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Gail Anderson

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Gail Anderson is an American graphical designer and educator based in New York. Her family immigrated from Jamaica and settled in the Bronx. Anderson became a first generation college graduate. She studied design at New York’s School of Visual Arts and continues her involvement there as a design educator and mentor. Anderson has always been influenced by other female designers. She calls out her gratitude to her mentors and her coworkers, specifically Paula Scher, Carin Goldberg, Louise Fili, Henrietta Condak, and Lynn Staley. After graduation Anderson worked briefly at Vintage Books in 1984, then moved to The Boston Globe Sunday Magazine for two years. She later served as Creative Director at SpotCo, an advertising agency focused on creating art for Broadway and institutional theatre. 

Anderson’s poster for Broadway musical La Cage aux Folles. The story follows a gay couple who owns a drag nightclub as their son gets engaged to the daughter of an anti-gay politician. Her design highlights plays off the nightclub themes. Retrieved from https://www.gailycurl.com/Broadway
            
            Anderson then moved on to work for Rolling Stone where she flourished for fourteen years, her unique aesthetic often on display in feature articles. She eventually became their Senior Art Director. Currently Anderson teaches undergraduate and graduate courses at the School of Visual Arts in addition to some high school design classes. She is also currently a partner of Joe Newton in Anderson Newton Design. Throughout her career, Anderson’s innovative designs received numerous awards, including a Lifetime Achievement Medal from the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA).

One of Anderson’s poster’s created for the School of Visual Arts. Retrieved from https://www.gailycurl.com/School-of-Visual-Arts

Anderson is known for her excellence in graphic design, typography and “commercial art.” Her work has been displayed across a variety of two dimensional platforms and extends from magazines, to book covers and posters. Anderson is best known for her on Broadway theatre posters and her work on headline articles in Rolling Stone. It’s difficult to showcase the range and depth of her skill in a limited sample. Anderson’s immense talent stands out in her unique use of the typographic platform to convey the essence of her subjects.

Anderson’s poster for Broadway musical Ragtime. The story follows three characters from different demographics during the early twentieth century. Here her design references the music and culture of the early 20th century. Retrieved from https://www.gailycurl.com/Broadway

            In 2013, Anderson was further honored when she was commissioned by the US Postal Service to create a stamp commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Anderson’s stamp design for 150th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. Retrieved from https://www.gailycurl.com/US-Postal-Service
            Despite the proliferation of Anderson’s work across popular media and entertainment, her notoriety remains limited outside graphic design circles. While greatly appreciated by her peers, the artistry of her typography is vastly underappreciated. She’s incredibly innovative and communicative. Anderson responds to the challenge of capturing the essence of her subjects with type and creates aesthetics that are unique to each person or topic. This is evident in contrasting her Rolling Stone work on Marilyn Manson and Alicia Keys. The visuals are vastly different yet alike in their creative use of type to render an authentic reflection of the subject.

Anderson’s feature page for Rolling Stones’ headline article on Alicia Keys in November, 2001. Her typography often drew inspiration from a variety of materials including this work’s mosaic tile aesthetic. Retrieved from https://www.gailycurl.com/Rolling-Stone
Anderson’s feature page for Rolling Stones’ headline article on Marilyn Manson in January, 1997 features her use of custom type to emphasize Manson’s aesthetic and style. Retrieved from https://www.gailycurl.com/Rolling-Stone
            Anderson’s contributions to design were recognized when AIGA awarded her a Lifetime Achievement Medal. They noted that “She revels in making typography from old and new forms, which is neither modernist nor post-modernist, but rather spot-on contemporaneous” (2008). Anderson has played a major role in current typographic design and continues to make her mark and innovate. She teaches and inspires others in the field. She is especially focused on her students and often looks out for them, especially other women of color. Thus continuing to be a role model and positive influence on young designers.
Sources and Supporting Links:
Anderson, G. Personal Website. https://www.gailycurl.com/

Croll, A. and Ross, J. (27, March 2019) “Gail Anderson: A Lifetime in Design” Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/american-womens-history-initiative/2019/03/27/gail-anderson-lifetime-design/

Danile, J. (23 Oct 2017). "Four Corners - an Interview with Gail Anderson".

Heller, S. (1, September 2008) “Gail Anderson” Retrieved from https://www.aiga.org/medalist-gailanderson

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