Susan Skarsgard

Susan Skarsgard is an artist & designer from Ann Arbor, Michigan known internationally for her fine art works, artist books, design and calligraphy. Her art installation “Imagine/Align” blooms every spring at the University of Michigan’s Nichols Arboretum in a one-half mile long line of 20,000 yellow daffodils traversing the environment, mapping thought and inspiring contemplation.

She has been a featured speaker for many art and design organizations, conferences & events and has conducted workshops and classes traveling extensively throughout North America, Australia, and Europe. Her work is widely collected by individuals and institutions including the Library of Congress Rare Book Room, University of Michigan Special Collections, University of Delaware, San Francisco Public Library and Smith College. The Newberry Library in Chicago has recently announced it’s intention to collect her papers and work.

Skarsgard apprenticed in the late 1980s with Gerry Campbell, a masterful lettering and type designer from Detroit. She received her MFA in 2004 from the University of Michigan School of Art + Design.

Skarsgard has worked at General Motors Design since 1994. For 12 years she designed vehicle emblems and lettering for automotive nameplates and corporate & brand identity. Currently, she the manager of the GM Design Archive and Special Collections, which she and her staff founded in 2008.

Jump to other speakers

Day 1

Jonathan Hoefler / Philippe Apeloig / Andrew Schapiro / Tom Geismar, Ivan Chermayeff, Sagi Haviv / Paula Scher / Hilary Greenbaum / Rodney Abbot / Larry Pipitone, Eric Collins, Joey Ellis / Christine Taylor / Fredrik Öst, Magnus Berg

Day 2

Johnny Earle aka "Cupcakes" / Gabor Schreier / Julia Hoffman / Brett Wickens / Emily Oberman / Greg Hahn, Ryan Moore / David Heasty, Stefanie Weigler / Roberto de Vicq de Cumptich / Susan Skarsgard / Ty Mattson

Online

Faces of GM profile

Talk Topic

Some of the most beautiful graphic applications of corporate identity design can be found on the chrome “jewelry” of General Motors vehicles. This lecture will present a rich, visual and historic overview of the lettering and emblem design process, illustrated with rarely seen images from the corporate archives.