Johanna Drucker, distinguished professor of information studies in UCLA School of Education and Information Studies, has received the 2021 Steven Heller Award for Cultural Commentary from the American Institute of Graphic Arts. Drucker was recognized by AIGA for her prolific yet unpredictable work as a leading scholar of graphic design, print culture and book history as well as her impact through graphic design history textbooks to shape students and welcome the next generation of designers.
Drucker, the Martin and Bernard Breslauer Professorship in Bibliography, is internationally known for her work in the history of graphic design, typography, experimental poetry, fine art and digital humanities. In addition, she has a reputation as a book artist, and her limited edition works are in special collections and libraries worldwide. She is also currently working on a database memoire, ALL, and the online Museum of Writing in collaboration with University College London and King’s College.
Established in 2017, the Heller Prize celebrates critical thinking about design and the profession and encourages development in the next generation of design voices through a variety of media. The award is named for Heller, a former New York Times art director, instructor at the School of Visual Arts, and a prolific author of anthologies, criticism, and other publications on graphic design.
Read a Q&A with Drucker.
