as well as, “Ukraine, and The Letters of Europe – Alphabet of Bulgaria Exhibition,” celebrating the 300th anniversary (1708 – 2008) of the design of the modern Cyrillic alphabet. This particular exhibition, composed of the work of 30 international poster artists each chosen to feature a single Cyrillic letterform in their poster, has received enthusiastic acclaim during recent openings in Sophia, Madrid, Paris and New York.

The satellite selections also include a CIIPE directors exhibition where Bob Coonts, John Gravdahl and Phil Risbeck show a sampling of their recent poster art in a group exhibition.

All three are prominent poster artists, exhibiting widely, most recently in juried exhibitions in China, Mexico and Russia. The director’s exhibition runs Sept. 28 – Oct. 17 in the Clara Hatton Gallery, located in the CSU Visual Arts Building on Lake Street.

An online component to the Colorado International Invitational Poster Exhibition, “Graphic Responses,” will feature works from graphic artists from around the world and from Colorado State students based on their visual responses to current world events. CSU student responses will also be on display Sept. 28 – Oct. 17 in the Glass Gallery, located in the CSU Visual Arts Building on Lake Street.

The biennial Colorado International Invitational Poster Exhibition hosted by the Department of Art in the School of the Arts at Colorado State University is the only exhibition of its kind in the United States. Featuring work by 82 artists from 28 countries, the 16th CIIPE exhibits and interprets poster design, brings examples of visual communication to an American audience, and promotes international understanding and dialogue through the graphic arts.

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