The Kellogg Library’s fall context exhibit “Graphis Designers for Peace,” is located on the third floor and features 30 art pieces out of 400 in the collection. Each piece was created by artists all over the world and was selected through an art competition hosted by Graphis and Studio Hinrichs. Many pieces criticize figures of power, and the concept of war, and use different images to gratify their message.  

On October 26, the library hosted an artist reception for the exhibit with Kit Hinrichs of Studio Hinrichs as the speaker. His presentation focused on the visual history of protest posters while also bringing awareness to the war in Ukraine. The head of User Services at the Kellogg Library, Dr. Toni Olivas, who attended the event commented on the exhibit.  

“Graphis Designers for Peace is a compilation of award-winning designs from over 30 countries around the world, which offers global perspectives on peace and the Russian invasion of Ukraine,” Dr. Olivas said. 

Hinrichs introduced his exhibit by diving into the history of protest art, as well as how the art form has been used as a call to action. Protest art is known to cultivate community, inform, and persuade citizens to take action. The art mediums surrounding the movement, which have expanded over time, include but are not limited to typography, print, digital art, and photography. In his presentation, Hinrichs showed protest posters from various social movements and conflicts, such as war, politics, and social justice issues. 

Once the presentation was over, audience members were welcome to express their thoughts. Some praised the power the posters held while others used it as an opportunity to explore how peace calls have changed over the years. The discussion led many to voice their criticisms of the way social media is used to monetize and censor content surrounding social justice issues. Audience members were then free to explore the exhibit and to converse with the Graphis team. 

If you missed the artist reception but would like to visit the exhibit “Graphis Designers for Peace,” make sure to stop by the third floor of the Kellogg Library, where it will be displayed until December 15. To learn more about the exhibit, visit https://biblio.csusm.edu/context-library-series/designersforpeace/.