Design+Social Justice Symposium is Sept. 15-16
calendar icon21 Aug 2015
Lincoln, Neb.--The graphic design program in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Department of Art and Art History is hosting a symposium titled “Design + Social Justice” on Sept. 15-16. All events are free and open to the public.
The events and exhibitions of the symposium will highlight the visual communications, stories and portraits of revolutionary social movements and will examine how graphic design is a tool for organizing and inspiring people to act.
Graphic design artifacts, which include buttons, brochures, flyers, street signs, posters and underground newspapers, have been created throughout history to communicate about social causes.
“These graphically designed objects were tools of visual communications and were essential to the organization of social movements,” said Assistant Professor of Art Stacy Asher.
The graphic artifacts that will be exhibited during the symposium represent the role of art as a revolutionary force and how art and design can communicate about a need for social change. The symposium will examine the role of graphic design in creating messages that promote civil and human rights, preservation of the environment and advocacy of equal opportunity.
The featured guest speaker and visiting artist will be Emory Douglas, a former Minister of Culture and artist of the Black Panther Party. In May, Douglas received The Medal of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), the most distinguished award in the field of graphic design. His work will be exhibited at Sheldon Museum of Art through Jan. 3, 2016, and he will be in residence in the Department of Art and Art History from Sept. 14-16.
Douglas will present a free public lecture on Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 5:30 p.m. in Sheldon’s auditorium.
Also attending will be photographer Suzun Lucia Lamaina, a former colleague and student of Farm Security Administration photographer John Collier. Lamaina will be presenting an exhibition of current portraits of former members of the Black Panther Party at Love Library through Oct. 30. Assistant Professors of Art Aaron Sutherlen and Asher are designing a book of these portraits and the members’ stories titled “Revolutionary Grain: Celebrating the Spirit of the Black Panther Party in Portraits and Stories,” which will be published in conjunction with the 50th Anniversary of the Black Panther Party in October 2016.
An exhibition of underground newspapers from the 1960s and 1970s from the collection of Black Panther Party Historian Billy X Jennings will be on display at Love Library through Oct. 30.
Additionally, a collection of graphic design activism for a variety of exhibitions, organizations and causes by Justin Kemerling, an independent designer, activist and collaborator in Omaha, will be on display at Love Library through Oct. 30. Kemerling works with community organizations, political campaigns and change-making startups. His self-initiated projects explore ways to move forward important causes and ideas with design, art and other forms of creative expression.
Douglas, Lamaina, Jennings and Kemerling will participate in a panel discussion moderated by UNL Associate Professor of History and Ethnic Studies Patrick Jones on Wednesday, Sept. 16 at 5:30 p.m. in Love Library’s auditorium. The panel discussion will follow a reception from 4-5:30 p.m. on the second floor of Love Library for the exhibitions on display.
Sutherlen and Asher traveled to San Francisco this spring, where they met with Jennings and saw his archive of underground newspapers.
“To hold these newspapers in your hands from the 1960s and see the stories, was incredible. The newspapers have typography that has been beautifully set with low-tech methods. There was this sense of urgency to get the word out, and the papers were well designed without fussing about the rules of professional page layout,” Asher said. “The newspapers also represent a voice not in the mainstream media. Many of them incorporated a language that was accessible, provocative and powerful.”
Added Sutherlen, “We all think these movements are on social media now, but back then, this was how they got their messages out to the public. What is so interesting was the people promoting civil and human rights, the environment and the advocacy of equal opportunity were all supporting each other. They created this ethos around the struggle for equality and justice.”
The Symposium is sponsored by the Hixson-Lied College of Fine and Performing Arts Visiting Artist Program, Institute for Ethnic Studies, Love Library and the Faculty Senate Convocations Committee. The Sheldon Museum of Art, Humanities Nebraska and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment have also provided generous support.
For a full listing of Design + Social Justice Symposium events, visit https://go.unl.edu/yk4g.
Guest Artists:
Emory Douglas worked as the Minister of Culture for the Black Panther Party from 1967 until the Party disbanded in 1980. His graphic art was featured in most issues of the newspaper, The Black Panther. As the art director, designer and main illustrator for The Black Panther newspaper, he created images that became icons that represented Black American struggles during the 1960’s and 1970s.
In May 2015, Douglas received The Medal of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), the most distinguished award in the field of graphic design.
The Black Panther Party was a revolutionary organization promoting social justice that was active from 1966 until 1980. Community social programs, such as free breakfast for school children, free health and dental clinics, sickle-cell testing, and voter registration assistance were primary activities of the Party. In addition, they formed alliances with other oppressed groups in the struggle for equality and social justice.
