Article written by Christian Ceci, February 2026
Vincent Blaise Ceci was a native New Yorker, having grown-up in the East New York section of Brooklyn. This anchored a perennial Dodgers-turned-Mets fandom, and all the perseverance and expletives that task would require. His career in Commercial Art began by apprenticing in studios while a student at Manhattan’s School of Industrial Arts (now High School of Art and Design). He went on to attend The Cooper Union at night, where he studied under Henry Wolf – during which time he worked days as Associate Art Director at William Esty Advertising Agency.
Following graduation (‘60, Art), he began a 12-year tenure as Designer at Push Pin Studios, working alongside a number of fellow Cooper alumni – including Milton Glaser and Seymour Chwast, with whom he remained friends for 60 years. During this time he contributed graphic efforts to a variety of distinguished advertising and marketing campaigns, including memorable series for Barron’s and McGraw-Hill. Among the numerous logo, book, journal, magazine, and poster designs credited to him, his role as Associate Art Director for the studio’s reimagining of Audience Magazine remained a favorite.
Other notable projects include program album layouts for musicians such as Peter, Paul & Mary, Simon & Garfunkel, and Carly Simon. This body of work garnered him awards from various trade organizations, including Art Director’s Club, Type Director’s Club, Society of Publication Designers, and AIGA. A collaborator in numerous studio exhibitions and retrospectives, in 1970 he participated in the creation and installation of “The Push Pin Style”. Traveling through Tokyo, Brazil, and various European cities – this became the first American graphic design studio show to be presented at the Louvre.
In 1972 he collaborated with Lionel Winograd and Al Amato on a line of colorful modern lamps, highlighted as “Best in Class” in New York Magazine. From 1976-1980, he was Art Director at Macmillan Publishing, heading Teacher and Industrial Education magazines. After this stint, he turned his focus toward a variety of freelance projects, including frequent contributions to Scholastic’s Games and UPDATE magazines, and a brief interim as Art Director for Connoisseur Magazine.
In 1983, he helped usher-in the digital age as Design Director of Scholastic’s fledgling Family Computing (later Home Office Computing), which remained in publication for 15 years – and K-Power magazine. During this period, he also maintained a teaching position at Parsons School of Design. Vincent retired from the graphic arts profession [but not from his SoHo touchstone McSorley’s Ale House!] in 2001 – after which he helped establish and coach the St. Thomas Aquinas College tennis team with his beloved wife Susan.
Vincent Blaise Ceci passed away on January 21, 2026. His family was everything to him; he will be missed.
Vincent’s Online Obituary and ‘Guest Book’ can be found here.