Be the Change

The idea of the poster as a call to action isn’t new; the concept of using graphics to foster social change is as old as revolution itself. Smart design — with its bold shapes and provocative politicized images — lends itself to the notion of change, and that’s the subject of Drawn to Action: Posters From the AIGA Design Archives, a new exhibit culled from more than 10,000 stylish items in the Denver Art Museum’s AIGA vaults. “Throughout its history, the poster has proved to be a remarkably resilient medium, adapting itself to a variety of uses,” says DAM design curator Darrin Alfred. “Initially a device for commercial advertising, the poster has become synonymous with the freedom of expression. It is an extraordinary medium for social and political influence — a method for giving voice.” Posters in the exhibit, which marks AIGA’s centennial, include work on sociopolitical themes by some of the graphic-design world’s biggest names of the past few decades.

Drawn to Action opens today and runs through January 18 at the DAM, 100 West 14th Avenue Parkway; the show is free with museum admission of $3 to $13. For details, go to denverartmuseum.org or call 720-865-5000.

Tuesdays-Sundays. Starts: Dec. 15. Continues through Jan. 18, 2013