The Turchin Center, in partnership with the Massachusetts College of Art and Philadelphia University, presents The Graphic Imperative: International Posters for Peace, Social Justice and the Environment 1965-2005. This exhibition is a select retrospective of 40 years of international sociopolitical posters. Themes include dissent, liberation, racism, sexism, human rights, civil rights, environmental and health concerns, AIDS, war, literacy, and tolerance, collectively providing a window to an age of great change. Focusing on the issues of our turbulent times, these posters endeavor to show the social, political, and aesthetic concerns of many cultures in a single exhibition through delineating themes and contrasting political realities.

French graphic designer Pierre Bernard proposes, "The poster is the prime field for experimenting with visual language. It is the scene of changing ideas and aesthetics, of cultural, social, and political events." Nowhere can more support for this proposition be found than in the works selected for this exhibition.

Organized by Elizabeth Resnick, Chaz Maviyane-Davies and Frank Baseman in collaboration with the Massachusetts College of Art. This exhibit also is supported in part by the Massachusetts College of Art Foundation and Philadelphia University.