ADAI Memories from Dee Johnson
Oh yes, the memories from ADAI. Way to many to even scratch the surface but here goes.... I first joined the group in 1964 when we had meetings at local restaurants and even some at Drake and DMACC. They were more of a social nature and "fun" was the main objective. We had some illustrious speakers like Alan Cober, Bob Peak, Jasper Johns, Milton Glaser, and thanks to Bob Bowers at Drake University, Herb Lubalin.
When Herb Lubalin spoke he was a part of an entire week of celebrating typography and design at Drake University. My students at DMACC made large flash cards that had one letter in a different type style (all hand decorated) and, when they stood up in the back row, it spelled out
U N I V E R S I T Y O F S O U T H E R N A N K E N Y S A Y S H I H E R B ! I wore my high school cheerleading outfit and we even did a cheer for him. It was great fun and he wanted to take the cards with him afterwards so we packaged them up and he took them with him back to New York.
One of the speakers during that week was a man who was designing what he thought could be used as a Universal Alphabet. He had traveled to Russia and just happened to be there during the celebration of their alphabet. He told about the parade and how the citizens made tribute to their letters. At one point, in his presentation, he was standing in front of the 35mm slide projector and the alphabet was super emposed over his face and body. I always thought that was on purpose!
Speaking of FUN meetings.... we always had the annual Clios meeting where we could enjoy the best Commercials of the year. One year we were at Willow Creek Country Club and there was a contest to design and fly the best paper airplane during the meeting. You can only imagine how much fun that was. We laughed ourselves silly.
Then there were the annual picnics where we would rent a shelter house (sometimes at Walnut Woods), get a keg, and vote for the new officers. As is likely the case today, there was a proposed slate of officers (people we begged to take office) and the voting was pretty much a done deal so we just had a great time together and it was a celebration for the outgoing officers and the incoming newbies.
Our meetings were not always so successful. One year the club president, Jan Williams, had invited a costume designer to put on her show at the Art Center and we gathered in the auditorium to enjoy the show. WELL..... needless to say.... it was quite a show when the gal came out in the nude to walk over a film of herself posing in a life drawing scene. There were other acts which shocked some members to the point that they were ready to get up and walk out.... NO KIDDING! Ask me about it or Denny Clark or Harry Watts.
Speaking of Harry.... he has been involved with ADAI since the beginning and also was Chair of the DMACC Advisory board very early on in the Commercial Art Program. I started referring to him as "The Godfather of Commercial Art" and it was a title that stuck. One year, Bob Cunningham ( long time employee of Principal and a great illustrator), drew and produced a life sized poster figure of Harry Watts in a leisure suit. We placed it in the tall grass in his front yard as a joke and he may still have it..... who knows.
Our group was really pretty dull when you think of it. You get all of these creative people into one room and we really should be having more fun. Sometimes we take ourselves way too seriously. That is the best thing about this career... you can work and still love your job.
Ask me.... 36 years of teaching at DMACC and I am still learning and having FUN.
Dee
When Herb Lubalin spoke he was a part of an entire week of celebrating typography and design at Drake University. My students at DMACC made large flash cards that had one letter in a different type style (all hand decorated) and, when they stood up in the back row, it spelled out
U N I V E R S I T Y O F S O U T H E R N A N K E N Y S A Y S H I H E R B ! I wore my high school cheerleading outfit and we even did a cheer for him. It was great fun and he wanted to take the cards with him afterwards so we packaged them up and he took them with him back to New York.
One of the speakers during that week was a man who was designing what he thought could be used as a Universal Alphabet. He had traveled to Russia and just happened to be there during the celebration of their alphabet. He told about the parade and how the citizens made tribute to their letters. At one point, in his presentation, he was standing in front of the 35mm slide projector and the alphabet was super emposed over his face and body. I always thought that was on purpose!
Speaking of FUN meetings.... we always had the annual Clios meeting where we could enjoy the best Commercials of the year. One year we were at Willow Creek Country Club and there was a contest to design and fly the best paper airplane during the meeting. You can only imagine how much fun that was. We laughed ourselves silly.
Then there were the annual picnics where we would rent a shelter house (sometimes at Walnut Woods), get a keg, and vote for the new officers. As is likely the case today, there was a proposed slate of officers (people we begged to take office) and the voting was pretty much a done deal so we just had a great time together and it was a celebration for the outgoing officers and the incoming newbies.
Our meetings were not always so successful. One year the club president, Jan Williams, had invited a costume designer to put on her show at the Art Center and we gathered in the auditorium to enjoy the show. WELL..... needless to say.... it was quite a show when the gal came out in the nude to walk over a film of herself posing in a life drawing scene. There were other acts which shocked some members to the point that they were ready to get up and walk out.... NO KIDDING! Ask me about it or Denny Clark or Harry Watts.
Speaking of Harry.... he has been involved with ADAI since the beginning and also was Chair of the DMACC Advisory board very early on in the Commercial Art Program. I started referring to him as "The Godfather of Commercial Art" and it was a title that stuck. One year, Bob Cunningham ( long time employee of Principal and a great illustrator), drew and produced a life sized poster figure of Harry Watts in a leisure suit. We placed it in the tall grass in his front yard as a joke and he may still have it..... who knows.
Our group was really pretty dull when you think of it. You get all of these creative people into one room and we really should be having more fun. Sometimes we take ourselves way too seriously. That is the best thing about this career... you can work and still love your job.
Ask me.... 36 years of teaching at DMACC and I am still learning and having FUN.
Dee
posted by Gordon at 3:22 PM
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