'Richard Amsel: A Retrospective' Finishes Up Run at Philly's Rosenwald-Wolf Gallery 5/14

To mark the acquisition of the more than 500-piece collection of illustrations and sketches of alumnus Richard Amsel, The University of the Arts is presenting "Richard Amsel: A Retrospective" at its Rosenwald-Wolf Gallery (333 S. Broad St., Philadelphia). The exhibit continues through May 14th.

The exhibition showcases more than 50 works from the world's largest collection of Amsel sketches and illustrations. The show includes preliminary studies for "Hello Dolly", "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and "Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome" movie posters; Bette Midler album covers and posters; TV Guide cover portraits of Elvis Presley, Lucille Ball, Johnny Carson and Katharine Hepburn, and never-before exhibited or published sketches providing a glimpse into Amsel's process - from initial sketches through finished art. The exhibition and catalogue have been made possible by a grant from the Richard C. von Hess Foundation.

A 1969 graduate of the Philadelphia College of Art (now The University of the Arts), Amsel created some of the most recognizable, iconic show business-related imagery of the late 20th century before he died in 1985. His "AMSEL" signature can be found on posters for more than 30 major motion pictures, close to 40 TV Guide cover illustrations and numerous album covers and concert posters.

A close friend of Amsel's and the director of Late Night Programming at CBS Television in Los Angeles for 15 years, Dorian Hannaway donated the collection and designated it as a teaching resource for the university.

"I believe University of the Arts students will be inspired by seeing Richard's original work," Hannaway said. "My hope is that it will educate future generations of artists. I'm grateful that the university is preserving his art as well as maintaining the legacy of one of its famous alumni."

Once catalogued and conserved, the collection will be made available to scholars and researchers of illustration, film, television and American pop culture of the 1970s and '80s. Ultimately, the retrospective will be made available to travel to other universities, libraries and museums.

The staging of the retrospective is a collaborative effort among University of the Arts Museum Studies students and faculty and entertainment business professionals. Joe Stewart of the Emmy Award-winning Shaffner/Stewart team, set designer for "Friends," "Two and a Half Men" and "Rachael Ray," designed the multimedia environment housing the exhibit.

The University of the Arts is the nation's first and only university dedicated to the visual, performing and communication arts. Its 2,300 students are enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs on its campus in the heart of Philadelphia's Avenue of the Arts. The institution's roots as a leader in educating creative individuals date back to 1868.

For more information visit, www.adammcdaniel.com.

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