Graphic design posters arrive at CMU from around the globe
On December 6 and 7 national artists and international artwork will converge in Grand Junction for the co l show. The biennial poster art show and workshop is produced by faculty and students in CMU’s Department of Art & Design.
Faculty and students have been receiving poster artwork from artists based throughout the world for the past several months. The posters do not necessarily follow a specific genre to qualify for the exhibition with themes ranging from the political to straightforward event announcements.
CMU Brand Manager and Graphic Designer Jeremy Smith has worked at CMU for more than a decade and has a vast wealth of experience in the discipline.
“From my observations in past years, this event is about graphic design itself,” said Smith. “The works uses different languages and theories of design to achieve their intended visual communications. The open call for professional submissions allows a wide variety of content, approach and style to be assembled creating a rich and culturally diverse exhibition.”
The goal of co l show is to demonstrate that although communication channels are constantly changing the power of print remains constant.
Along with the exhibition at 437CO, CMU’s downtown art gallery, there will be guest designers in attendance to give artist talks at the reception and to host workshops for CMU graphic design students.
Ben Blount
Ben Blount was born and raised in Detroit. He is a designer and letterpress printer that loves type, teaching, and putting ink on paper. He learned a lot about design at Washington University in St. Louis, a lot about printing at Columbia College Chicago, and filled in the gaps with great mentors and increasingly consistent practice.
Myrna Keliher
Myrna Keliher is an artist based in Kingston, Washington. Mostly she works with words, letters, and the space around them. Usually printing, sometimes painting, every day writing. Myrna runs Expedition Press, a letterpress shop focused on poetry and type. She also co-founded Wild Society, a wilderness education nonprofit, and volunteers for Letterpress Workers International.
Christian Belanger
Christian Bélanger was born in Montréal in 1977. After his studies, he worked as a freelance and independent graphic designer, mainly in the cultural field with several artists, graphic design studios, publishing houses and other interesting clients. Christian’s work got recognized in different graphic design competitions and magazines, and was displayed at the 2007 Les prix Grafika, 10 ans de graphisme au Québec exhibition. In March 2011, hungry for new work experiences, he joined the Cégep Marie-Victorin graphic design department’s team of teachers to broaden his knowledge while helping students on their journey.
Rick Griffith.
Rick Griffith is a graphic designer and master letterpress printer. His work is an erudite exploration of language, history, politics, science, music, and ethics—typographically-focused and relevant. He is known as a passionate advocate for design. His work is represented in the permanent collections of the Denver Art Museum, the Tweed Museum of Art, and the Butler Library of Rare Books and Manuscripts at Columbia University. His work is represented in the permanent collections of the Denver Art Museum, the Tweed Museum of Art, and the Butler Library of Rare Books and Manuscripts at Columbia University.
Friday, December 6:
12:30-4:30pm | workshop #1 with Christian Bélanger
5-6pm | Ben Blount talk at The Western Colorado Center for the Arts
6:30pm | guest designers talk at 437CO art gallery
Saturday, December 7:
9-11:30am | break | 1-4:30pm | workshop #2 with Rick Griffith and Myrna Keliher
9-11:30am | break | 1-4:30pm | workshop #3 with Ben Blount
7-9pm | Closing party at Copeka Coffee
* workshops are only open to CMU design students