SIMBIG50 Catalog

500 pages 500 images

The SIMBIG50 catalog celebrates the story of the first 50 years of an undergraduate college experiment that has influenced the lives of hundreds of young artists, entrepreneurs, technical wizards, teachers, UX designers, curators, and tattoo artists (to name a few) that have graduated with a Studio for Interrelated Media (SIM) BFA degree from the Massachusetts College Art and Design in Boston, Massachusetts. It is a special time for MassArt as 2023 marks its 150th year as the first freestanding public college of art and design in the country, and the nation’s first art school to grant a degree. SIM is the first program of its kind in the United States and continues to be at the cutting edge of interdisciplinary education, experimental arts and social practice. 

The authors believe that the SIM program has a unique story to tell about the potential of giving students the freedom to experiment, to fail, to persist and ultimately take ownership of their academic journey. For some readers, this will be a nostalgic experience and for others, the first time you’re hearing about SIM.

We present this story in a way that reflects the perspective of the students who created it by capturing their energy, playfulness, irreverence and hard texts. This 500-page catalog acts as an archive that features 500 images, three new essays, five reproduced texts, profiles of founding faculty and featured alumni, a SIM timeline, and a glossary. The design and typography takes cues from the innovative, printed ephemera designed by the students from the program. Images are intentionally placed to emulate the experience of uncovering the archive right before you. We invite you to make your own connections and to be inspired by the past, forging new ways to create for the future.

In the age of AI, entrenched ideologies and massive global challenges we think the time is right to be reminded that freedom of expression, play and experimentation are essential to the human spirit. 

Curated by Evan F. Smith, Nita Sturiale and Sam Toabe
Written by Kate Redmond and Nita Sturiale with contributions by John Engstrom, Mary K. Grant, Dawn Kramer, Jeff McLaughlin, Dana Moser, Juan Obando, Susan Orlean, Evan F. Smith, Robert Taylor, and Ron Wallace.
Designed by Mary Yang (Open Rehearsal)
Edited by Danielle Weindling

Typeset in Trade Gothic and Courier New
Printed at GHP in West Haven, CT

ISBN: 979-8-218-15492-9

For more information visit https://massartsim.org/simbig50catalog/