Art for Obama: Designing Manifest Hope and the Campaign for Change

Designing Manifest Hope and the Campaign for Change
Edited by Shepard Fairey & Jennifer Gross

Few events in recent memory have captivated the world's attention like that of Barack Obama's historic presidential campaign. Not only did it stir passionate political momentum, but it also inspired an array of creative arts from a world of artists, illustrators, and graphic designers. Shepard Fairey's iconic "HOPE" portrait became the face of the campaign, prompting a personal thank-you note from the president, which is included in ART FOR OBAMA (Abrams Image; October 2009; $22.50 US / $29.50 CAN; ISBN: 978-0-8109-8498-1). In conjunction with the themes of hope and change, all of the authors' profits from this book will be donated to Americans for the Arts (http://www.americansforthearts.org/) charity.

Innovative portraits and graphic designs from artists around the country became a powerful symbol of the country's desire for change, and engaging artists-from the grassroots level to the international level-became a central strategy to inspire passion and win the presidential race. In ART FOR OBAMA, Fairey showcases 150 of those powerful images from the campaign, including works created by well-known artists such as, Ron English, David Choe, Kwaku Alston, Maya Hayuk, Justin Hampton, and Shel Starkman. The Manifest Hope art shows, which took place in Denver during the Democratic National Convention and Washington DC preceding the inauguration, featured artists who used their talents to motivate the grassroots movement that carried Barack Obama to victory. The shows were put on by Evolutionary Media Group, Obey Giant, MoveOn.org, Political Action, SEIU and Studio Number One.

ART FOR OBAMA is comprised of collages, paintings, photo composites, prints, and computer-generated pieces, showcasing the well-known images of the campaign as well as less famous, but equally creative pieces from around the globe. This is a volume for design and art aficionados, as well as supporters of the forty-fourth president of the United States who want a keepsake as uncommon as his extraordinary campaign.

ART FOR OBAMA: Designing Manifest Hope and the Campaign for Change
Abrams Image / October 2009
$22.50 US / $29.50 CAN; ISBN: 978-0-8109-8498-1
150 full-color illustrations; 184 pages

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MORE ABOUT SHEPARD FAIREY

Shepard Fairey is the man behind OBEY GIANT, the graphics that have changed the way people see art and the urban landscape. What started with an absurd sticker he created in 1989 while a student at the Rhode Island School of Design has since evolved into a worldwide street art campaign, as well as an acclaimed body of fine art. In 2003, Shepard founded Studio Number One, a creative design firm dedicated to applying his ethos at the intersection of art and enterprise. Shepard's art reached a new height of prominence in 2008, when his "HOPE" portrait of Barack Obama became the iconic image of the presidential campaign and helped inspire an unprecedented political movement. Shepard is currently the subject of a 20-year career survey at the ICA Boston. The show's next stop is the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, PA and will continue to tour museums across the U.S. in 2010. For more information, visit www.obeygiant.com.




Founded by Harry N. Abrams in 1949, ABRAMS was the first company in the United States to specialize in the creation and distribution of art and illustrated books. Now a subsidiary of La Martiniˆ®re Groupe, the company publishes visually stunning illustrated books in the areas of art, photography, cooking, interior and garden design, craft, architecture, entertainment, fashion, sports, pop culture, as well as children's books and general interest titles. The company's imprints include Abrams, Abrams ComicArts, Abrams Image, Abrams Books for Young Readers, Amulet Books, Stewart, Tabori & Chang, and STC Craft/Melanie Falick Books. Abrams also distributes books for The Vendome Press, Victoria & Albert Museum, Tate, Royal Academy of Arts, Booth-Clibborn Editions, Five Continents and others. www.abramsbooks.com

The Nathaniel Dett Chorale to Perform in Washington at events hosted in celebration of the Presidential Inauguration

The Nathaniel Dett Chorale

to Perform in Washington at events hosted

in celebration of the Presidential Inauguration

Founder, Artistic Director Brainerd Blyden-Taylor

’Äì Canada’Äôs acclaimed The Nathaniel Dett Chorale will be part of one of the most significant events in United States history. The Chorale, Canada’Äôs first professional choir dedicated to performing Afrocentric music of all genres, has been invited by the Embassy of Canada to perform at their Pennsylvania Avenue headquarters on January 20, 2009, as part of an Inauguration Day event hosted by the Canadian Tourism Commission.

While in Washington, The Nathaniel Dett Chorale is also being honoured with an opportunity to sing at the Smithsonian’Äôs National Museum of the American Indian on Martin Luther King Day, Monday, January 19, 2009. This 40-minute free concert is part of a three-day festival entitled ’ÄúOut of Many,’Äù a theme derived from Barack Obama’Äôs election night speech in which he followed ’Äúout of many’Äù with ’Äúwe are one,’Äù signifying the overwhelming feeling of unity, celebration, sense of hope and belief in the future that Obama has inspired in the American public and the world at large. This sentiment is in keeping with the theme the inauguration has adopted, ’ÄúA new birth of freedom,’Äù taken from Abraham Lincoln’Äôs Gettysburg Address.

’ÄúWe are profoundly honoured by these invitations,’Äù says The Nathaniel Dett Chorale’Äôs Founder and Artistic Director, Brainerd Blyden-Taylor. ’ÄúThe Nathaniel Dett Chorale has always sought to dissolve barriers of stereotype, to empower and inspire through the unity of music and celebration. We are touched that our performances in Washington are considered to be a tribute from Canada to the American people at this remarkable time in their history.’Äù

The Washington performances are a continuation of The Nathaniel Dett Chorale’Äôs 10^th anniversary season, which began with a tour to the southern United States last fall and a two sold-out Indigo Christmas concerts in December, and will include an upcoming Western Canadian tour taking place during Black History Month. The February concert dates include stops in Alberta, British Columbia and the Yukon, and will conclude in Toronto with two performances in its subscription series at the Glenn Gould Studio in the Canadian Broadcasting Centre.

The Nathaniel Dett Chorale is supported in part by TD Canada Trust Music, who also provided 11^th hour funding for the Chorale’Äôs Washington journey. Additional support for this tour was provided by the Canada Council for the Arts.

’ÄúWe were thrilled to be able to help make this journey to Washington possible for The Nathaniel Dett Chorale,’Äù said Frank McKenna, Deputy Chair, TD Bank Financial Group. ’ÄúTD is a strong supporter of the music scene, from jazz festivals to youth orchestras to outdoor rock concerts, and we’Äôre proud to help groups like The Chorale achieve their goals. This is an exceptional choir and what a fantastic opportunity for them to showcase their talent on one of the most important dates in history.’Äù

The Nathaniel Dett Chorale is Canada's first professional choral group dedicated to Afrocentric music of all styles, including classical, spiritual, gospel, jazz, folk and blues. These 21 classically trained, outstanding vocalists have shared the stage with internationally recognized artists such as Juno Award-winning jazz pianist Joe Sealy, opera star Kathleen Battle, and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. The Nathaniel Dett Chorale's mission is to build bridges of understanding, appreciation and acceptance between communities of people, both Afrocentric and other, through the medium of music. They seek to dissolve the barriers of stereotype, to empower humans in general, and those of African descent in particular.

Tickets for the Glenn Gould Studio series available in person at the Roy Thomson Hall box office, 60 Simcoe St., by calling 416.872.4255 or online at www.roythomson.com.

For more information please visit www.nathanieldettchorale.org.