CHICAGO (JULY 17, 2018)—The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC), a global leader in art and design education, launched a new online store featuring sleek branded apparel and gear befitting of a world-renowned art and design school. Top items from the collection include a monochromatic crewneck sweatshirt, beanie, travel mug and tote bag, as well as a “No Art Making in Restrooms” pin, a nod to campus signage that famously appears at the entrance to some SAIC restrooms.
“Our artists are taught to push boundaries, so it’s no surprise they’ve taken their creativity into exceptional locations on occasion,” said Scott Hendrickson, executive director of marketing and communications at SAIC, commenting on the Art Making signage. “We often see our students and campus visitors posting images of these signs on social media. The signs themselves have become part of our everyday experience and a good reminder that you’re on the campus of a school that is home to more than 3,600 artists and designers.”
The canvas tote features a playful adaptation of the school’s logo printed around the side of the bag and across the seam, a technically challenging yet beautiful construction.
“We wanted to do something a little unexpected that delivers the quality we teach our students,” said Hendrickson.
His team of designers worked with a U.S.-based manufacturer to bring the design to life, providing an elevated version of a common product.\
Hendrickson also explained that the monochromatic black sweatshirt is a nod to SAIC’s unofficial school color. The entire line is an unconventional take on collegiate apparel, putting an art school spin on traditional designs.
All products are available at saic.edu/store.
About the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
For more than 150 years, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) has been a leader in educating the world’s most influential artists, designers and scholars. Located in downtown Chicago with a fine arts graduate program consistently ranking among the top programs in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, SAIC provides an interdisciplinary approach to art and design as well as world-class resources, including the Art Institute of Chicago museum, on-campus galleries and state-of-the-art facilities. SAIC’s undergraduate, graduate and post-baccalaureate students have the freedom to take risks and create the bold ideas that transform Chicago and the world—as seen through notable alumni and faculty such as Michelle Grabner, David Sedaris, Elizabeth Murray, Richard Hunt, Georgia O’Keeffe, Cynthia Rowley, Nick Cave, Jeff Koons and LeRoy Neiman.
