Poster House

First Friday
2025-10-03 10:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York)
Join Poster House on the First Friday of every month for free admission and extended hours!
Museum members can check in at the Info Desk to receive one free drink ticket to use at the bar from 6–9pm.
Explore the museum’s latest exhibitions and get in on the fun by attending a tour, workshop, performance, or activity throughout the day. Every First Friday is different, offering unique opportunities to engage with rotating exhibitions and the permanent collection.

First Friday: Moonrise Kingdom Movie Screening
2025-10-03 12:00 - 13:35
Join Poster House for a special screening of Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom in connection with the exhibition Blazing a Trail: Dorothy Waugh’s National Parks Posters. Much like Waugh’s iconic designs from the 1930s, the film celebrates themes of nature, exploration, and youthful adventure.
Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Accessibility Note: Masks and clear masks are available free of charge at the museum. Assistive listening devices and stools are available. ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or a CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) is also available upon request. Please contact access@posterhouse.org or (914) 295-2387 to request interpretation services and to address any other accessibility needs. For other event-related questions, please contact info@posterhouse.org.

First Friday: Sicilian Frame Drum Workshop with Michela Musolino
2025-10-03 14:00 - 15:00
Discover the vibrant rhythms and cultural heritage of Sicily in this hands-on workshop led by internationally recognized Sicilian-American singer and musician Michela Musolino. Presented in connection with the exhibition The Future Was Then: The Changing Face of Fascist Italy, this program explores the resilience of folk traditions and the enduring power of community expression through music.
Participants will receive guided instruction in the techniques of the Sicilian frame drum, one of the most important percussion instruments in Southern Italian folk culture.
Open to all experience levels; no prior musical background required.
Michela Musolino is an internationally recognized Sicilian-American singer who explores her cultural roots and shares them with the world through the study and reinterpretation of the folk songs of Sicily and Southern Italy. With voice and frame drum, Musolino sings songs of daily life, songs of feast days, songs of protest, and songs of love, weaving the ancient and the modern into powerful melodies. She is the founder of Rosa’s Drum, a cultural events and educational organization that promotes and teaches folk traditions from Sicily and Southern Italy.
Accessibility Note: Masks and clear masks are available free of charge at the museum. Assistive listening devices and stools are available. ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or a CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) is also available upon request. Please contact access@posterhouse.org or (914) 295-2387 to request interpretation services and to address any other accessibility needs. For other event-related questions, please contact info@posterhouse.org.

First Friday: Curatorial Tour—The Future Was Then
2025-10-03 15:00 - 16:00
Join curator B.A. Van Sise for a dynamic tour of his exhibition The Future Was Then: The Changing Face of Fascist Italy. Chronicling the rise of Benito Mussolini, learn how his fascist ideology quickly became embedded in every aspect of daily Italian life, from how products were sold to what events were promoted.
Accessibility Note: Masks and clear masks are available free of charge at the museum. Assistive listening devices and stools are available. ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or a CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) is also available upon request. Please contact access@posterhouse.org or (914) 295-2387 to request interpretation services and to address any other accessibility needs. For other event-related questions, please contact info@posterhouse.org.

First Friday: Happy Hour at Café des Affiches
2025-10-03 15:00 - 18:00
It’s Happy Hour at Café des Affiches! Every First Friday between 3pm and 6pm, visitors can enjoy $2 off all alcoholic beverages.
Indulge in a delicious drink as you browse the galleries—and be sure to try the special cocktails inspired by the museum’s two newest exhibitions, The Future Was Then: The Changing Face of Fascist Italy and Blazing A Trail: Dorothy Waugh’s National Parks Posters!
Accessibility Note: Masks and clear masks are available free of charge at the museum. Assistive listening devices and stools are available. ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or a CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) is also available upon request. Please contact access@posterhouse.org or (914) 295-2387 to request interpretation services and to address any other accessibility needs. For other event-related questions, please contact info@posterhouse.org.

