17th Biennial Colorado International Invitational Poster Exhibition at Colorado State University

Note to Reporters: Selected print-quality images of posters in the 17th Colorado International Invitational Poster Exhibition are available for media use only. Examples of some of the posters are available with this news release at www.news.colostate.edu. Contact Jennifer Clary at (970) 491-3603 or jennifer.clary@colostate.edu for additional images.

The 17th biennial Colorado International Invitational Poster Exhibition hosted by the Department of Art in the School of the Arts at Colorado State University features works of top poster artists and designers worldwide. Now in its 32nd year, the biennial event is the only exhibition of its kind in the United States.

The main exhibition will open Sept. 16 and run through Oct. 13 with the display divided between the Clara Hatton Gallery in the Visual Arts Building and the Curfman Gallery in the Lory Student Center. Both venues are on the main CSU campus.

The exhibition will open with a public reception in the Hatton Gallery and poster sale from 7-9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 16 in the Hatton and Curfman Galleries. Exhibition winners will be announced during the reception by the exhibition’s honor laureate. A limited number of exhibition posters and full-color catalogs will be available for purchase on a first-come, first-served basis. General gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Featuring works of 90 artists from 33 countries, including top international entrants and many new faces, the 17th Colorado International Invitational Poster Exhibition – or CIIPE – exhibits and interprets poster design, showcases examples of visual communication to an American audience and promotes international understanding and dialogue through the graphic arts.

Additionally, satellite exhibitions will feature specific historical, geographic and thematic subjects. An online component to the exhibition, titled “Graphic Responses,” will feature works from graphic artists from around the world as well as works from Colorado State students based on their visual responses to current world events. New this year is the online CIIPE High School Poster Exhibition that highlights student designs based on the theme, “Communicating in the 21st Century.”

A public lecture and solo exhibition spotlight each biennial year to honor an artist with a lifetime record of excelling in the poster medium. This year’s honoree, Leonardo Sonnoli, is a partner in the Tassinari/Vetta design studio in Trieste, Italy. Among Sonnoli’s major works are designs for the visual identity of the 50th Venice Biennale and for the archeological exhibitions at the Coliseum in Rome. A longtime participant in the CIIPE program, Sonnoli’s work was honored with juror prizes and honorable mentions in the 2001 and 2009 poster biennials.

Sonnoli will introduce his own work in his honor laureate lecture at 5 p.m. Sept. 14 in the Griffin Concert Hall at the University Center for the Arts, 1400 Remington St. An opening reception will be held from 6-9 p.m. Sept. 14. His work will be highlighted at the University Art Museum at the University Center for the Arts from Sept. 14 to Dec. 16.

The Colorado International Invitational Poster Exhibition, founded in 1979 at Colorado State, highlights excellence in poster design from leading and emerging graphic designers from around the globe. Year after year, each CIIPE exhibition has been unique for its presentation of prevailing social, cultural and commercial perspectives.

“The 17th CIIPE brings together the best work from an international selection of eminent and emerging poster artists,” said John Gravdahl, CSU art professor and co-coordinator of the exhibition. “The global scope provides a first-hand exposure to a rich diversity of artistic expression and communication.”

Additional Events and Resources
Join CSU graphic design professors and CIIPE coordinators at the University Art Museum for the Tasteful Tuesdays series from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Oct. 18 for an insightful conversation on Sonnoli’s graphics.

A valuable extension of the biennial exhibition is the International Poster Collection Gallery, which holds past CIIPE poster entries. The collection, created through the collaboration between CSU Libraries and the Department of Art, is part of Morgan Library’s Archives and Special Collections. The online site displays posters from around the world and features a searchable database of posters from the 7th to 16th shows (1991 to the present) and an artist database of biographical information.

The 17th biennial Colorado International Invitational Poster Exhibit was made possible in part through a grant from the Lilla B. Morgan Memorial Fund, which was established to enhance the cultural development and atmosphere of Colorado State. Additional sponsorship was provided by the City of Fort Collins Fort Fund.

All events and exhibitions are free and open to the public.

17th Colorado International Invitational Poster Exhibition Schedule

Hatton Gallery Lectures and Educational Programs with International Guests
Tuesday, Sept. 13, 9 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 14, 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Hatton Gallery, Visual Arts Building, Lake St. on CSU campus

Honor Laureate Lecture: Leonardo Sonnoli Sept. 14, 5 p.m. Griffin Concert Hall, University Center for the Arts, 1400 Remington St. 

Honor Laureate Exhibition – Leonardo Sonnoli Sept. 14-Dec. 16 University Art Museum, University Center for the Arts, 1400 Remington St.
Opening Reception, Sept. 14, 6-9 p.m.

17th Colorado International Invitational Poster Exhibition Sept. 16-Oct. 13 Clara Hatton Gallery, Visual Arts Building
Curfman Gallery, Lory Student Center
Colorado State University Campus
Hours: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Opening Reception, Ribbon Cutting Friday, Sept. 16, 7 p.m. Clara Hatton Gallery, Visual Arts Building

Opening Poster Sale Friday, Sept. 16, 7-9 p.m. Hatton and Curfman Galleries, Colorado State University Campus

Graphic Responses 5, an online exhibition of posters of social content
Digital display, Sept. 16-Oct. 13
Visual Arts Building, Lake St. on CSU campus
Online

Voices of Freedom: Posters Commemorating the Centennial of the Mexican Revolution
Sept. 16-Oct. 13 Directions Gallery, Visual Arts Building on CSU’s campus

High School Poster Exhibition: Communicating in the 21st Century
Digital display, Sept. 16-Oct. 13
Hatton Gallery, Visual Arts Building on CSU’s campus
Online

CIIPE Directors Exhibition
Sept. 16-Oct. 13 Hatton Gallery, Visual Arts Building, Lake St. on CSU campus 

CSU Graphic Design Students/Graphic Responses Exhibition
Digital display, Sept. 16-Oct. 13 Hatton Gallery, Visual Arts Building, Lake St. on CSU campus

Tasteful Tuesday
Discuss Sonnoli graphics; led by CSU graphic design professors Tuesday, Oct. 18, 4:30-5:30 p.m. University Art Museum, University Center for the Arts, 1400 Remington St.

-30-