Designed by
Anderson, Gail, American, born 1962
Illustrated by
Allen, Terry, American
Subject of
President Obama, Barack, American, born 1961
School of Visual Arts, American, founded 1947
Date
2009
Medium
ink on paper (fiber product)
Dimensions
H x W: 45 7/8 × 30 in. (116.5 × 76.2 cm)
Caption
Gail Anderson is a New York based designer and partner at Anderson Newton Design. Since 1987, Anderson has worked in the field of design at design firms, advertising agencies, and publications. Her work has received awards from major design organizations, including the Society of Publication Designers and the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA). In 2008 she received a Lifetime Achievement Medal from the AIGA. Anderson currently works as Creative Director at the School of Visual Arts Press and is on the Citizen Stamp Advisory Committee for the US Post Office. In 2013, the US Postal Service commissioned Anderson to design the commemorative stamp for the sesquicentennial of the Emancipation Proclamation. Anderson was only the second African American designer tapped to design a commemorative stamp, the first being Georg Olden who designed the Proclamation’s 100th anniversary stamp in 1963.
Description
This is a subway poster for the School of Visual Arts designed by Gail Anderson and illustrated by Terry Allen, featuring a quote from President Barack Obama and an illustration of a red, white, and blue pencil. The poster has a black background with white text. Across the top margin is white text that reads “IN REAFFIRMING THE GREATNESS OF OUR NATION, / WE / UNDERSTAND / THAT / GREATNESS / IS NEVER A / GIVEN.” The text is continued in the bottom right quadrant “IT / MUST / BE / EARNED. / PRESIDENT BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA / Inaugural Address – January 20, 2009.” In the center of the poster is a large poster with the shaft striped, red, white, and blue. The collar of the pencil is colored to resemble wood. The pencil’s point is outlined in blue and form a triangle the gradually form the splayed legs of a human figure at the tip of the pencil. The figure has a small rectangle for a head, a triangle for a body, and two angular arms that emerge from the shoulders and rest on the figure’s hips. There is a small red flower on the figure’s chest over its heart. In the bottom right corner is a small red flower, the logo of the School of Visual Arts. White text next to the flower reads “School of VISUAL ARTS / SVA.EDU.” This is followed by copyright information.
Place depicted
New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America
Classification
Decorative Arts, Craft, and Design
Memorabilia and Ephemera - Advertisements
Type
posters
Topic
Activism
Art
Design
Education
Graphic design
Credit Line
Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Gail Anderson
Object number
2020.11.32
Restrictions & Rights
© School of Visual Arts
Permission required for use. Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd52b48baae-ce58-492d-bb87-13a24896f8d1

Cataloging is an ongoing process and we may update this record as we conduct additional research and review. If you have more information about this object, please contact us at NMAAHCDigiTeam@si.edu

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