Michael Schwab
Michael Schwab (born 1952) is an American graphic designer and illustrator, and principal at Michael Schwab Studio in San Anselmo, California. He was one of the founders of the San Francisco Bay Area postmodern movement in graphic design that later became known as the "Pacific Wave".
Michael Schwab
- Name
- Michael Schwab
- Born
- 1952
- Birthplace
- Ardmore, Oklahoma, US
- Education
- East Texas State University, School of Visual Arts, ArtCenter College of Design
- Occupation
- Designer, illustrator
- Movement
- Pacific Wave design movement
- Nationality
- United States
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Michael Schwab (born 1952) is an American graphic designer and illustrator, and principal at Michael Schwab Studio in San Anselmo, California. He was one of the founders of the San Francisco Bay Area postmodern movement in graphic design that later became known as the "Pacific Wave".
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Key facts
• Name — Michael Schwab • Born — 1952 • Birthplace — Ardmore, Oklahoma, US • Education — East Texas State University, School of Visual Arts, ArtCenter College of Design • Occupation — Designer, illustrator • Movement — Pacific Wave design movement • Website — https: michaelschwab.com/
Biography
Biography
Michael Schwab was born and raised in Ardmore, Oklahoma. In 1970, he attended East Texas State University for two years. It was followed by one year of study of Advertising at School of Visual Arts, and then ArtCenter College of Design, where he received his degree in Graphic Design. In 1975, he moved to San Francisco to work as a poster artist. In the early 1980s a few San Francisco–based designers were nicknamed “The Michaels” because they all had the same name (Schwab, alongside Mabry, Cronan, Manwaring, Vanderbyl), and later they became known as the "Pacific Wave" according to historian Steven Heller. Some of Schwab's more popular works were logos designed for the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, produced during the 1990s. His clients have included Nike, Wells Fargo, Amtrak, Pebble Beach, Muhammad Ali, Robert Redford, and Californians Against Waste. His work is a part of public museum collections at Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMoMA), Victoria and Albert Museum, and National Portrait Gallery.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1952
Michael Schwab born at Ardmore.
Activity and practice
Michael Schwab is recorded as having studied at Art Center College of Design, East Texas A&M University and School of Visual Arts.
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The circumstances in which Michael Schwab stands. Lebenszyklus und Alltag der Bevölkerung Bayerisch-Schwabens im 19.
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Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Watson-Guptill Publications. Graphic Design USA. 175. 1997. 978-0-8230-6518-9.
- 2.The San Francisco Examiner. Michael: They Have Come To Symbolize San Francisco Design. Newspapers.com. 23–27. 26 January 1986.
- 3.Michael Schwab. Graphis magazine.
- 4.The Cover Artist: Michael Schwab. The Bay Club.
- 5.2014 AIGA Medalist: Michael Cronan. American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA).
- 6.Camuffo, Giorgio. Pacific Wave: California Graphic Design. Magnus. 1987. 9788870570700.
- 7.Bierut, Michael. Now You See It and Other Essays on Design. Chronicle Books. 184. 2019-03-12. 978-1-61689-676-8.
- 8.Benton-Short, Lisa. The Presidio: From Army Post to National Park. UPNE. 147. 1998. 978-1-55553-335-9.
- 9.Ep 12: Michael Schwab, Brand genius of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. PodBean Development. August 7, 2018.
- 10.Michael Schwab. FAMSF Search the Collections. 2018-09-21.
- 11.Schwab, Michael. SFMOMA.
- 12.Bridge to the Future. V and A Collections. 2021-01-02.
- 13.Lance Armstrong. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution.
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Michael Schwab studied at Art Center College of Design, East Texas A&M University and School of Visual Arts.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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