Sheila Levrant de Bretteville
Encyclopedia
Sheila Levrant de Bretteville is a graphic designer, artist and educator whose work reflects her belief in the importance of feminist principles and user participation in graphic design
. In 1990 she became the director of the Yale University
Graduate Program in Graphic Design and the first woman to receive tenure at the Yale University School of Art.
In 1971 de Bretteville founded the first design program for women at the California Institute of the Arts
, and two years later co-founded the Woman's Building
, a public center in Los Angeles
dedicated to women's education and culture. In 1973, de Bretteville founded the Women’s Graphic Center and co-founded the Feminist Studio Workshop (along with Judy Chicago
and Arlene Raven
), both based at the Woman's Building. In 1980 she initiated the communication design program at the Otis College of Art and Design
.
De Bretteville has had a lifelong interest in communal forms of art, which she believed were an essential component of the Feminist Art movement
. In 1973, she created "Pink," a broadside meant to explore the notions of gender as associated with the color pink, for an American Institute of Graphic Arts exhibition about color. This was the only entry about the color pink. Various women including many in the Feminist Studio Workshop at the Woman's Building submitted entries exploring their association with the color. De Bretteville arranged the squares of paper to form a “quilt” from which posters were printed and disseminated throughout Los Angeles. She was referred to by the nickname "Pinky" as a result. She was the only artist to choose pink.
De Bretteville has worked extensively in the field of public art
creating works embedded within city neighborhoods. One of her best-known pieces is "Biddy Mason
's Place: A Passage of Time,” an 82-foot concrete wall with embedded objects in downtown Los Angeles that tells the story of Biddy Mason
, a former slave who became a midwife in Los Angeles and lived near the site. In “Path of Stars,” completed in 1994 in a New Haven neighborhood, de Bretteville documented the lives of local citizens—past and present—with 21 granite stars set in the sidewalk.
De Bretteville holds degrees from Barnard College
and Yale University and has been awarded Honorary Doctorates from the Moore College of Art and California College of the Arts
. She has been honored with many awards including a 2004 Gold Medal from the American Institute of Graphic Arts, the most distinguished in the field in recognition of exceptional achievements, services or other contributions to the field of design and visual communication.
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
. In 1990 she became the director of the Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
Graduate Program in Graphic Design and the first woman to receive tenure at the Yale University School of Art.
In 1971 de Bretteville founded the first design program for women at the California Institute of the Arts
California Institute of the Arts
The California Institute of the Arts, commonly referred to as CalArts, is located in Valencia, in Los Angeles County, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the United States created specifically for students of both the visual and the...
, and two years later co-founded the Woman's Building
Woman's Building
The Woman's Building was an non-profit arts and education center located in Los Angeles, California, in the United States. The Woman's Building focused on feminist art and served as a venue for the women's movement and was spearheaded by artist Judy Chicago, graphic designer Sheila Levrant de...
, a public center in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
dedicated to women's education and culture. In 1973, de Bretteville founded the Women’s Graphic Center and co-founded the Feminist Studio Workshop (along with Judy Chicago
Judy Chicago
Judy Chicago is a feminist artist, author, and educator.Chicago has been creating artwork since the mid 1960s. Her earliest forays into the art world coincided with the rise of Minimalism, which she eventually abandoned in favor of art she believed to have greater content and relevance...
and Arlene Raven
Arlene Raven
Arlene Raven was a feminist art historian, author, critic, educator, and curator...
), both based at the Woman's Building. In 1980 she initiated the communication design program at the Otis College of Art and Design
Otis College of Art and Design
Otis College of Art and Design is an art and design college in Los Angeles, California.The school's programs, accredited by WASC and National Association of Schools of Art and Design, include four-year BFA degrees in illustration, fine arts, graphic design, architecture, landscape design, interior...
.
De Bretteville has had a lifelong interest in communal forms of art, which she believed were an essential component of the Feminist Art movement
Feminist art movement
The feminist art movement refers to the efforts and accomplishments of feminists internationally to make art that reflects women's lives and experiences, as well as to change the foundation for the production and reception of contemporary art. It also sought to bring more visibility to women within...
. In 1973, she created "Pink," a broadside meant to explore the notions of gender as associated with the color pink, for an American Institute of Graphic Arts exhibition about color. This was the only entry about the color pink. Various women including many in the Feminist Studio Workshop at the Woman's Building submitted entries exploring their association with the color. De Bretteville arranged the squares of paper to form a “quilt” from which posters were printed and disseminated throughout Los Angeles. She was referred to by the nickname "Pinky" as a result. She was the only artist to choose pink.
De Bretteville has worked extensively in the field of public art
Public art
The term public art properly refers to works of art in any media that have been planned and executed with the specific intention of being sited or staged in the physical public domain, usually outside and accessible to all...
creating works embedded within city neighborhoods. One of her best-known pieces is "Biddy Mason
Biddy Mason
Bridget "Biddy" Mason was an African American nurse and a Californian real estate entrepreneur and philanthropist.-Early life:...
's Place: A Passage of Time,” an 82-foot concrete wall with embedded objects in downtown Los Angeles that tells the story of Biddy Mason
Biddy Mason
Bridget "Biddy" Mason was an African American nurse and a Californian real estate entrepreneur and philanthropist.-Early life:...
, a former slave who became a midwife in Los Angeles and lived near the site. In “Path of Stars,” completed in 1994 in a New Haven neighborhood, de Bretteville documented the lives of local citizens—past and present—with 21 granite stars set in the sidewalk.
De Bretteville holds degrees from Barnard College
Barnard College
Barnard College is a private women's liberal arts college and a member of the Seven Sisters. Founded in 1889, Barnard has been affiliated with Columbia University since 1900. The campus stretches along Broadway between 116th and 120th Streets in the Morningside Heights neighborhood in the borough...
and Yale University and has been awarded Honorary Doctorates from the Moore College of Art and California College of the Arts
California College of the Arts
California College of the Arts , founded in 1907, is known for its broad, interdisciplinary programs in art, design, architecture, and writing. It has two campuses, one in Oakland and one in San Francisco, California, USA...
. She has been honored with many awards including a 2004 Gold Medal from the American Institute of Graphic Arts, the most distinguished in the field in recognition of exceptional achievements, services or other contributions to the field of design and visual communication.
Further reading
- Video Interview with Sheila de Bretteville 1990
- Video Interview with Sheila de Bretteville 2008
- AIGA Medalist, Sheila de Bretteville
- EmigreEmigre magazineEmigre was a graphic design magazine published by Emigre Graphics between 1984 and 2005; it was first published in 1984 in San Francisco, California, USA...
51: First Things First, 1999. http://www.emigre.com/EMag.php?issue=51 - “Good Design Is Feminist Design”: An Interview with Sheila de Bretteville