On May 1, the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada (GDC) honoured Fritz Gottschalk and Stuart Ash with a Vancouver exhibit, showcasing work from their environmental graphic design (EGD) firm, Gottshalk+Ash International (G+A), from 1966 to the present.

With offices in Canada, the U.S. and Switzerland, G+A won international renown over the years with a variety of high-profile projects. In Canada, these included graphics for Expo ’67 and the 1976 Winter Olympics in Montreal, where the firm was founded, and wayfinding signs throughout the Path underground pedestrian walkway system in Toronto, where G+A opened its second office in 1972.

In 2011, G+A was purchased by and folded into Entro, another Toronto-based EGD firm. The founders were supportive of the acquisition.

Former G+A designer and current Entro principal creative director Udo Schliemann spoke at the sold-out exhibit opening in Vancouver.

“The reaction from the audience indicates the design and philosophy of G+A is still very relevant and interesting for the young generation,” says Schliemann, who is also a member of Sign Media Canada’s editorial advisory board (EAB).