Signs of Resistance

A Visual History of Protest in America by Bonnie Siegler

September 20  — November 29, 2018

“This exhibition is a small collection of visual expressions of resistance throughout American history. People used the weapons they had at their disposal: paper and pen. Their only “client” was their conscience. Every protest image was made because someone felt compelled to act out of a belief in what they felt was right.

Hopefully, we can learn from these past movements, and apply those lessons to our resistance today. While I was compiling the book, Signs of Resistance, which inspired this exhibit, I went back and forth between rage and hope–rage because, to quote a favorite sign at the Women’s March, ‘I can’t believe we are still protesting this shit.’ And hope because looking at these images reminded me that there have been other dark, shameful chapters in American history, and yet somehow democracy survived. Because we did what we do best: We kept fighting.”

– Bonnie Siegler

Designers & Photographers

  • André Carrilho

  • Berkeley Political Poster Workshop

  • Billy Apple

  • Bob Adelman

  • Boston Women's Health Collective

  • Brian Allen

  • Danny Lyon

  • Darla Jones

  • David McNew

  • Gary Taxali

  • Herb Lubalin

  • Jeff Scher

  • Kisha Bari

  • Mike Matthews

  • Paola Mendoza

  • Robert Coburn

  • The Chicago Women’s Graphics Collective

Curators

Bonnie Siegler

Bonnie Siegler, voted one of the fifty most influential designers working today by Graphic Design USA, founded and runs the award-winning design studio Eight and a Half. She is best known for her design work for Saturday Night Live, the Criterion Collection, HBO, Late Night with Seth Meyers, StoryCorps, Participant Media, and Newsweek. She has taught at the graduate level for many years at the School of Visual Arts and Yale University, conducted workshops at the Maryland Institute College of Art and Rhode Island School of Design, and judged design competitions all over the place. She is the author of Signs of Resistance: A Visual History of Protest in America and of Dear Client, This Book Will Teach You How to Get What You Want from Creative People.

Civilization

Civilization is a design practice that works with causes, clients and partners that share their commitment for creating positive change. They do this by building identity systems, digital experiences, printed materials, environmental graphics and exhibitions. Through hosting workshops, lectures, their interview series–Beyond This Point, and their non-profit gallery, Non-Breaking Space, they hope to inspire conversation and connection. They are the recipient of the National Design Award for Communication Design from the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, and the Webby Award for Best Activist Website. Their internationally recognized work is included in the permanent collection of SFMOMA and the Milton Glaser Design Archives at SVA.

Gallery