CYRK: Artistry from the Polish Poster School

February 24 - July 7, 2009

The art of poster design achieved new heights in Poland after World War II, culminating in the Polish Poster School, a post World War II movement of highly individual artists, whose unique styles came together in an aesthetic of bold graphic designs, vibrant colors and sometimes tongue-in–cheek subject matter.  Designing for the “cyrk” was an opportunity for these artists to use their graphic styles to bring a fresh perspective to such traditional icons of the circus.

Examining how the graphic styles of the Polish artists came together to advertise the state backed circus, this exhibition includes twenty-one of the Cyrk posters, designed between 1965 and 1977. The exhibition is on display in the Circus Museum’s Tibbals Learning Center.