Milton Glaser Creates Poster with SVA to Bring Attention to Crisis in Darfur

A campaign intended to increase public awareness of the crisis in Darfur will appear throughout New York City from November 2006 through January 2007. Created by legendary designer Milton Glaser, the poster will benefit the International Rescue Committee (IRC), a global leader in emergency relief, rehabilitation and protection of human rights.

Funded by School of Visual Arts (SVA), where Glaser has been an instructor and board member since 1961, the campaign will include a 28x38 ft. banner outside of the SVA headquarters, at 209 East 23rd Street, starting December 5, and a series of posters inside 285 subway cars throughout the month of January. One poster design has already appeared on MTA subway platforms during the month of November, and it is available for sale at http://www.miltonglaser.com, with all proceeds going to the IRC.

Glaser created this extended campaign to call attention to what he describes as, "one of the great humanitarian crises of our time." The concept takes the seemingly distant crisis and brings it to our doorstep, relating Sudanese family members who are being killed every day to members of our own family. The banner tagline "500 Family Members Killed Today and Every Day" emphasizes the scale of the ongoing crisis.

In September 2005, Glaser created and SVA funded the "We Are All African" poster, featuring an image of a black hand with the fingers the colors of the five races (repurposed for this campaign) and distributed them on telephone kiosks throughout the city. This time he wanted to be more specific, pointedly addressing the genocide in Darfur. "It is our job to keep up the pressure on this despicable event," says Glaser. "The European Holocaust was a demonstration of how human indifference added to the disaster."

Darfur, a region in western Sudan, has been embroiled in a deadly conflict for over three years. Sudanese armed forces and Sudanese government-backed militia known as "Janjaweed" have been fighting two rebel groups in Darfur, the Sudanese Liberation Army/Movement (SLA/SLM) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM). Over 200,000 people have been killed; more than 2 million innocent civilians have been forced to flee their homes; and more than 3.5 million men, women and children are completely reliant on international aid for survival.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is a global leader in emergency relief, rehabilitation, protection of human rights, post-conflict development, resettlement services and advocacy for those uprooted or affected by violent conflict and oppression. They provide access to safety, sanctuary and sustainable change for millions of people whose lives have been shattered by violence and oppression. Amid the escalating violence and desperate conditions in Darfur, the IRC delivers lifesaving aid, protects women and girls, and speaks out for global action on behalf of the Sudanese people. http://www.theirc.org.

Milton Glaser is among the most celebrated graphic designers in the world. He co-founded the revolutionary Pushpin Studios in 1954, founded New York Magazine with Clay Felker in 1968, established Milton Glaser, Inc. in 1974, and teamed with Walter Bernard in 1983 to form the publication design firm WBMG. Throughout his career, Glaser has been a prolific creator of posters and prints and produced iconic designs, such as the ubiquitous "I Love NY" campaign. His artwork has been featured in exhibits worldwide, including one-man shows at both the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris and the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Milton Glaser: http://www.dexigner.com/directory/detail/7907.html
School of Visual Arts: http://www.dexigner.com/directory/detail/7494.html

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