University of New England

The Art of the Message:  Posters New and Old
May 6 – July 6, 2008

Opening Reception
5:00 - 7:00 p.m., May 6th

The Exhibition
With one foot in the world of commerce, the other in the world of art, advertising posters have been with us since the 19th century, promoting products, events and people, urging us to buy, to attend, to vote.

They've been printed beautifully or cheaply, meant to last or be thrown away, meant often to be pasted one over another on the sides of buildings, eventually to be torn down and so destroyed. They have been created by great artists and unknowns, some better known for their posters than any other work they've made.

The present show is neither definitive nor thematic, limited by neither period or subject. It is a random selection from many sources. There are posters promoting exhibitions of art or encouraging us to travel, inspiring our patriotism in time of war or calling us to take political action. Above all, they offer an insight into the culture and the values and the history of their times.