First Friday: Button Up! Drop-in Button-Making
2025-10-03 15:30 - 19:30
Head to the Poster History Timeline for a fun button-making activity inspired by Blazing a Trail: Dorothy Waugh’s National Parks Posters. Participants can select from a range of images to create their own wearable keepsake. While you’re here, don’t miss the chance to explore the museum’s exhibitions and discover more about the art of poster design.
This program is open to all ages. No registration required—just drop in and join the fun!
Accessibility Note: Masks and clear masks are available free of charge at the museum. Assistive listening devices and stools are available. ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or a CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) is also available upon request. Please contact access@posterhouse.org or (914) 295-2387 to request interpretation services and to address any other accessibility needs. For other event-related questions, please contact info@posterhouse.org

First Friday: Flower Power—The Art of Pressed Flower Collage
2025-10-03 16:00 - 18:00
Winter may be around the corner but Poster House is keeping summer alive by making art with FLOWERS! In celebration of the beautiful botanical illustrations on view in Blazing a Trail: Dorothy Waugh’s National Parks Posters, join other museum visitors in a pressed-flower collage workshop. Participants will use the principles of traditional collage as well as oshibana (the Japanese art of making images with pressed flowers) to make fun pictures and even typography from gorgeous flowers. The instructor will also provide a primer on how to press and preserve flowers for future use.
Pressed flowers and materials will be provided.
Accessibility Note: Masks and clear masks are available free of charge at the museum. Assistive listening devices and stools are available. ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or a CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) is also available upon request. Please contact access@posterhouse.org or (914) 295-2387 to request interpretation services and to address any other accessibility needs. For other event-related questions, please contact info@posterhouse.org.

First Friday: Sicilian & Italian Folk Music with Michela Musolino and Rosa Tatuata
2025-10-03 19:00 - 20:00
Experience the vibrant traditions of Sicilian and Southern Italian folk music with Michela Musolino and her ensemble, Rosa Tatuata, in a performance presented in connection with the exhibition The Future Was Then: The Changing Face of Fascist Italy. This program highlights the resilience of cultural expression in times of change, showing how folk music continues to bridge past and present.
Drawing on years of research into traditional instruments—including the tamburo (Sicilian frame drum), organetto, marranzano (jaw’s harp), and zampogna (Southern Italian bagpipes)—Musolino and Rosa Tatuata weave a tapestry of sound that blends old-world authenticity with fresh interpretation.
Join us for an evening of music that celebrates resilience, joy, and cultural memory—an opportunity to hear how ancient traditions continue to resonate in our world today.
Michela Musolino is an internationally recognized Sicilian-American singer who explores her cultural roots and shares them with the world through the study and reinterpretation of the folk songs of Sicily and Southern Italy. With voice and frame drum, Musolino sings songs of daily life, songs of feast days, songs of protest, and songs of love, weaving the ancient and the modern into powerful melodies. She is the founder of Rosa’s Drum, a cultural events and educational organization which promotes and teaches folk traditions from Sicily and Southern Italy.
Accessibility Note: Masks and clear masks are available free of charge at the museum. Assistive listening devices and stools are available. ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or a CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) is also available upon request. Please contact access@posterhouse.org or (914) 295-2387 to request interpretation services and to address any other accessibility needs. For other event-related questions, please contact info@posterhouse.org.

Poster Kids: Gel-Plate Printing
2025-10-05 10:30 - 12:00, 2025-10-19 10:30 - 12:00
When pioneering poster artist Dorothy Waugh designed her posters for the National Park Service, she wasn’t just drawing from landscapes, she was also inspired by her close study of the beauty of nature. This month’s Poster Kids invites families to explore the textures, shapes, and details of natural forms through gel-plate printing–following, of course, an engaging tour of Blazing a Trail: Dorothy Waugh’s National Parks Posters.
This program invites children 5–11 years old and their adults to collaborate (siblings are welcome). Admission is free; advanced registration is required.
This is not a drop-off program.
Accessibility Note: Masks and clear masks are available free of charge at the museum. Assistive listening devices and stools are available. ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or a CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) is also available upon request. Please contact access@posterhouse.org or (914) 295-2387 to request interpretation services and to address any other accessibility needs. For other event-related questions, please contact info@posterhouse.org.

Members-Only Last Look: The Subway Sun
2025-10-08 18:00 - 19:00
Poster House members are invited to a private “Last Look” tour of the exhibition From the Bronx to the Battery: The Subway Sun. Join curator Es-pranza Humphrey as she discusses the history and influence of this entertaining (and informative!) PSA series for the New York subway system. Light refreshments will be served.
Accessibility Note: Masks and clear masks are available free of charge at the museum. Assistive listening devices and stools are available. ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or a CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) is also available upon request. Please contact access@posterhouse.org or (914) 295-2387 to request interpretation services and to address any other accessibility needs. For other event-related questions, please contact info@posterhouse.org.

