School of Visual Arts presents “The Haves and Have Nots,” a theme-based exhibition of work by third-year BFA Cartooning and BFA Illustration students. The exhibition will be on view from Friday, April 6, through Saturday, April 21, at the SVA Chelsea Gallery, 601 West 26th Street, 15th floor, New York City.

What do Jane Eyre, John the Baptist, Tom Joad, Billy Elliot and Robin Hood all have in common? Their likenesses are all included in the exhibition "The Haves and Have-Nots." This eye-popping, jaw-dropping show includes projects from over 90 students who illustrate and adapt classic works that deal with the themes of social injustice and class struggle.

With a commitment to excellence dating back to SVA’s founding in 1947, BFA Cartooning helps students develop a point of view and an individual voice as they master the rudiments of line, color and form in a wide range of media. Studies of art history and world cultures are paired with painting, drawing, storytelling and pictorial problem solving, culminating in the production of a portfolio of original work that presents each student's distinct sensibility. Comic books, graphic novels, children's books, editorial cartoons, theatrical posters, figurative art exhibitions, film and television credits and production designs—all are powerful vehicles for artists' inner worlds and meaningful contributions to a public forum. At SVA, cartooning students are prepared to lead the way.

BFA Illustration cultivates expert individual voices that are sustained by a high degree of craft, with a curriculum designed to spark the imagination as well as teach the art of interpretation: the ability to carefully read and cross-reference texts, research visual styles and conceptualize and produce significant bodies of work. As they progress through the program, assignments become increasingly professional in nature and reflect the diversity of the illustration marketplace, from media, entertainment and publishing to fashion and toy design, among other fields. Students develop sophisticated, multifaceted portfolios and participate in industry-sponsored competitions, which provide valuable exposure and networking opportunities.

Exhibition

The Haves and Have-Nots

SVA Chelsea Gallery

Reception