Suzun Lucia Lamaina is an independent scholar, social documentary photographer, teacher and photographic historian. Her work focuses on portraiture that reveals the interconnectedness of her subject’s essence and the environments in which they live. A former colleague and student of Farm Security Administration photographer, John Collier, Jr., Lamaina is acutely aware of the visual language of photography and the role it plays in providing a discourse about visual communications. From 1935-1944, photographers and writers, like Collier, were hired by the Farm Security Administration to document the plight of Depression-era farmers that helped shape the image of the Depression in the U.S.
Her forthcoming book, “Revolutionary Grain: Celebrating the Spirit of the Black Panther Party in Portraits and Stories,” will be published in conjunction with the 50th Anniversary of the Black Panther Party in October, 2016.She graduated from the San Francisco Art Institute (BFA), and San Francisco State University (MA). A respected educator, Susanna was awarded “Teaching in Excellence” in 2003 from the University of California, Santa Cruz extension program for her dedication to teaching.
Billy X Jennings is the historian for the Black Panther Party. He grew up in San Diego and moved to Oakland in June 1968. He joined the Party in 1968 after high school and was a member until 1974. He currently works to maintain the legacy of the Black Panther Party, running the website It’s About Time (http://www.itsabouttimebpp.com/).
He will present an exhibition of radical underground newspapers from the 1960s and 1970s, which will be on display at Love Library. The historically significant newspapers represent a voice that was not in the mainstream media. The publications created an ethos around the struggle for equality, civic engagement and justice. Often authored, designed and published by university students, these publications offer insight into the underground press and its vast diversity of visual languages that were both accessible and powerful while inspiring people to action. Selections of these graphic design artifacts include, The Berkeley Barb, The East Village Other, Basta Ya, Berkeley Tribe, San Francisco Oracle, the Chicago Seed and many others.
Justin Kemerling is an independent designer, activist and collaborator living in Omaha, Nebraska, focused on making it beautiful, moving people to action and getting good things done. He works primarily with community organizations, political campaigns and change-making startups in need of branding, graphic design, web design and art direction. His self-initiated projects and collaborations explore ways to move forward important causes and ideas with design, art and other forms of creative expression. View his website at http://www.justinkemerling.com.
Design + Social Justice Symposium Schedule of Events
For a full schedule of events, visit https://go.unl.edu/yk4g. All events are free and open to the public.
Tuesday, Sept 15
1-4 p.m. Social Justice Screenprinting Workshop. Organized by the Nebraska Social Practice Coalition. Sheldon Museum of Art
5:30 p.m. Artist Lecture: Emory Douglas, Revolutionary Artist. Sheldon Museum of Art
Wednesday, Sept. 16
4-5 p.m. Public Reception. Billy X Jennings and Suzun Lucia Lamaina each will give a brief presentation of their works and will be available for questions and discussion. 2nd Floor of Love Library
5:30 p.m. Panel Discussion: “Designing for Justice—the Role of Visual Communications.” Moderated by Patrick Jones, Associate Professor of History and Ethnic Studies at UNL. Featuring Emory Douglas, Billy X Jennings, Suzun Lucia Lamaina and Justin Kemerling. Love Library Auditorium
Ongoing Exhibitions:
• Emory Douglas: “The Struggle Continues”
Revolutionary Art of the Black Panther Party
Sheldon Museum of Art
Aug. 11, 2015-Jan. 3, 2016
Douglas’s imagery is accessible and powerful; it inspires people to action. He is a revolutionary artist and agent of social change. The struggle for justice continues, and Douglas’ art and what the Party fought for are as pertinent as ever.
• Suzun Lucia Lamaina: “Revolutionary Grain”
A collection of contemporary portraits and stories of former members of the Black Panther Party
UNL’s Love Library, 2nd Floor
Aug. 16-Oct. 30, 2015
Lamaina’s work focuses on portraiture that reveals the interconnectedness of her subject’s essence and the environments in which they live.
• Billy X Jennings: “Radical Underground Newspapers”
Alternative newspapers from the underground counterculture of the 60’s and 70’s from the collection of Billy X Jennings.
UNL’s Love Library, 2nd Floor
Aug. 16-Oct. 30, 2015
Black Panther Party historian and archivist Billy X Jennings will present an exhibition of radical underground newspapers from the 1960s and 1970s, which will be on display at Love Library. The historically significant newspapers represent a voice that was not in the mainstream media.
• Justin Kemerling: “Social Cause Posters: Stand Up for Justice”
UNL’s Love Library, 2nd Floor
Aug. 16-Oct. 30, 2015
A collection of graphic design activism for a variety of exhibitions, organizations and causes. Works from the annual poster show hosted by Nebraska Appleseed.
Symposium Website:
https://arts.unl.edu/art/design-social-justice-symposium
Symposium Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/designsocialjustice