Five members of the Beehive, a design cooperative based in Machias, Maine, are in residence in the Art Education Department from February 21-28. They are visiting classes and studios, installing an exhibition in the Arnheim Gallery, and giving two public presentations.
The Beehive’s mission is to create collaborative, anti-copyright images that can be used as alternative educational and organizing tools. Best known for their posters, the bees collaborate to create visual narratives that break down and deconstruct complex and overwhelming political/social issues.
Schedule of Beehive Events at MassArt:
February 27 – March 14 Arnheim exhibition
Monday, Feb. 27, 7:00 – 8:30pm opening
Wednesday, February 22, 5:15-7:00 pm, Kennedy 406
Presentation on running a collaborative of artists and activists
Monday, February 27, 5:00-7:00 pm, Tower Auditorium
Presentation on the True Cost of Coal Banner
The Beehive Collective releases their innovative graphic, “The True Cost of Coal:” a visual exploration of Mountaintop Removal coal mining and Resistance
Two years in the making, “The True Cost of Coal” is an elaborate narrative illustration that explores the complex story of mountaintop removal coal mining and the broader impacts of coal in Appalachia and beyond. The image is the culmination of an intensive and collaborative research process, as the Beehive methodology centers on first hand story-sharing. To create the poster, the Beehive interviewed hundreds of community members throughout the Appalachia region. “We feel it’s extremely important to gather our information from as close to the source as possible,” a Beehive illustrator says.
The Bees craft visual metaphors and weave them together in a patchwork “quilt” of personal stories. In their interactive picture-lectures, the Bees lead audiences through an engaging, larger-than-life banner version of the graphic, interweaving anecdotes, statistics, and history. The experience prompts discussion and understanding of contemporary struggles about energy and coal, while honoring the deep legacy of the Appalachian experience. Upon seeing the graphic, Tanya Turner of Pineville, KY said, “This image is changing Appalachia. Appalachians are taking back Appalachia and this image is a tool for that change.”
“The True Cost of Coal” is only the latest work in the Beehive’s repertoire of graphics campaigns. The Beehive hums with activity, tackling issues as diverse as biotechnology, corporate globalization, food and agriculture, and colonialism. The group’s mission is to “cross-pollinate the grassroots” by creating images that educate the public and deconstruct complex geopolitical issues. Their body of work is distributed as “anti-copyright;” individuals and organizations are encouraged to reproduce the graphics for non-profit use as a means of circulating information and awareness.
