SDSU and Coalition of Art Venues Celebrate Women’s Voting Rights with National Poster Exhibition

A compelling, multi-site poster campaign commemorating the 100th anniversary of the amendment that granted women the right to vote will be exhibited by the SDSU School of Art and Design, and Gather, a coalition of partners from San Diego’s arts community, as part of San Diego Design Week, September 9-13, 2020. The posters will be physically displayed on the venues’ exterior walls and windows starting September 9 through election day, November 3, and will be viewable by the general public from a safe distance.

Get Out the Vote: Empowering the Women’s Vote poster campaign, originated by AIGA and in partnership with the League of Women Voters, commemorates the 19th Amendment, the first legislation for women’s voting rights. Not until the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965 were voting rights of ALL women protected and enforced. In addition to SDSU School of Art and Design, Campaign posters will be installed at Gather partner venues including the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, Bread & Salt, and Art Produce. Poster images will also be viewable online via the San Diego Design Week website.

Art Produce, one of the exhibition venues, will not only exhibit several exhibition posters along its 40’ feet of storefront windows, but it will also serve as a polling place on election day. “This exhibit aligns perfectly with our mission to build community, support public culture and promote civic discourse, said Lynn Susholtz, executive director. “We are happy to join voices with Gather partners and other citizen artists in assuming responsibility to participate in the civic and cultural life of the community.”

A core group of invited women of design submitted the first 63 non-partisan posters, to launch the initiative with their vision and voices. Through these posters, these women joined forces to collectively contribute to the dialogue about design and society.

Poster campaign organizers see this moment in history as an opportunity to inspire women in design, voting rights, citizenship, community, and diversity. The collection aspires to not only support present-day voter participation but to also serve as a backdrop for discourse and examination of the history of voting rights and women’s fight for equality.

Arzu Ozkal, associate professor of graphic design at San Diego State University and participating artist, believes a vote isn’t just a vote but the continuation of a long struggle that first started in 1848. “We have always faced violence, discrimination, racial inequality, the struggle to access health services, and affordable child care,” said Ozkal. “These issues are interconnected, and we must vote to raise our voice and demand better conditions—as all self-identified women.”

Featuring graphic design work from some of the best female designers in the US, the posters are designed to encourage people, especially women to vote in the upcoming election. In addition to Gather venues in San Diego, the posters will travel to the Rhode Island School of Design Museum, Carnegie Mellon’s Miller Institute for Contemporary Art, and Michigan State University’s Union Gallery.

Gather is an innovative coalition of partners from San Diego’s arts community dedicated to collaboration and community building. Gather partners share audiences, create cross-curatorial projects, and produce significant events relevant to our region. Gather is committed to providing opportunities for professional growth for emerging artists and students. Gather partners include San Diego State University, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, Bread & Salt, and Art Produce.

San Diego State University School of Art and Design

https://art.sdsu.edu/

Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego

https://www.mcasd.org/

Bread & Salt

https://www.breadandsaltsandiego.com/

Art Produce

http://www.artproduce.org/

The content within this article has been edited by Lizbeth Persons.