Sunday, April 14 will be the last day to view “Peace is Radical,” a solo exhibition by renowned street artist and activist Shepard Fairey, presented by Glendale Library, Arts & Culture and ReflectSpace Gallery at the ReflectSpace Gallery, inside Glendale Central Library.”
Peace is Radical” addresses creative empowerment, the importance of democracy, race and gender equality, environmental justice and peace and harmony through artwork. This limited time exhibition offers over 20 pieces of work through the medium of screen printing, a style used to produce high-end art or multitudes of prints that can be disseminated liberally allowing access to all audiences. Well recognized founder of OBEY Clothing, Shepard Fairey has worked as a contemporary street artist, graphic designer and activist, changing the way people converse about art and view the urban landscape. Fairey has also designed a limited-edition library card for Glendale Library, Arts & Culture that will be available at all Glendale Library branches through the run of the exhibit, while supplies last.
Shepard Fairey holds up his limited edition library card for Glendale library.
As a contemporary street artist, graphic designer, activist, and founder of OBEY Clothing and creative agency, Fairey gained notoriety with the creation of the “Andre the Giant has a Posse” sticker that later evolved into the OBEY GIANT art campaign. In 2008, his portrait of then-Democratic candidate Barack Obama became an internationally recognized emblem of hope. He is known for the “We the People” campaign debuted during the 2017 Women’s Marches worldwide. Fairey has painted more than 135 public murals, becoming one of the most sought-after and provocative artists globally, changing the way people converse about art and view the urban landscape.
“Peace is Radical” will be on view from January 20, 2024, through April 14, 2024, at the ReflectSpace Gallery, inside Glendale Central Library located at 222 East Harvard, Glendale, CA. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, January 20, 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM. ReflectSpace and PassageWay Galleries are curated by Ara and Anahid Oshagan. Free parking with validation is available at the Marketplace parking structure located directly across from the Harvard entrance of Central Library.
About the Artist
Shepard Fairey was born in Charleston, South Carolina. Fairey became passionate about art at an early age and went on to receive his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island. In 1989 he created the “Andre the Giant has a Posse” sticker that transformed into the OBEY GIANT art campaign, with imagery that has changed how people see art and the urban landscape.
Fairey’s stickers, guerilla street art presence, and public murals are recognizable globally. His works are in the permanent collections of the Boston Institute of Contemporary Art, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in Los Angeles, the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and many others.
Shepard Fairey has painted nearly 135 large-scale murals across six continents worldwide. More information from his career can be found at obeygiant.com.
Getting to the Glendale Central Library: 222 E Harvard St, Glendale, CA 91205
If you are a resident who is 65 years or older or a disabled resident who is registered with Dial-A-Ride, you can register to be dropped off at the library. For more information, visit GlendaleTransit.com.
Visitors can receive 3 hours of free parking across Harvard street at the Marketplace parking structure with validation at the service desk. Accessible parking is available on the east side of the building.
About ReflectSpace
ReflectSpace is curated by Ara and Anahid Oshagan and is an inclusive exhibition gallery designed to explore and reflect on social justice issues, human rights violations and genocides through the arts. Immersive in conception, ReflectSpace is a hybrid space that is both experiential and informative, employing art, technology, and interactive media to reflect on the past and present of Glendale’s communal fabric and interrogate current-day global human rights issues. ReflectSpace is housed in Glendale Central Library and online at ReflectSpace.org.
About Library, Arts & Culture
Founded in 1907, the Glendale Library, Arts & Culture Department includes eight neighborhood libraries including the Brand Library & Art Center, a regional visual arts and music library and performance venue housed in the historic 1904 mansion of Glendale pioneer Leslie C. Brand, and the Central Library, a 93,000 square foot center for individuals and groups to convene, collaborate and create. The department also serves as the chief liaison to the Glendale Arts and Culture Commission which works to continually transform Glendale into an ever-evolving arts destination. Glendale Library Arts & Culture is supported in part through the efforts of the Glendale Library Arts & Culture Trust (GLACT). For more information visit GlendaleLAC.org, or contact Library, Arts & Culture at 818-548-2021 or via email at LibraryInfo@GlendaleCA.gov.
All photos by Stacey Meineke
