WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — An internationally traveling poster show that has graced the walls of exciting venues like the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is on exhibit at The Gallery at Penn College through Oct. 11.
The National Poster Retrospecticus (NPR) features hand-printed posters made by prominent designers from around the world. The display of 100 posters at Pennsylvania College of Technology offers a comprehensive and eclectic mix of posters, including “gig posters” created for musical performances, as well as prints celebrating America’s national parks.
“Our students are very excited, as am I, about the NPR show,” said Nicholas L. Stephenson, graphic design instructor. “Poster shows like this one are important because they articulate both the designer's personal artistic vision and because they are representative of the times in which they are created. This is a great show for anyone who is interested in design, music and/or art. It's a rare opportunity to see work close up from some of today's most important and influential graphic designers and illustrators.”
The NPR's mission is to celebrate the handmade aesthetic through screen-printed posters and help spread that enthusiasm around the world. The show also aims to facilitate a dialogue based around printmaking and poster design. The NPR is produced by JP Boneyard, the artistic name of John Boilard, a designer and event producer based in Austin, Texas.
Among notable artists included in the NPR are Aaron Draplin, Hatch Show Print, Tara McPherson, DKNG, Aesthetic Apparatus, Methane Studios, Tom Whalen, Jason Munn and Daniel Danger.
In addition to the traveling posters, The Gallery at Penn College is featuring a section of posters created by Penn College graphic design alumni.
A reception for the exhibit will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 13. A lecture by Steven Brower, an award-winning graphic designer, author and educator, will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the Student & Administrative Services Center Room 1056 (known as the Presentation Room). The events and exhibit are open and free of charge to the public.
Brower is the former creative director for Print magazine, and has been an art director at The New York Times and The Nation. He is co-author and designer of “Woody Guthrie Artworks,” and author of “Satchmo: The Wonderful Art and World of Louis Armstrong,” among other books. His work regularly appears in international and national design annuals and books on design, and he writes for several publications.
During his tenure, Print garnered two National Magazine Awards for General Excellence and gold and silver awards from the Society of Publication Designers. His work has been honored by AIGA, ADC Global, the American Center for Design, the Brno Biennial, the Martin Biennale, and the Type Directors Club, among others. His work is in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution. He is director of the MFA program for designers, illustrators and working professionals, and associate professor and area coordinator of illustration at Marywood University in Scranton.
Located on the third floor of Madigan Library, The Gallery at Penn College is open 2 to 7 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays, and 1 to 4 p.m. on Sundays. It is closed on Saturdays and Mondays, and will be closed on Sunday, Sept. 3.
In addition to serving as an educational resource for Penn College students and a cultural asset to the college and community, the gallery is dedicated to promoting art appreciation through exhibitions of contemporary art.
For more about The Gallery at Penn College, visit www.pct.edu/gallery. For more about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education, visit www.pct.edu, email admissions@pct.edu or call toll-free 800-367-9222.