Banned Books Week at NYPL: Poster-Making with Poster House!
2025-10-10 13:00 - 14:30
To commemorate Banned Books Week, the Poster House education team will be leading a workshop at the Roosevelt Island Library! Participants will learn about graphic design principles and techniques, and then employ these lessons to create their own posters in celebration of free expression.
This is a free event and will take place at the Roosevelt Island Library, located at 504 Main Street, New York, NY 10044. Registrants may sign up through this link.
Accessibility Note: Please contact access@posterhouse.org or (914) 295-2387 to request interpretation services and to address any other accessibility needs. For other event-related questions, please contact info@posterhouse.org.

Genius on Display: Sara Hashim
2025-10-10 18:30 - 20:00
Genius on Display continues at Poster House, featuring award-winning designer Sara Hashim. What does a design career actually look like beyond the polished highlights of a portfolio? In this candid talk, Sara will pull back the curtain on 20 years in design, revealing her non-linear path from agency work to purpose-driven projects. Through honest storytelling about career pivots, setbacks, and breakthroughs when she was working with brands like Nike, Twitter, and Band-Aid, she will share essential lessons for navigating uncertainty, building resilience, and creating meaningful work.
Sara Hashim (she/her) is an award-winning creative leader, educator, and CEO of Forest & Trees, a consulting firm guiding organizations through challenging transitions. With nearly 20 years of experience, she has led branding and strategic initiatives for global brands, including Nike, Google, Band-Aid, and Twitter, while teaching Innovations in Marketing at NYU. A fellow of Milton Glaser and student of Edward Tufte, Sara holds a Masters in Design from Pratt Institute and brings a unique perspective on purpose-driven design to her work for agencies, corporations, and social-impact organizations.
Accessibility Note: Masks and clear masks are available free of charge at the museum. Assistive listening devices and stools are available. ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or a CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) is also available upon request. Please contact access@posterhouse.org or (914) 295-2387 to request interpretation services and to address any other accessibility needs. For other event-related questions, please contact info@posterhouse.org.

Stop Motion Graphics Workshop with Paris Baillie
2025-10-11 16:00 - 17:30
Join teaching artist Paris Baillie for a hands-on, stop-motion animation workshop! Experiment with motion graphics as you bring your designs to life through frame-by-frame animation techniques. Participants will be shown how to use everyday materials to transform static layouts into bold, looping motion graphics that capture both the attention and the imagination.
No animation experience is required—just curiosity and creativity!
Please note: Event ticket does not include museum admission.
Paris Baillie is an artist and animator based in Los Angeles. She went to Skidmore College for studio art, then received an MFA in experimental animation from CalArts. Paris enjoys the control and the opportunity to play god offered by stop-motion animation. She directs and animates short films that focus on her community of fabricated characters and their own worlds. Her most recent short film, Humantis, premiered at the Annecy Festival in France in 2024, and has since been screened at more than 20 film festivals. The film won the jury award for Best Animated Short at both the American Film Institute Festival and the Brooklyn Film Festival. Paris is currently developing her next short film, which has been supported by an artist’s residency at Yaddo in Saratoga Springs, New York.
Accessibility Note: Masks and clear masks are available free of charge at the museum. Assistive listening devices and stools are available. ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or a CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) is also available upon request. Please contact access@posterhouse.org or (914) 295-2387 to request interpretation services and to address any other accessibility needs. For other event-related questions, please contact info@posterhouse.org.

Members-Only Tour: Boekie Woekie Amsterdam
2025-10-16 18:00 - 19:30 | Center for Book Arts, 28 W. 27th Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY, 10001, United States
Poster House members are invited to a private tour of the exhibition Boekie Woekie Amsterdam at the Center for Book Arts, located at 28 West 27th St, 3rd Fl, New York, NY 10001.
Boekie Woekie is an artists’-run bookshop and gallery in Amsterdam founded in 1986 by a group of six artists. Henriëtte van Egten (Dutch), Rúna Thorkelsdóttir (Icelandic), and Jan Voss (German) from the original group have shaped this enterprise for artists’ publications that conventional bookshops find difficult to promote and sell. Alongside their own artistic careers, the three dedicate their work to this “collective sculpture in progress” as they call it. At its heart is what art is all about: a free, poetic, and anarchic spirit and a keen sense of humor.
The exhibition focuses on Boekie Woekie’s activities and the many threads it has woven around the world since its beginning. Without losing sight of its unclassifiable nature, it aims to illustrate the challenges and potential of its main principles: the uncompromising independence based on complete self-financing, and its commitment to self-published and small-press titles by artists regardless of the extent of their fame.
Accessibility Note: Center for Book Arts welcomes all and makes every attempt to accommodate our community’s access needs. CBA’s building has an elevator, with a backup freight elevator, both accessible from street level. Galleries and studio space are wheelchair accessible with an ADA-compliant bathroom. The space is regularly cleaned and sanitized.

