Posters are used in academia to promote and explain research. Poster Sessions are held during conferences, either as a complement to a talk or research paper, or as a publication.

In this culminating assignment, you will select significant works from Art 101 course materials covering Prehistory to the Gothic era that illuminate an enduring human concern or theme.

You will create a poster that combines text and visual representations of the information. By combining both visual and text-based cues, the poster helps the viewer grasp important material and complex ideas. Think of your poster as a networking and communication tool.

You will prepare a written statement about your chosen theme and share this and the poster in a discussion, then comment on 2 other posters.

Themes

• Architecture & Engineering
• Symbols of Political Power and Propaganda
• Religion
• Economics and Commerce
• People & Hierarchy
• Materials & Cultural Development
• Feminism

Steps

1. Choose a Theme from the list above
2. Pick 10 works from Canvas course materials that exemplify the chosen theme.
3. Collect information (this includes images) related to your chosen artworks.
4. Show us and tell us why you selected these works, why these significant works illuminate enduring human concerns. How did these works shape human society and how were they shaped by historical and cultural conditions? This is the MOST IMPORTANT consideration of this project.
5. Determine what app or software best helps you create this graphic document.
6. Create the document.
   Suggestion: Read this Resource, How to Design an Award-Winning Conference Poster (????????), for great tips on making a successful poster.
7. Determine the layout, finding a balance between imagery and textual information that is easy to understand in a visually appealing document. Create the poster for someone who has not taken the class, OR, think about who you were and what you knew when you first started this class. Visually explain what you have learned.
   Suggestion: Get Feedback. Reach out to me before the deadline and I will be happy to give you feedback. Find a friend to show the poster to before you submit and get their response to your project.
8. Submit a pdf to the Assignment, then embed an image (jpg, png, etc.) in the Discussion along with a written description.

Poster Checklist

• State the Theme. Refer to the theme in descriptions of the selected artworks.
• Length or size of Poster: 1-2 pages. No more than that.
• Examples of Artworks (10)
  • Artworks from all parts/regions/areas covered in course (i.e., a representative sample).
  • Artworks that support your chosen theme with text and facts that are from the sources used in this course.
• Include names/images of at least 1-2 important people (royalty, gods, etc.)
• Include something that references geography.
• All artworks must be sourced (with URLs on a separate page)
• All text/facts must be sourced (with URLs on a separate page)

How to make your poster

• Look at the pages Example 1 and Example 2 of Student Posters. These are reference points for how the poster might look, although they are not from this course or from the same time period.
• Use the software of your choice. Export the file as a pdf or jpg. Software might include Adobe CC, the Google Suite of Apps such as Google Docs, Pages, Canva, which is free, easy to use drag and drop software, or another software/app to create the poster. Any app you use must be able to export as .pdf & .jpg for submission to the assignment and the discussion You can also use one “slide” from PowerPoint, Keynote, or Google slides to create your assignment but you may only use 1 or 2 slides. Remember, this is a “1 pager.” If you are not sure what to use, contact the instructor for help.
• Save your finished project as a .jpg or .pdf with the filename formatted as pdf (or POSTER_Lastname.jpg). No other format will be accepted in the Poster Assignment.
• Submit a jpg or pdf the digital poster to this Assignment.
• Embed an image of your poster in the Discussion: Poster Session along with a text entry
• Reply to at least 2 other students. One should be of your own theme and one should be of another theme you didn’t choose. Replies can include a questions, comments, or images.
• Pick your favorite by “liking” it. 1 like per student.