Fort Collins Museum Hosts Art Show Featuring Posters by Distinguished Contemporary Indian Artist Sam English

The Fort Collins Museum is hosting the art exhibition "Sam English: Activist Posters from Indian Communities," featuring posters by distinguished contemporary Indian artist Sam English, beginning Aug. 22 and running through Oct. 26. To kick off the exhibition, the museum is hosting an opening reception from 5:30-9 p.m. Aug. 29. The Museum Store will offer copies of featured posters for sale during the exhibit run. Museum hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call (970) 416-2727.

A self-described community activist, English believes that art is the foundation of language. His mission in art is to inspire pride, tradition and wellness for native peoples. Characterized by colorful, elongated figures of native men and women, English’s posters are widely recognized and collected and have achieved success in highly competitive markets and galleries.

English is an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Chippewa Indians from North Dakota. He makes his home in Albuquerque, N.M., and has a studio/gallery in Old Town Albuquerque.

The show runs in conjunction with the 13th Colorado International Invitational Poster Exhibition, the only international poster presentation in the United States, which features 197 art works by 102 graphic artists from 35 countries. Original posters created by some of the world’s most acclaimed artists will be showcased on the Colorado State University campus Sept. 12-Oct. 24.

The posters feature international perspectives on contemporary political, social and cultural issues. This year’s honor laureate is world-renowned artist, design consultant and film maker Chaz Maviyane-Davies. Maviyane-Davies has exhibited around the world, been honored with numerous awards for his work, and for several years operated a design studio in Harare, Zimbabwe. He is presently teaching graphic design at the Massachusetts College of Art in Boston.

The international poster exhibition is presented by Colorado State, Fort Collins Lincoln Center, Poudre School District, Fort Collins Chamber of Commerce and the Fort Collins Convention and Visitors Bureau. Financial sponsors include Nita Crisp by All Occasions Catering, Colorado State’s Department of Art, Arts Alive, Colorado Council on the Arts and Fort Fund from the city of Fort Collins.

For additional information about the 13th Colorado International Invitational Poster Exhibition, contact the Colorado State University’s Clara Hatton Gallery, Mondays through Fridays from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at (970) 491-7634, or visit the Web at www.colostate.edu/Depts/Art/poster.

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