School of Visual Arts presents “Which Way Did They Go?” exhibit

The School of Visual Arts (SVA) has announced the “Which Way Did They Go?” exhibition, to be held Thursday, December 15, 2005 through Saturday, January 21, 2006. The exhibit displays work from five alumni of SVA’s Film, Video & Animation Department: John R. Dilworth, Yvette Kaplan, Alex Kupershmidt, Chris Prynoski and Tom Sito. Drawings, sketches, cels, and film and television clips are some of the examples of the artists’ labor to be found in the “Which Way Did They Go?” presentation. To view a full press release for the event, please click “More.”

School of Visual Arts Presents “Which Way Did They Go?” – An Exhibition by Five Top Animation Artists Who Began At SVA

December 15, 2005 – January 21, 2006
SVA Gallery
209 East 23rd Street
NOTE: The gallery will be closed from Thursday, December 22, 2005 through Sunday, January 1, 2006.

Opening Reception: Thursday, December 15, 5 – 7pm
Panel Discussion: Friday, December 16, 6pm

School of Visual Arts (SVA) presents “Which Way Did They Go?”, an exhibition of works by five alumni of SVA’s Film, Video & Animation Department who have created some of the most memorable images in animation history. With nearly 100 years of collective experience in the art and business of animation, exhibiting artists John R. Dilworth, Yvette Kaplan, Alex Kupershmidt, Chris Prynoski and Tom Sito have helped make animation one of the most vital and relevant entertainment media today. The exhibition will be on view from Thursday, December 15, 2005 through Saturday, January 21, 2006 at the SVA Gallery, 209 East 23rd Street, New York City.

“Which Way Did They Go?” features works by the creators of such films as The Lion King, Lilo & Stitch and Beavis and Butt-Head Do America, and the television series King of the Hill, Courage the Cowardly Dog and Downtown. A selection of drawings, sketches, cels, and film and television clips marks career highlights for some of this country’s leading animation artists and traces the development of selected projects from concept to production.

John R. Dilworth (BFA 1985 Media Arts) is New York-based independent animation director and designer whose work has appeared on Nickelodeon, MTV, CBS, Showtime, HBO, Fox, the Cartoon Network, Canal+ and Arte. He has produced and directed 11 short films, including the Academy Award-nominated The Chicken from Outer Space (1995). Dilworth has served as executive producer, director and collaborating writer for the Cartoon Network series Courage the Cowardly Dog, about a timid purple dog that does battle with supernatural forces. Dilworth is the founder and president of Stretch Films, a design and production studio.

Yvette Kaplan (BFA 1976 Animation) has been a director on Fox TV’s King of the Hill, the animation director on Beavis and Butt-Head Do America (1996) and supervising director on the MTV series. Kaplan’s film credits include her work as head of story on Ice Age (2000) and animator on the Emmy Award-winning A Soldier’s Tale (1984), R.O. Blechman’s adaptation of Stavinsky’s theater piece. Kaplan’s television credits include direction on the Emmy Award-winning pilot for WNET’s Cyberchase series and the Nickelodeon series Doug (1991). Kaplan has also been involved in the conceptual development of projects for PBS, Sunbow, Klasky-Csupo, Nick, Jr., Disney Toons and MTV, including the MTV series Daria and Downtown.

Alex Kupershmidt (BFA 1982 Animation) served as the supervising animator on the title character Stitch from the animated feature film Lilo & Stitch (2002), for which he was nominated for a 2002 Annie Award (the animation industry’s Oscar). He was supervising animator for the bear cub Koda in the animated feature Brother Bear (2003); supervising animator for Khan, Mulan’s horse, in Mulan (1998); and co-lead animator for the hyenas in The Lion King (1994). Other films he has worked on during his 15 years with Disney include The Rescuers Down Under (1990), Beauty and the Beast (1991) and Aladdin (1993).

Chris Prynoski (BFA 1994 Animation) directs Megas XLR, the Cartoon Network’s series he created about a young gearhead and his giant toy robot, and was supervising director on MTV’s Emmy Award-nominated series Downtown, which depicts a group of friends living in New York’s East Village. Prynoski created the opening sequence for the 2002 MTV Movie Awards and the hallucination sequence for Beavis and Butt-Head Do America (1996) and directed an episode of the MTV series Daria. Prynoski started his career in New York as a storyboard revisionist at MTV before moving to Hollywood, where he set up his own studio, Titmouse, Inc., to develop television and film projects.

Tom Sito (BFA 1977 Animation) is a 30-year veteran of animated film production who has worked for Disney, DreamWorks and Warner Bros, and is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Sito was animation co-director on Osmosis Jones (2001); a story artist on Antz (1998), Dinosaur (2000) and Shrek (2001); and a storyboard artist, animator and on-set liaison on Looney Toons: Back in Action (2003). His other screen credits include Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), The Lion King (1994), Pocahantas (1995), The Prince of Egypt (1998) and Spirit: Stallion of the Cimaroon (2002). Sito is a partner at Gang of Seven Animation, an independent production studio in North Hollywood, California, and an adjunct professor of Animation at the University of Southern California and UCLA. He is a frequent lecturer and contributor to Animation Magazine and Animation World Network.

LECTURE: East Meets West Animation, a panel discussion with the exhibiting artists, considers the art of animation as it has evolved over the past three decades and explores the similarities and differences between East- and West-Coast animation. The panel’s moderator is Howard Beckerman, a longtime faculty member in the BFA Film, Video and Animation Department at SVA. The event takes place Friday, December 16, 6pm, at School of Visual Arts, 209 East 23rd Street, 3rd-floor Ampitheater; admission is free.

The SVA Gallery, located at 209 East 23rd Street between 2nd and 3rd Avenues, is open 9am to 6:30pm Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday; 9am to 8pm on Thursday, and 10am to 5pm on Saturday. Admission is free. The gallery is accessible by wheelchair. For further information call 212. 592.2145. NOTE: The gallery will be closed from Thursday, December 22, 2005 through Sunday, January 1, 2006.

School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York City is an established leader and innovator in the education of artists. From its inception in 1947, the faculty has been comprised of professionals working in the arts and art-related fields. SVA provides an environment that nurtures creativity, inventiveness and experimentation, enabling students to develop a strong sense of identity and a clear direction of purpose.

Media Contact: For more information, please call Michael Grant, assistant director of communication, 212.592.2011, or e-mail mrgrant@sva.edu.