January 21 – February 14 – 2025
Monday–Friday: 11:00 AM-3:00 PM, Tuesday and Thursday: 5:00 PM-7:00 PM
Rose Lehrman Art Gallery
1 HACC Dr, Harrisburg, PA 17110

Public Lecture: February 3, 2025, at 6:00 PM | Whitaker 214
A reception will follow the lecture at the gallery

The poster was never made to be collected, stored in flat files, or hung in museums. It belonged on the walls, fences, and streets, serving as the purest form of communication with the masses.

Nowhere was this more evident than in a unique design movement called the Polish School of Posters, where artistry and purpose converged to create a timeless cultural legacy.

In the aftermath of World War II, Poland faced the weight of Soviet control, with censorship and restrictions shadowing daily life. Emerging in the 1950s and 1960s, the Polish School of Posters represented an unparalleled era of artistic innovation, blending bold imagery with poignant social commentary in the face of adversity. Artists creatively outsmarted censors with creativity that transcended political and social boundaries. Through its use of symbolism, metaphor, and layered meanings, the movement invited audiences to engage with the posters on intellectual and emotional levels. Artists embraced individualism, merging Poland’s storied visual traditions with modern aesthetics to craft designs that resonate globally.

The Walls Belong to Them exhibition brings this powerful legacy to life, featuring 30 iconic posters from the collection of Krzysztof Piatkowski, a graphic designer and proud HACC alumnus.

Photo credits: With permission from Juliusz Zamecznik, Maria Herman, Janek Marczewski, Hanna & Hanka Sawka, Ed Krayewski, Hertha Grimm.

Posters:
Wojciech Zamecznik, Warsaw Autumn, 1965
Witold Janowski, Czerwona Pustynia, 1966
Waldemar Świerzy, Midnight Cowboy, 1973
Stanisław Zagórski, Wozzeck, 1960
Jan Lenica, Wozzeck, 1964
Jan Lenica, Judith, 1962
Henryk Tomaszewski, Pastoral Symphony, 1947 (Revised 1957)
Stanisław Zagórski, Hiroshima, My Love, 1960

Curator | Designer: Krzysztof Piatkowski
Gallery Coordinator: Shawn Williams
Graphic Design Program Director: Marjaneh Talebi