On Tuesday, Jan. 2, the Civic Media Center hosted a presentation with two speakers from the Beehive Design Collective. Beehive Design is a volunteer-driven non-profit arts organization that uses graphical media as educational tools to communicate stories of resistance to corporate globalization.
The purpose of the group, based in Machias, Maine, is to “Cross-pollinate the grassroots” by creating collaborative, anti-copyright images that can be used as educational and organizing tools. The most recognizable of these images are large format pen and ink posters, which seek to provide a visual alternative to deconstruction of complicated social and political issues ranging from globalization, free trade, militarism, resource extraction, and biotechnology.
And that indeed is what they did, using a Powerpoint that could zoom in on the small details their large works of art they are known for, and explaining what the illustrations are showing. The artwork that was presented and analyzed was “MesoAmerica Resiste!,” and can be seen on the Beehive collective website.
Thankfully, a CMC co-coordinator was able to video over an hour of the presentation, which can be seen at: https://www.facebook.com/civicmediacenter/videos/1850678581632504/. The Beehive Design Collective Store offers over 150 posters and patches, and is at: https://weestore.myshopify.com/ D