AIGA is presenting an online exhibition — African American Culture and History: An AIGA Design Journey — as part of its national Diversity & Inclusion Initiative. The initiative encourages diversity in education, discourse, and practice to strengthen and expand the relevance of design in all areas of society. Selected from AIGA’s prestigious Design Archives and Design Journeys series, the collection celebrates African American history and culture throughout the last century of communication design.
Pictured left to right: Cover of the first (and only) issue of FIRE!!, November 1926, “O, Sing a New Song” poster, 1934 by Charles Dawson, Cover of Charles Dawson’s ABCs of Great Negroes (Dawson Publishers), 1933
It features African American designers as well as projects inspired by or relevant to African American history and communities. Viewers can explore diverse artifacts. including logos, posters, books, magazines, videos, and more, by designers both historical and contemporary, celebrated and unsung. The AIGA, through its Google Art Project, is among the partners who have contributed to, and are promoting, viewership of the Google Cultural Institute Black History, Arts, and Culture collection. Selections and descriptions for AIGA’s Google Art Project collection are from its Design Archives as well as essays commissioned by AIGA for designers profiled in the Design Journeys series or awarded the AIGA Medal. This exhibition is curated by Aidan O’Connor and Heather Strelecki.
