Abstract

Graphic communication has played a role in shaping civic life in the United States throughout much of its history, influencing how individuals recognize injustice, understand systems of power, and participate in collective action. Typically associated with moments of protest or political upheaval, printed materials such as pamphlets, broadsides, newspapers, and posters have also functioned as everyday tools that structure public engagement. This project examines these materials through the framework of agitation, education, and organization, considering how graphic communication operates across different historical contexts to provoke recognition, make complex ideas accessible, and coordinate collective effort. Drawing from a range of historical and contemporary examples, it emphasizes continuity over sudden upheaval, demonstrating that these functions persist even as forms and technologies evolve. In doing so, the project highlights a continuous tradition of dissent where communication is not peripheral to political life but embedded within how it is enacted. This approach is further developed through the design of a proposed exhibition and its subsequent reformatting into a printed exhibition booklet. While originally conceived as a physical installation, the project’s reformatting reinforces its emphasis on circulation, allowing the booklet not only to present these materials but to participate in the same practices it examines. Through this shift, graphic communication is understood not only as a subject of analysis but as an ongoing practice that continues to shape how individuals engage with and act within the world around them.

Publication Date

4-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Student Type

Undergraduate

Degree Name

Museum Studies (BS)

College

College of Liberal Arts

Advisor

Juilee Decker

Advisor/Committee Member

Samaya Nasr

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

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