Award-Winning Artist, Designer Kelli Anderson to Speak at Loyola University

When Kelli Anderson realized she would be close to home while promoting her new book, the New Orleans-born designer reached out to Daniela Marx to ask if she could come to Loyola University to speak to the students in the School of Communication and Design.

“We absolutely love Kelli Anderson,” said Marx, chair of the Department of Design at Loyola, noting that the school first hosted Anderson in 2015, just as her first book, “This Book is a Camera” was published. “Her work is both brilliant and beautiful – she seamlessly blends science and design to create pure magic. We are so fortunate to know her.”

Anderson, celebrated for her work in graphic design, pop-up books and risograph animations, will speak to students on Nov. 19, from 4:55-6:10 p.m., in Monroe Hall, room 610, on Loyola’s campus. The event is free and open to the public.

Anderson is known for pushing the limits of ordinary materials and formats to seek out possibilities hidden in plain view.  

Working in between code, publishing and animation, she created “This Book is a Camera,” which transforms into a working camera, and “This Book is a Planetarium,” which houses paper devices, including a planetarium, and has sold more than 100,000 copies.

Anderson’s newest book, “Alphabet in Motion: How Letters Get Their Shape,” which explores the history of letterform design, will be released Nov. 18. A feat of paper engineering, the book features an interactive cover, 17 pop-ups, plus multiple experiments in light and shape.

“To me, Kelli Anderson is the ‘paper engineer’ of our era,” said Scott Gericke, Assistant Professor of Design. “In a world dominated by screens and digital stress, her work reminds us of the wonder found in the tangible. I love how she experiments with the physical, acoustic and functional nature of paper – beautifully showcased in her latest pop-up book.”

Anderson received a bachelor of fine arts degree from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and later earned two graduate degrees from the Pratt Institute. She teaches classes at Pratt and The Cooper Union in New York City.

Her work has garnered major attention from numerous media outlets, including Mashable, Kottke, Slashdot, Make, PCWorld, Swiss Miss, Wired, the Toronto Star and NPR. Her work has been published by Wired UK, Gestalten, Rockport Publishing, iDN, How Design Magazine and Hemispheres Magazine.

About the College of Music and Media

The College of Music and Media is comprised of two schools — the School of Music and Theatre Professions and the School of Communication and Design. Students who choose to study in the college prepare for careers in music, theatre, music industry, graphic design, motion design, UX design, filmmaking, strategy, mass media and more.