EAST LANSING, MI.-The Department of Art & Art History is pleased bring design legend Massimo Vignelli to the campus of Michigan State University for a lecture on September 12, 2007 at 7:00 pm in South Kedzie Hall, S107.

Massimo Vignelli will lecture in conjunction with the screening of Helvetica on September 13, 2007. Viginelli’s significant contributions to design influence how we experience our environment and the stature of graphic design in contemporary society. In Vignelli’s words, “I like design to be semantically correct, syntactically consistent, and pragmatically understandable. It like it to be visually powerful, intellectually elegant, and above all timeless.” Far-ranging in media and scope, Vignelli’s work is included in collections from the MOMA to the Die Neue Sammlung in Munich . For more information on designer Massimo Viginelli see: http://www.vignelli.com/

Following Massimo Vignelli’s lecture on September 12 is a screening of Helvetica on September 13 at 7:00 pm in South Kedzie Hall room 109.

Helvetica premiered at the South by Southwest Film Festival to sold-out audiences and is now touring worldwide. Sponsored jointly by the Department of Art & Art History and AIGA Detroit Chapter, this independent film explores typography, graphic design, and global visual culture as part of a larger conversation about the way type affects our lives – specifically exploring the typeface Helvetica which is celebrating its 50h birthday. For more information on the film see: http://www.helveticafilm.com/

All events are free and open to the public. The 2007 – 2008 Guest Lecture Series is sponsored by the Department of Art & Art History along with the generous support of others, including: College of Arts & Letters, Visiting Faculty and Creating Inclusive Excellence Funding Programs from the Office of the Provost, Luther and Louise Roehm Endowment, Marlio Endowment, College of Communication Arts & Sciences, Residential College in the Arts & Humanities, Public Humanities Collaborative, MSU Graduate School, Department of English, American Studies, The Art Museum at MSU, Museum Studies, Chicano/Latino Studies, Department of Philosophy, Religious Studies, Center for Integrative Studies in the Arts and Humanities Student Book Store, MSU Federal Credit Union, and AGIA Detroit Chapter.