Communication Arts

Communication Arts (acronym: CA) is the largest international magazine for visual communication. It is based in Palo Alto, California. The magazine was founded in 1959 by Richard Coyne and Robert Blanchard. It covers many topics. These include graphic design, advertising, photography, illustration, typography and interactive media. Patrick Coyne, the son of Richard Coyne, is the editor and publisher of the magazine. As of September 2023, Communication Arts publishes six issues each year. It also organizes six competitions in graphic design, advertising, photography, illustration, typography, and interactive media. The magazine also manages two websites, commarts.com and creativehotlist.com.

 History 
The magazine began in 1959. Its first issue, the Journal of Commercial Art, was released in August 1959.The Journal of Commercial Art, Vol. 1, #1, August 1959, Palo Alto, California It was the first magazine in the United States to be printed using offset lithography.“Yesterday in CA”, Communication Arts, Vol. 31, #2 

After Blanchard left to do other business, Coyne, along with his wife Jean and a small team, continued to write, design and publish the magazine. Eventually, the magazine was selling 38,000 of each issue. 

As of 2021, It was selling 21,000 copies of each issue,Media Kit 2021 This was down from 59,429 in 2009.Media info 

In November 1990, a non-profit organization called the Richard and Jean Coyne Family Foundation was created. This organization has funded programs to support young people from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. It help pay for their education in art schools. Additionally, it gives scholarships for university studies in graphic design, advertising, photography, and illustration.

 Competitions 
The magazine started a yearly contest in 1960. This competition grew and expanded into four separate contests that are held each year. There is  one  contest for graphic design, one for advertising, one for photography, and one for illustration. In 1995, CA added a fifth contest for interactive media. Each of these contests is judged by creative experts. The jurors of each contest give awards based on creativity.

 Websites 
In 1995, Communication Arts became the first notable design magazine to have a website.http://www.audreylynn.net/MIPA/MIPA_Resources.html  Besides showing creativity in visual communication, it also had job listings. In 2001, the section on job listings became its own website called Creative Hotlist. These two websites together get about three million views on their pages and 250,000 different visitors every month.

 Other websites 





 The Richard and Jean Coyne Family Foundation

 References 

Category:American magazines