Mission statement of Poster House, a brand new museum opening in 2019 in Manhattan that is dedicated to presenting the impact, culture, and design of posters, both as historical documents and methods of contemporary visual communication.
Through temporary exhibitions, a growing permanent collection, and educational events, Poster House explores the enormous impact of posters on society and culture, and how they continue to influence human behavior in the 21st Century. As the first museum in the United States specially devoted to global history of posters, we will provide a space for inquiry for all those in the New York City area and beyond who are interested in design, advertising, and public interventions, with an aim to improving design literacy among the general public.
Born out of the consumerist fervor of the Industrial Revolution, posters have a long history as a bridge between the worlds of art and design. They have been used to sell goods, advertise spectacles, promulgate propaganda, and incite revolutions; in all these capacities, posters alternately reflect and guide social concerns of the day. Poster House aims to draw out hidden histories of poster art, map their continued role in today’s media landscape, and encourage future design as the medium is reclaimed and reworked by successive generations in order to communicate quickly, effectively, and seductively to an audience constantly on the move.
Another sensational new poster museum is now under construction in an historic 1640 four story stone building in the Hague. It is scheduled to open this winter. We’ll be there.
