Stefan Sagmeister: Why Beauty Matters

Throughout the most of the 20th and the 21st century beauty has gotten a bad reputation: Most respectable designers claim not be interested in it, the contemporary art world has almost completely abandoned it and you can sit through hours of lectures on architecture without hearing the term uttered once. But a beautiful environment not only changes how we feel, it also changes how we behave. Stefan Sagmeister will talk about why the neglect of beauty is so utterly stupid and what we can do to reverse it.

Reception and book signing | 6:30p
Talk | 7:30p

AIGA member tickets:
To access member pricing visit westmichigan.aiga.org
Click the Member ticket option and you'll be redirected to aiga.org. You'll need to sign in to your AIGA account. Once you've signed in you'll be redirected to Eventbrite where you'll have unlocked your member discount ticket! 

AIGA Student Member: $10
AIGA Member: $25

Limited non-member early bird ticket prices:
General Admission: $25
Student Admission: $10

General admission ticket prices:
General Admission: $35




Stefan Sagmeister has designed for clients as diverse as the Rolling Stones, HBO, and the Guggenheim Museum. He’s a two time Grammies winner and also earned practically every important international design award.

Stefan talks about the large subjects of our lives like happiness or beauty, how they connect to design and what that actually means to our everyday lives. He spoke 5 times at the official TED, making him one of the three most frequently invited TED speakers.

His books sell in the hundreds of thousands and his exhibitions have been mounted in museums around the world. His exhibit ’The Happy Show' attracted way over almost half of a million visitors worldwide and became the most visited graphic design show in history.

A native of Austria, he received his MFA from the University of Applied Arts in Vienna and, as a Fulbright Scholar, a master’s degree from Pratt Institute in New York. He is also an AIGA Medalist, having received the award in 2013. He is recognized for his unorthodox, provocative designs that tweak the status quo and question the designer's role in society.




Thanks to Steelcase for hosting this event.

When & Where
Thu, Mar 22, 2018 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM EDT
Steelcase Town Hall
901 44th Street SE
Grand Rapids, MI 49508