Michael Schwab Book Signing at Presidio Visitor Center

Michael Schwab book signing event on January 24.

Michael Schwab

Join us for a special book signing with Michael Schwab, celebrating a stunning 50-year retrospective of his graphic art and design. This large-format volume features over 200 vibrant works—along with rare sketches and Polaroids that reveal the creative process behind Schwab’s iconic, heroic style—a true coffee-table treasure for art and design lovers.

More About the Book and Author

Opening with the beloved and iconic Muir Woods design gracing its cover, this retrospective captivates audiences far beyond the graphic design world. Schwab's bold portraits span the breadth of American culture—celebrating chefs and sommeliers, opera and jazz legends, baseball heroes and Olympic athletes, the majesty of National Parks and the romance of the American West with its cowboys, bison, mountain vistas, and locomotives. Each image seduces through graphic simplicity and visual power, distilling complex subjects into their essential heroic forms. From an opera house stage to wilderness trails, from cultural icons to everyday heroes, Schwab's work elevates the ordinary into the extraordinary. His distinctive style—characterized by bold silhouettes, dramatic contrast, and timeless composition—has defined American graphic design for half a century.

"Michael’s iconic designs have helped define the visual identity of these national park sites, connecting places like Muir Woods, Fort Point, Alcatraz, and other beloved parks in a way only he could," said Christine Lehnertz, President & CEO of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. "For decades, his work has sparked awareness and pride, reminding us these parks are deeply woven into the fabric of our community."

"There is a classic quality to his work–contemporary, but never trendy–that unique point of view.”  –  Robert Redford

Clients include: Amtrak, Apple, Major League Baseball, Levi Strauss & Co, National Parks Service, Nike, The North Face, NY Metropolitan Opera, Pebble Beach, Polo Ralph Lauren, Robert Redford, The San Francisco Opera, Scribners, Turner Classic Movies, US Dept. of the Interior, 2002 Winter Olympic Games.

Michael's work is included in the permanent collections of the San Francisco Palace of the Legion of Honor: Achenbach Collection, Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, Library of Congress, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.