Bea Feitler was a graphic designer, art director, educator, and a mentor to young professionals. Originally from Brazil, Feitler eventually found her home in New York City and made a name for herself in the magazine industry. Early on in her career she was named co-art director of Harper’s Bazaar along with Ruth Ansel—both having served as graphic designers under art director Marvin Israel (1924–85) who had been one of Feitler’s instructors at Parsons. Known for taking chances, Feitler and Ansel pushed Harper’s to its limits. Under Feitler’s and Ansel’s direction, Harper’s became one of the first national publications to photograph and feature an African American model. After leaving Harper’s, Feitler got involved with Ms., a liberal feminist publication founded by Gloria Steinem and Dorothy Pitman Hughes. At Ms. Magazine, Feitler was responsible for many controversial covers including one for a December (Christmas) issue, which featured the slogan “Peace on Earth, Good Will toward People”, revising the historically patriarchal statement “Peace on Earth, Good Will toward Men.” Despite a relatively short career, due to her untimely death at age 44, she made a significant impact on magazine design while also taking a stand for feminism and equality. 

TIMELINE

1938 – b Rio de Janeiro
1959 – Attended Parson’s School of Design
1959 – Founds Estudio G in Rio de Janeiro
1961 – Returns to New York as assistant to Marvin Israel at Harper’s Bazaar
1963 (62?) – Named art director at Harper’s Bazaar (with Ruth Ansel)
1965 – First to hire black model in popular U.S. fashion magazine, Harper's Bazaar
1971 – Named art director of startup magazine Ms.
1972 – Left Harper’s Bazaar, transitions to full-time at Ms.
1976 – Left Ms. to start her own company
1982 – d Rio de Janeiro, April 8
1989 – AIGA Medal awarded, posthumously
1991 – Inducted into the Art Directors Club Hall of Fame, posthumously

REFERENCES

Andre, L. T. (1976, Oct 08). Eye® view. Wwd, 133, 36. 

Bea Feitler, Magazine And Book Designer, 44. (1982, April 11). The New York Times.  https://www.nytimes.com/1982/04/11/obituaries/bea-feitler-magazine-and-book-designer-44.html

Bruno Feitler on Bea Feitler (2014, March 18). Hall of Femmes. http://halloffemmes.com/2014/03/bruno-feitler-about-bea-feitler/

Bea Feitler. (1991). ADCglobal. org http://adcglobal.org/hall-of-fame/bea-feitler/

Chetty, D. (2019, February 1). Black History Month: Trailblazing black models who broke barriers. Zoomer. http://www.everythingzoomer.com/style/2019/02/01/black-models-broke-barriers/

Gavin, T. (2017, September 8). The Pioneering female art director you’ve never heard of. AnOther. http://www.anothermag.com/art-photography/10134/the-pioneering-female-art-director-youve-never-heard-of

Meggs, P. (1989, September 1). Bea Feitler. AIGA.org https://www.aiga.org/medalist-beafeitler

Norman, D. (2018, February 2). Black Excellence: The legacy of Donyale Luna. V Magazine. https://vmagazine.com/article/black-excellence-donyale-luna/

Ren, M. (2018). Steinem, Gloria. In S. Bronner (Ed.), Encyclopedia of American studies. MD: Johns Hopkins University Press. 

Sherin, A. (2006, October 20)  Feitler, Bea(triz). Grove Art Online. Ed.   

Steinem, Gloria. (2001). In H. Rappaport, Encyclopedia of women social reformers. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO. 

Stevenson, A. (2016, December 18). “Peace on earth good will to people”: holiday reflections on Ms. Magazine. Australian Women’s History Network.  http://www.auswhn.org.au/blog/peace-earth-good-will-people/

The Editor’s Guest Book. (1964, February). Harper's Bazaar, 97, 93.