Imaging Today's Labor Movement

Activist artists Zoeann Murphy and Josh MacPhee (JustSeeds.org) want to put a new face on the labor movement. To that end they've put out a call for poster designs, the best of which will be exhibited in NYC and also printed and distributed nationwide. The full details are below:

The American labor movement has an amazing history of graphic production, creating some of the most effective political images in the history of this country. However, work and workers, along with the labor movement, are often depicted as experiences of the American past: photographs of children in factories in the early l900’s, paintings of Joe Hill or Rosa Parks, historic strikes and Rosie the Riveter.

Now the labor movement needs new images of the issues confronting workers today. We are asking innovative artists to create posters that relate to today’s workers. Twenty-five posters will be chosen to exhibit. Five designs will be selected for mass printing and distribution in union halls, schools, and community centers around the country.

Posters can be in full color, and must be 19” x 25” (horizontal or vertical). All submissions must be received by February 12, 2007 for an exhibit in April. The exhibit will be at the Bread & Roses Gallery in the Martin Luther King Jr. Labor Center in Time Square, New York City.

This project is sponsored by the Workforce Development Institute, Bread and Roses Cultural Project of 1199SEIU, and JustSeeds.org., and curated by Zoeann Murphy and Josh MacPhee (Stencil Pirates). For more information contact Zoeann.Murphy[at]gmail{dot}com or josh[at]justseeds{dot}org.

Specifications:
We are asking you to design a poster (or multiple posters).

- The poster designs can be full color
- All posters must be 19"x 25", either horizontal or vertical orientation
- Posters must be made available as full-sized 300 dpi digital files. If you do not work digitally, we can work out scanning of your design if it is chosen.
- The posters designs should fall into one or more of the following categories:

The Environment & Labor
Immigration & Labor
Women & Labor
Diversity in the Labor Movement
Organizing

More information about each of these categories is available from Zoeann. If you want a list of resources, you can contact her at: Zoeann.Murphy[at]gmail{dot}com or by mail at
The Workforce Development Institute, 24 4th St. Troy, NY 12180.

Deadline:
All poster designs must be received by February 12, 2007. Designs can be sent in two ways:

Via email-
Initially send 9.5"x12.5" images as 72di jpg files. We will follow up with you to receive full size files (remember, design your posters at 19”x25”, 300 dpi or larger!).

Via regular mail-
a) You can send a CD of your full size file (300dpi, 19"x25")
b) If you are sending actual artwork, please send protected and flat, or in a tube. We will not be able to return artwork unless you include money for return postage.