National Poster Retrospecticus Pop-Up Art Show

This post will be brief because the event's poster has more than enough info for you. I will say that when I first saw the poster, my initial thought was is this affiliated with the Illuminati? Well, I checked and it's not. Phew!

On Tuesday, October 3rd, Des Moines Social Club is hosting the National Poster Retrospecticus. This is a traveling art exhibit that showcases work from over 150 poster designers. The show has traveled to places as varied as the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Adobe Studios, LEGO HQ....and now they're headed to Des Moines for one-night only. 

This event is free, but posters will be for sale. RSVP here. Can you think of a better way to spend your Tuesday evening? 

JP Boneyard is the show's founder and I asked him why they choose to do a physical event, as opposed to an online store. He had this to say,

"The poster show follows the same touring model that bands have been using for decades. Strictly hosting the work online as a retail shop isn't that appealing to us. We want to put the collection in front of people and facilitate a conversation. Hopefully people come away having had some fun and feeling inspired. None of that really happens by looking at the work online.

We see tremendous value in community based events and feel the posters have much more of an impact in person. Touring is definitely the harder way to spread the word about artists we love and poster design but it's totally worth it. So many shows like ours only happen in big cities around the U.S. We get stoked on taking the collection off the beaten path, too."

I also asked his opinion on the social impact of these type of events and what he hopes to accomplish. Can I just say I love his answers? After speaking with him, I'm even more excited about seeing this person in person. 

"From my own experience I can say art is one of the institutions that helps us see our world in new ways — it helps facilitate a dialogue. It's a place where the misfits can call home. It's a place where people can express themselves and share something they find meaningful. My hope is always that art and culture can unify people. 

In my 16 years of setting up music and art events, I can totally attest to the fact that folks become a little more social at shows. That's such a big part of why shows and touring are important to us: to bring people together, to share ideas, and to inspire others."