Plain language summary: Designed to Be Red: Native American & Indigenous Poster Works

 

This is what you see in this exhibition:

Poster House is showing historical and contemporary pieces by Native American and Indigenous artists. The exhibition is called Designed to Be Red: Native American & Indigenous Poster Works. 

Artists from more than 60 tribes and nations are represented, covering a time period of more than 100 years between 1912 and today.

The exhibition displays 105 posters, artworks, and pieces of ephemera. Ephemera means items like newspapers and calendars that were originally meant to be thrown away but are sometimes collected as special historical objects.

Throughout history, stories of Indigenous peoples have often been oversimplified and talked about like they are things of the past. This exhibition shows us that Native culture is complex, living, and vibrant. The artwork in it celebrates the rich history of Native graphic arts and also highlights particular Native artists. Some posters encourage protest against and resistance to abuse, control, and colonization. Colonization happens when a country takes over a new land, forcing its rules on the people who already live there.

You will see spiritual imagery, symbols, and objects like eagles and drums that can have different meanings for different tribes. Several posters represent a call to action for Indigenous communities. A call to action is a short, clear message that encourages people to do something like participating in the census, an official count of every person living in an area.

Some posters reference traditional crafts like paper-weaving and include modern techniques like digital lettering. This exhibition also highlights special objects like a Gaswéñdah (Two Row Wampum) replica and a Navajo Dye Chart. A Gaswéñdah is a beaded belt made of white and purple rows. It is a physical recording of a 1613 peace agreement between Indigenous and European settlers. A Navajo Dye Chart shows the different plants and natural materials used to dye yarn.

The exhibition has important posters, including:

• Priceless Oil, Henri de Laurencin, c. 1920
• Shrine of Hypocrisy, Akwesasne Notes (Mohawk Nation at Akwesasne), 1975
• Respect Our Vision, Menominee Solidarity Committee, 1976
• Because Once You Enter My House, It Becomes Our House, Jeffrey Gibson and Dana Claxton, 2021
• ᎧᎹᎹ Kamama, Monique Ortman, 2022

Poster House is the first and only poster museum in the United States.