When I was 9 or so, I remember going on a drive with my father. … He pointed out a cross on top of a local church and said, ‘You see that up there? I did that.’ To this day, I still smile about it because I don’t know how true that is, but I like to believe that my father did do that. I remember looking up and seeing that cross as this blurred streak of white and red against the blue sky as we drove past—it really is a beautiful memory that I have of a turning point in my life that changed the way I saw the things that surround us. I never took notice of design until this very moment, and I was intrigued not just by the look and shapes of things around me, but this idea that someone created those things—that someone designed those things.
PRINT New Visual Artist Ricardo “Buddy” Bojorquez, 2015
Back when I was the editor of the print version of PRINT, my favorite issue of the year to make, hands-down, was the New Visual Artists quarterly. Now, “New Visual Artists” was never the most … compelling or nuanced name for a design competition—and I can’t tell you who dubbed it that when it launched in 1998—but I can tell you what it became: one of the industry’s most well-known and well-respected “## under 30” lists, which today counts a legion of alumnus working at the forefront of the field.
As anyone who has ever made a newsstand magazine could tell you, you get bogged down in the bottomless mire of deadlines. Veritable clown cars filled with publishers and consultants. Newsstand reports. Digital metrics. Ad sales and their impact on editorial space. And, notably, the often tricky egos of the more famous folks inside.
This is all to say: Every year, the New Visual Artists issue came out in the spring—and it was always, without fail, a wholly fresh reset. Perhaps not unlike Bojorquez in that car, it taught me to see—or at least reminded me how to every year. Interviews with the winners revealed young designers at their most raw, unrestrained, terrified, and optimistic—and the work that wound up on those pages often rivaled the best of the big egos. It was a celebration of hope, and it was inspiring—if not sobering. Working on those issues, you got the sense that you were looking at the future of the field. Looking back at them today largely confirms that assumption was correct.
Of course, it was also kind of terrible. Meaning: We combed through dozens upon dozens of portfolio submissions, and it was electrifying to see so much fresh work in one seismic download. What was subsequently deflating was narrowing the list down to just 15-20 designers. Some of the work left on the editorial floor still haunts me when I think back to that selection process.
But—it’s time to bid the ghosts adieu. Ever since the PRINT partners resurrected the brand as an independent media endeavor after it lay dormant for a year or so, I’ve been hoping they’d bring the NVAs back—and that’s what they’re now doing.
With a twist. (And a most welcome one.)
Sure, the core recognition element will still be there with the 15 Under 30 category. But this year, PRINT is adding a section for artists over 30 in their first five years of practice—recognizing that not everyone has the luxury of attending a design institution immediately following high school and jumping straight into the field afterward. PRINT is also democratizing the top honor by enabling the online community to vote on their favorite portfolio from among all of the featured artists. The NVAs will call upon the heritage of the original showcase while inviting in and reflecting a greater diversity of voices and perspectives.
Ultimately, it’s all about new designers. New ideas. And a collective new creative future.
I’m personally excited that PRINT is relaunching this ode to the emerging artists among us—because as the NVAs have always proved, the best creativity often resides at the start.
As Bojorquez said back in 2015: “Out of nothing you can create everything.”
About PRINT New Visual Artists
We’re on a mission to find tomorrow’s design leaders today—and it’s a mission we’ve been on for more than two decades. Originally launched in 1998 as PRINT’s 20 Under 30 shortlist, the NVA alumni roster is now a veritable who’s who of design innovation and leadership, from Eddie Opara and Alan Dye to Jessica Hische and Zipeng Zhu.
It doesn’t matter what you create, where you went to school, or where you’re employed. A brilliant portfolio wins the day—and at the end of the day, we bring your work to a massive global audience of art directors, hiring managers, conference organizers, and all manner of decision-makers in between. We’ve seen the real-world impact that the NVA program has had on careers, and it’s a program we deeply believe in. Which is why we’re bringing it back—and in all-new ways.
New Visual Artists 2024 is now open for entries. We look forward to celebrating design’s next generation.
Early Bird Deadline for New Visual Artists Ends July 9