Design Media Arts Professor Rebeca Méndez awarded Medal of AIGA
The most distinguished award from the American Institute of Graphic Arts
The Medal of AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts)—the most distinguished in the field—is awarded to individuals in recognition of their exceptional achievements, services or other contributions to the field of design and visual communication. Medals have been awarded since 1920 to individuals who have set standards of excellence over a lifetime of work or have made individual contributions to innovation within the practice of design. The contribution may be in the practice of design, teaching, writing or leadership of the profession. Past AIGA Medalists include, Charles and Ray Eames, Josef Albers, Richard Avedon, Massimo and Lella Vignelli, Alvin Lustig, April Greiman, Paula Scher, John Maeda, Ellen Lupton, Stefan Sagmeister, and Paola Antonelli, to name a few. The Medal will be awarded to Professor Méndez at the 2017 AIGA awards gala on Friday, April 21 in New York City.
Rebeca Méndez is a designer and artist who has achieved excellence and distinction in both fields. She has an international reputation as a leading voice in the production of socially-grounded, aesthetically rigorous design, innovative media-inflected arts, and monumental permanent public art. Her work revolves around issues of visual communication, the intertwinings of personal identity, public identity and corporate branding, and the development of image culture in networked, transnational political economies. Her straddling and successful development of both a design and art practice is extraordinary and distinguishes her amongst her peers in both fields.
In addition to this medal, Méndez has received significant recognition for her contribution to the communication design field, including the 2012 National Design Award in Communication Design, bestowed by The White House and the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum to honor lasting achievement in American design; a Leipzig/Germany, Bronze Medal; I.D. Magazine ‘Best in Print’ Award and inclusion in the I.D. Magazine Annual Design Review; Graphis Platinum and Gold Awards; and multiple awards from AIGA, The One Club, Type Directors Club, Art Directors Club, and The American Center for Design.
Extended content featuring Rebeca Méndez from An Imaginative Offer, a short film that celebrates the essential role of the arts in society through the unique voices of the UCLA Arts community.