Designspeaks March 19, 2009

Set aside Thursday, March 19th, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. for a very special Designspeaks event at The Cleaners at Ace Hotel Portland. Andrea Marks, Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Graphic Design program at Oregon State University (OSU), will discuss and present her film Freedom on the Fence, which explores the social, political, and cultural significance of poster art in Poland from WWII through the fall of Communism. A sampling of posters from the film project will also be available for viewing at the event.

Whether you are a designer or are simply interested in art/design history, cultural history, or politics, you will want to be at The Cleaners on March 19th. Seating is limited, so please reserve your spot now.

About Andrea Marks

Andrea Marks is an Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Graphic Design program at Oregon State University. She was the recipient of a 1994 National Endowment for the Arts Design Arts Grant for her project titled Women of the Bauhaus. In 1998, she was introduced to Polish posters and quickly became fascinated with both their powerful artwork and unique history. The result of this fascination is Freedom on the Fence, the 40-minute documentary film she produced and directed, which will be presented at this event.

As an educator, her interests in design curriculum extend to exploring new ways in which students engage in learning, particularly in the realm of digital technology. She is the author of Writing for Visual Thinkers, an ebook that explores the intersection of writing and design.

About Andrea’s film, Freedom on the Fence

Freedom on the Fence presents the history of Polish posters from WWII through the fall of Communism and details the evolution of this art form by revealing the revolutionary role posters played in the social, political and cultural life of Poland. The film fuses contemporary footage of Warsaw and Krakow with remarkable archival footage (from the Polish National Film Archive) of posters on the streets and artists at work, to provide context and demonstrate the contribution the art form made to the culture.

Freedom on the Fence has been screened at numerous venues, including the Santa Fe Film Festival, the Los Angeles Polish Film Festival and the Hull International Short Film Festival. More information can be found at
oregonstate.edu/freedomonthefence.

About Designspeaks

The Designspeaks series, developed by Portland AIGA, showcases the most intriguing designers in the Pacific Northwest. Some of our guest speakers in this quarterly series will be stars and some will have managed to maintain a lower profile, but we can assure you; all will be amazing. We’re gearing this series as an intimate venue for the creative community to connect to others, to see what they are doing and how they’re doing it. There is no specific format for Designspeaks. Basically, it’s a small talks gathering intended to inform, inspire and engage. See some work.

Laugh. Cry. Ask questions. But whatever you do, join us, won’t you?

Cost:
Members: $8 in advance/$10 at the door
Non-Members: $18 in advance/$20 at the door
Students: $5
A selection of beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages will be provided. ID required for beer and wine.