1. may 2015 Alaska beyond Magazine 19
facingpage,Courtesy:GrantParkMusicFestival/©PatrickL.Pyszka/CityofChicago;thispage(poster)©CooperHewitt,
SmithsonianDesignMuseum/GiftofFelixPfäffli,2014-30-2.PhotobyMattFlynn;(finchesandfish)©DavidLiittschwager
New York, NY
Artful Posters
From World War II propaganda placards to film
ads from the 1960s and beyond, posters have
served numerous purposes, conveyed many
memorable stories and recorded crucial
historical moments. In the exhibition “How
Posters Work” (May 8–November 15), Cooper
Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum pays
tribute to this art form with a presentation of
125 posters from the museum’s collections.
The exhibition’s displays will be organized in
sections to illustrate key poster-design prin-
ciples, such as focusing the eye and using text
as imagery. Works by celebrated American and
international designers will be represented. For
more information, call 212-849-8400 or visit
cooperhewitt.org. —Sophia Lizardi
San Francisco, CA
Natural Hues
The broad spectrum of colors found in nature tells a correspond-
ingly large number of fascinating stories. Focusing on this theme,
the California Academy of Sciences, in Golden Gate Park, will open
its new permanent exhibition, “Color of Life,” on June 12, with
more than 30 interactive attractions exploring how animals use
colors to communicate and to interpret their environments.
Visitors will view displays with live animals as well as hands-on
activities. Among other stories, guests will learn how the brilliantly
hued plumage of Gouldian finches (shown above) draws colors
from pigments and how giant leaf insects utilize camouflage. The
exhibition’s main attraction is a “color visualizer” area that allows
visitors to pluck different-colored strings to activate screens with
multimedia presentations about life’s vibrant diversity. To learn
more, call 415-379-8000 or visit calacademy.org. —Sophia Lizardi
Adding to the natural colors in Golden Gate Park,
the “Wild Flowers” show of exotic blooms will
continue through August 31 at San Francisco
Botanical Garden. The garden also celebrates its
75th anniversary (May 31) with special events and
attractions; 415-661-1316; sfbotanicalgarden.org.
Above: Felix Pfäffli, Weltformat 13 (2013), lithograph, for
the Weltformat Poster Festival (Lucerne, Switzerland).
Also in New York ...
• World Science Festival, May 27–31; 50+ events in
five days; science luminaries and celebrities; multiple
locations; 212-348-1400; worldsciencefestival.com.
Surge damselfish.