The unveiling for the Syracuse Poster Project will be held April 16 at City Hall Commons.
The Syracuse Poster Project will unveil its 14th annual poster series Thursday, April 16, from 6 to 8 p.m. at City Hall Commons, 201 E. Washington St.
The Syracuse Poster Project brings together community poets and Syracuse University artists to create an annual series of poetry posters for the city’s poster panels. Each year, writers from throughout the community submit haiku about downtown, the city or the nearby countryside. Students from the University’s illustration department then create posters based on the haiku of their choice. The project selects the top posters and displays them along Salina and Warren streets, beginning in April.
Since its founding in 2001, the Poster Project has worked to enliven downtown and strengthen the city’s sense of community. The project highlights Syracuse culture and creativity, and reaches beyond the city through the sale of poster prints, note cards and poetry.
This year’s series includes 15 posters by senior illustration students and one poster by professional illustrator Roger DeMuth. A longtime instructor in the University’s illustration program, DeMuth co-founded the Poster Project and oversaw students participating in each of the annual series, including the 2015 series. He retired at the end of 2014. Going forward, the project will work with John Thompson, another longtime professor of illustration at Syracuse University.
At the unveiling, poets and artists will meet for the first time and briefly present about their work. Shortly after the unveiling, the Downtown Committee of Syracuse will install the posters along Salina and Warren Streets. The posters remain on display for a year.
The annual production of posters is made possible by in-kind support from the Downtown Committee and financial support from corporate sponsors. This year’s supporters include: C&S Engineers, Seneca Federal Savings and Loan Association, Anaren Microwave, Byrne Dairy, Geddes Federal Savings and Loan Association, KS&R, King & King Architects and Hueber-Breuer Construction Corp. This year’s series also received funding from Onondaga County, Tomorrow’s Neighborhoods Today and CNY Arts, a re-grant program of the New York State Council on the Arts.
The Poster Project reaches the larger community by selling poster products, including poster prints, note cards and poetry booklets. It also exhibits a complete set of the prints at a different downtown venue each month. Prints can be purchased at Eureka Crafts in Armory Square, at the Copy Centers, 131 S. Salina St., and at the Poster Project’s online store: http://www.posterproject.org. All proceeds help the project become self-sustaining.
The 2015 poet-artist combinations include:
Poet Kelly Barbagos/Artist Tyler Poyant
Poet Ashley Brazeal/Artist Biko Walker
Poet Alexa Carter/Artist Christina Mastrull
Poet Christopher Caskey/Artist Rob Byers
Poet Cynthia DeKing/Artist Frances Matos
Poet Alex DeSantis/Artist Dylan Cownie
Poet Rahcel G. deVries/Artist Lise Sukhu
Poet Beth Dingey/Artist Ryan Brondolo
Poet Peggy Droz/Artist Roger DeMuth
Poet Bethaida González/Artist Anna Ellis
Poet Sally Hendee/Artist Yue “Eva” Wang
Poet Jim Kenty/Artist Kejun Zhao
Poet Ellen McNeal/Artist Dianna Wendell
Poet Roseanne Olszweski/Artist Gabrielle Bittel
Poet Sara Parrott/Artist Yue “Eva” Wang
Poet Thomas Stock/Artist Sophia Openshaw
