Many Northeast Ohioans recognize the Cleveland Institute of Art (CIA) as a preeminent art school. But on occasion, they lose sight of the fact that CIA is a college of art and design. Remember, world-renowned designer Viktor Schreckengost ’29 pioneered the nation’s very first Industrial Design department at CIA in 1933.

Rest assured that design—from product design to animation to book design—continues to flourish at CIA today. People can see for themselves during CIA’s 2024 Faculty Exhibition, on view from August 29 through October 6 in Reinberger Gallery.

Among this year’s exhibiting faculty members will be Adam Swift Lucas, who leads CIA’s Graphic Design program. Lucas says there’s plenty to appreciate about design for gallery visitors typically more in tune with visual arts or craft.

“I’d encourage folks to try to appreciate the beauty of how design can be both functional and formal. And that perhaps design is most beautiful when its function and form are appropriately balanced,” he says.

Lucas joined CIA in 2023 from the Kansas City Art Institute. He participated in his first Faculty Exhibition last year and was “impressed and inspired” by his colleagues’ work.

“I found the breadth of ideas, forms and mediums to be particularly striking—reflective of a diverse range of practices—while the depth of thoughtfulness and talent was also immediately apparent,” Lucas says. “The dedication to one’s creative practice above and beyond their teaching was on full display.”

For this year’s Faculty Exhibition, Lucas will exhibit a small sample of his design and publishing work: a recent collaborative publication, AutoSummarize, a 180-page artist book by Jason Huff; and a couple of smaller self-initiated projects. Combined, they’ll highlight his multidisciplinary creative practice.

“I hope viewers will appreciate the small things—nuance and detail—in my work,” Lucas says.

Reinberger Gallery Director Nikki Woods appreciates Lucas’ collaborative spirit, explaining that he and other faculty who engage in collaboration “expand strategies for teaching and learning across campus.”

As for the 2024 Faculty Exhibition, Woods believes it’s an excellent opportunity for Clevelanders to learn about the abundance of creative talent nurtured at CIA.

“CIA’s faculty of practicing artists and designers explore new ways of seeing the world around them through a myriad of conceptual and material strategies,” she says. “Many of our faculty engage in interdisciplinary practices, rejecting a singular definition of their practice, creating a wealth of exciting possibilities for a visitor to engage.”

CLEVELAND INSTITUTE OF ART
11610 Euclid Avenue

Cleveland, Ohio 44106

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800.223.4700

EVENTS:

2024 Faculty Exhibition, August 29–October 6 in Reinberger Gallery

2024 Studio Operations Exhibition, August 29–September 22 in the Ann and Norman Roulet Student + Alumni Gallery

2024 carta Exhibition, October 18–19 open to public in Reinberger Gallery

Possibility for Repair, November 8–February 9, 2025 in Reinberger Gallery