Tom Varisco is the owner and creative director of Tom Varisco Designs. He is a member of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) and past president of the New Orleans Art Directors and Designers Association. For over twenty years, Tom has taught a design portfolio class to fourth year students in Loyola University's Visual Arts department. The studio has won numerous design and advertising a
wards, including competitions sponsored by Communication Arts, How, Graphis, Print, Creative Quarterly and other trade journals of the design industry. Tom Varisco has been profiled in Communication Arts, How, Publish and Photo District News and has judged many design competitions. Tom Varisco received the first Fellow Award from the New Orleans chapter of AIGA. This award is given to a designer who "has made a significant contribution to raising the standards of excellence in practice and conduct within their local or regional design community." Publications: DESIRE, an award winning publication of observations and opinions about New Orleans, contains original writing, art and photography and is published by Tom Varisco. Desire is in the permanent collections of the New Orleans Public Library and Tulane University Library Special Collections. SPOILED, Tom's photo book on the refrigerators left out after Hurricane Katrina, became a local best seller and was selected one of the 50 best designed books of 2005 by AIGA national. SIGNS OF NEW ORLEANS is a more recent self-published book and is a short record of both the city's vintage and more recent signage.
