Talk About with Patrick Coyne of Communication Arts

June 04, 2009 Filed Under: Events 1 Comments

Thursday evening, May 14th at the Charlotte Chamber capped a perfect day with Patrick Coyne. Charlotte's creative community -- copywriters, designers, educators, photographers and students flocked into the hall and enjoyed a lively reception, mingling with Patrick before the evening presentation began.

Earlier in the day, Patrick conducted a portfolio review with local design students and awarded Ellen Dykes from Winthrop University with a free subscription to CA for the most compelling portfolio. Mr. Coyne's tour of the Southeast began on May 10th in Hampton Roads, Virginia followed by Richmond, Raleigh, Charlotte and was to wind down the following day in Columbia, South Carolina. All five of the AIGA Chapters pulled together to sponsor and host Patrick's presentations. Like Charlotte, several of the Chapters organized student activities. For the Charlotte student runners up, Patrick personally autographed 50th Anniversary Annuals for each.

As Patrick stepped out in front of an attentive and full house at The Charlotte Chamber, the technicolor journey of Communication Arts began. In 1959 under the watchful eyes of his father and business partner. Dick Coyne and Bob Blanchard nurtured CA through it's infancy. Several years later, Bob moved on, leaving Dick to build the magazine into the mature publication it is today.

Like any business, the beginnings were humbling and bumpy. Since that time, ever changing technology has seen to it that for the publishing world over, n'er a dull moment is found. The unique concept of CA -- documenting realms of creative communication in a comprehensive way -- found it's legs and grew stable roots in the domestic and now international professional design community.

Patrick's presentation followed a traditional path of the publication's history -- beginning, middle and end, meaning 'now.' Communication Arts has tracked and documented emerging technologies, increasing modalities of expression and new categories of interactive and motion. Every year, the publication has hosted a series of annual competitions judged by the accomplished designers of our time. Patrick explained the process of receiving, cataloging and judging the thousands of international entries which flood the offices during submission periods.

In conclusion, Patrick answered many compelling questions such as: what was the most unusual submission? To which he answered, 'an organ.' One of the delivery services had inadvertently delivered a human organ packed in dry ice to his office by mistake. Fortunately, all worked out in the end, but the mistake was notable. To me, many designers do put their heart and souls, blood sweat and tears into their work. Here was an organ showing up at competition time by mistake. An apt metaphor for how designers set themselves and their work apart could not have been more fitting or humorous.

Wrapping up, two door prizes were drawn: Natalie Schultze won the raffle for the subscription to CA at the event; Dimeji Onafuwa won $1000 in digital printing generously provided by one of the event's partners, Knight Press.

On a personal note, having begun my own design career in the 80s, I found myself waxing nostalgic over photos depicting history that happened in my lifetime, though already sepia toned in my memory banks. If I reflect on my career as paralleling the changing technology, CA has been the only real constant -- providing regular and much needed reassurance that while more change was coming, I would adapt and survive. CA consistently bolstered and inspired my fragile confidence. It was an honor to meet the man behind the magazine. To experience his kindness, knowledge and observe his generosity formed an impression I will carry with me for the rest of my life.

Photo Credit: Armando Bellmas Photography (http://www.bellmas.com)

Written by: Jenna MacFarlane, Speaker Coordinator of AIGA Charlotte