Docent Tour: Subway Sun
2025-10-17 17:00 - 18:00
Join the Poster House education team on guided docent tours of our current exhibitions! Gain a deeper understanding of the historical context and the design techniques behind one of the museum’s shows in an informative yet casual setting.
The tours, along with admission on Fridays, are always free!
This Friday, we will be focusing on the posters from From the Bronx to the Battery: The Subway Sun.
Accessibility Note: Masks and clear masks are available free of charge at the museum. Assistive listening devices and stools are available. ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or a CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) is also available upon request. Please contact access@posterhouse.org or (914) 295-2387 to request interpretation services and to address any other accessibility needs. For other event-related questions, please contact info@posterhouse.org.

Halloween Mask Printing with Mike King
2025-10-17 18:00 - 20:00
Get ready for Halloween the Poster House way! This drop-in printing workshop with legendary gig poster artist Mike King will have you screaming with delight as you choose between making a “macabre” Alphonse Mucha or a Milton “the monster” Glaser mask to show off this Spooky Season. Complimentary eye holes will be provided (but not the eyes themselves).
Accessibility Note: Masks and clear masks are available free of charge at the museum. Assistive listening devices and stools are available. ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or a CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) is also available upon request. Please contact access@posterhouse.org or (914) 295-2387 to request interpretation services and to address any other accessibility needs. For other event-related questions, please contact info@posterhouse.org.

Whisper Doll—Live Experience
2025-10-17 19:00 - 20:00
In celebration of the exhibition Copy/Paste/Print/Repeat: Mike King & The Art of the Gig Poster, Poster House is thrilled to present underground New York band Whisper Doll for an intimate soft rock set. Their warm, layered sound echoes the inventive energy of the exhibition, and will be sure to create a night where music and design share the spotlight.
The members of Whisper Doll—a fast-rising NYC Dream Pop band—wear their British shoegaze and indie hearts on their lacy sleeves! With a sound characterized by lush reverb-drenched guitars and ethereal vocals, Whisper Doll creates cinematic soundscapes for a new generation raised on the blissed-out music of the early ’90s.
Accessibility Note: Masks and clear masks are available free of charge at the museum. Assistive listening devices and stools are available. ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or a CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) is also available upon request. Please contact access@posterhouse.org or (914) 295-2387 to request interpretation services and to address any other accessibility needs. For other event-related questions, please contact info@posterhouse.org.

Poster Tots: Nature Monoprinting
2025-10-18 10:30 - 12:00
Discover the wonders of Poster House with your little one! Enjoy a fun look at two posters featured in the museum’s exhibition Blazing a Trail: Dorothy Waugh’s National Parks Posters. With Waugh’s beautiful, evocative depictions of the National Parks as your guide, make your own prints using flowers, leaves, feathers, and more.
Join Poster House for Poster Tots, a program designed to encourage children ages 2–4 (accompanied by their adults) to feel confident in museum settings. Admission is free; advanced registration is required.
This is not a drop-off program.
Accessibility Note: Masks and clear masks are available free of charge at the museum. Assistive listening devices and stools are available. ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or a CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) is also available upon request. Please contact access@posterhouse.org or (914) 295-2387 to request interpretation services and to address any other accessibility needs. For other event-related questions, please contact info@posterhouse.org.

Third Sunday Always Free
2025-10-19 10:00 - 18:00 | Poster House, 119 West 23rd Street, New York, NY, 10011, United States
Poster House is free on the third Sunday of every month, often featuring complimentary programming geared toward families. Be sure to sign up to secure your spot—or just enjoy the museum at your own pace!
Accessibility Note: Masks and clear masks are available free of charge at the museum. Assistive listening devices and stools are available. ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or a CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) is also available upon request. Please contact access@posterhouse.org or (914) 295-2387 to request interpretation services and to address any other accessibility needs. For other event-related questions, please contact info@posterhouse.org.

