Private Tour at Poster House – Lester Beall & A New American Identity
Thursday, February 10, 2025 | 6:00 PM ET - New Date
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Join fellow Smithies for an after-hours private tour of “Lester Beall & A New American Identity” led by Angelina Lippert ’07, Executive Director and Curator of Poster House.
In 1933, newly elected President Roosevelt initiated what became known as the New Deal, a series of federal programs and agencies designed to spearhead economic recovery from the Great Depression through public services, regulation, and new jobs. Among the programs his administration created in 1935 was the Rural Electrification Administration (REA). Managed by the Department of Agriculture, the REA helped build energy infrastructure in areas where private companies refused to operate, extending electricity to remote areas with small populations. Lester Beall was hired to advertise the REA’s work, creating three series of posters over a five-year span.
Knowing that Americans were generally distrustful of overly intellectual and visually obtuse European modernism, Beall deftly translated and advanced these artistic concepts to create a new kind of American art, one that distilled the heart of various avant-garde movements with the need for clear communication and the desire to sell. This exhibition highlights the groundbreaking work Beall produced for the REA, as well as the development of his contributions to American modernism up through World War II.
This is the first time where all posters from all three REA series will be on view in a single show.
For more information on the exhibition: Click here!
Private Tour at Poster House – Lester Beall & A New American Identity
When: Thursday, February 10, 2025 | 6:00 PM ET - New Date
Location: Poster House, 119 West 23rd Street, NY, NY 10011
Cost: Free for SCC NYC members. Please join or renew your membership!
Attendance: Limited to 40 SCC NYC members
For questions, contact events@smithclubnyc.com