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MAS Context Fall Talks 2024

Tracing Rick Valicenti

October 19, 2024 at 11:30AM

Presentation by Rick Valicenti of work from his career archived at The Art Institute of Chicago Archives. The event took place at the Ryerson & Burnham Art and Architecture Archives at The Art Institute of Chicago (111 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60603).

Contributors

Rick Valicenti

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Realize Change for Gilbert Paper, 1991. Image by Rick Valicenti, William Valicenti, and Mark Rattin. Courtesy of Rick Valicenti.

Rick Valicenti is a producer, director, and collaborator working with a wide network of designers and artists. In 1988, he founded Thirst, a venerable Chicago design studio devoted to art, function, and authentic human presence. The studio closed its doors on December 31, 2019.

Valicenti is a recipient of the American Institute of Graphic Artists (AIGA) Medal, 2006, and the Smithsonian Cooper Hewitt National Design Award, 2011. Rick is also an invited member of AGI (Alliance Graphique Internationale). His work is archived at the Newberry Library, the Letterform Archive in San Francisco, the Ryerson Library at The Art Institute of Chicago, The Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, the Lubalin Center at Cooper Union, and the Hoffmitz Milken Center for Typography at Art Center in Pasadena, California.

For this event, Rick Valicenti selected work from his career archived at The Art Institute of Chicago Archives. On October 19, he showcased the selected items and discussed the stories behind them.

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Print this Moment for Gilbert Paper, 1993. Poster image by Rick Valicenti and William Valicenti. Courtesy of Rick Valicenti.

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False for Gilbert Paper, 1991. Rick Valicenti, Julie Holcomb, San Francisco / Letterpress. Courtesy of Rick Valicenti.

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Recycle Mask for Gilbert Paper, 1990. Rick Valicenti / Typography, Tony Klausen / Woodcut. Courtesy of Rick Valicenti.

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Artificially Intelligent for the Chicago Graphic Design Club, 2024. Image by Rick Valicenti. Courtesy of Rick Valicenti.

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Future Vision, Rick Valicenti and Joel Volker / Generative AI (Mid Journey), Jackson Showalter-Cavanaugh and Rick Valicenti / Typography, 2024. Courtesy of Rick Valicenti.

EVENT PHOTOS

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Rick Valicenti and William Valicenti, Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Bart Crosby, Iker Gil, Rick Valicenti, and Philip Burton, Tracing Rick Valicenti, The Art Institute of Chicago, 2024. © Judith Rackow.

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Rick Valicenti

Rick Valicenti is a producer, director, and collaborator working with a wide network of designers and artists. Formerly the founder and design director of Thirst, a venerable Chicago design studio, Valicenti is a recipient of the American Institute of Graphic Artists (AIGA) Medal, 2006, and the Smithsonian Cooper Hewitt National Design Award, 2011. Rick is also an invited member of AGI (Alliance Graphique Internationale). His complete works are recently archived at the Newberry Library, and the Letterform Archive in San Francisco. Large selections of Valicenti’s work are at the Ryerson Library at The Art Institute of Chicago, The Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, the Lubalin Center at Cooper Union, and the Hoffmitz Milken Center for Typography at Art Center in Pasadena, California.

rickvalicenti.com

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