Spanish-language Tour of Blazing A Trail: Dorothy Waugh’s National Parks Posters
2025-10-19 15:00 - 16:00
Join Poster House for a Spanish-language tour of Blazing A Trail: Dorothy Waugh’s National Parks Posters.
Dorothy Waugh, whose posters encouraging Americans to travel to the National Parks during the New Deal era have often been overlooked, effectively transformed the image of these officially protected landscapes. Between 1934 and 1936, she designed 17 bold posters that gave the National Park Service its own style, one that clearly distinguished it from those of the railroad companies that dominated domestic travel advertising at the time. Her groundbreaking work marked a turning point in American graphic design, and on this tour you’ll get a close look at the entire series along with archival materials that reveal the story behind their creation.

Poster House le invita a participar en una visita guiada de «Trazando un camino: Dorothy Waugh y sus afiches de los parques nacionales».
Dorothy Waugh, cuyos afiches diseñados para animar a la población estadounidense a conocer los parques nacionales y que han sido frecuentemente soslayados, logró transformar decisivamente la imagen de estos paisajes protegidos por el Estado durante la era del «New Deal». Entre 1934 y 1936 diseñaría 17 llamativos afiches para dar un estilo propio al Servicio de Parques Nacionales, distinguiéndolo así claramente de la publicidad de viajes por los EE. UU., dominada hasta entonces por las compañías ferroviarias de la época. Su innovador trabajo marcaría un punto de inflexión en el diseño gráfico nacional; en esta visita guiada podrá admirar de cerca toda la serie, junto con materiales de archivo que revelan la historia detrás de su creación.

Accessibility Note: Masks and clear masks are available free of charge at the museum. Assistive listening devices and stools are available. ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or a CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) is also available upon request. Please contact access@posterhouse.org or (914) 295-2387 to request interpretation services and to address any other accessibility needs. For other event-related questions, please contact info@posterhouse.org.

Members-Only Tour: Italian Futurism & Fascism in The Met's Watson Library
2025-10-20 12:30 - 13:30 | Thomas J. Watson Library at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1000 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, 10028, United States
In honor of the exhibition The Future Was Then: The Changing Face of Fascist Italy, Poster House invites you to join the staff of the Thomas J. Watson Library at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a viewing of works in its collection that demonstrate the shift in Italian Futurist art, poetry, and design as the movement began to embrace fascism. The presentation will include rare illustrated books, manifestos, and other publications by Fortunato Depero, F.T. Marinetti, Gino Severini, Francesco Cangiullo, and Carlo Carrà, among others.
This event will take place at the Thomas J. Watson Library inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art at 1000 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10028. Poster House members will meet inside the main entrance (up the steps) next to the Information Desk located in the center of the lobby.
Accessibility Note: As this is an off-site event, masks and clear masks are available free of charge if requested in advance. ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or a CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) is also available upon request. Please contact access@posterhouse.org or (914) 295-2387 to request interpretation services and to address any other accessibility needs. For other event-related questions, please contact info@posterhouse.org.

Posters & Cocktails: Italian Fascism
2025-10-21 18:00 - 20:00
What calls for a stiff drink more than the history of Italian Fascism? Join Nicholas Lowry of Swann Auctions Galleries, Don Spiro of the Green Fairy Society, and our very own Executive Director & Curator, Angelina Lippert, for an evening of terrifying megalomania (and we’re not only talking about their egos!). Like Nero, laugh while Rome burns in this deeply inappropriate romp through Mussolini’s rise to power and horrific downfall—all accompanied by the gourmet level of alcoholic drinks that one would expect from the culinary capital of the world.
The night’s events will switch between specialty Italian-themed cocktails and the witty reparté of Nicho and Angelina as they highlight some of the best posters produced during the worst period in modern Italian history.
Duke of Bergamo Cocktail
1 1/4 oz Pellini Raspicello Raspberry Liqueur
¾ oz Grappa
¼ oz lemon juice
¼ oz Campari
Cherry garnish
Select Spritz
1 ½ oz Select Aperitivo
1 ½ oz Prosecco
Splash of soda
Green olive garnish
Milano-Torino
1 ½ oz Campari
1 ½ oz Carpano Antica (or Cocchi di Torino)
Slice of orange garnish
Ticket prices include three custom-made cocktails. This series is generously supported by Don Lebowitz and Claudia Wagner.
Because of the nature of this event, the in-person version is limited to those ages 21 and up.
Accessibility Note: Masks and clear masks are available free of charge at the museum. Assistive listening devices and stools are available. ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or a CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) is also available upon request. Please contact access@posterhouse.org or (914) 295-2387 to request interpretation services and to address any other accessibility needs. For other event-related questions, please contact info@posterhouse.org.

Member Mornings
2025-10-23 09:00 - 10:00
Poster House members of all levels are invited to explore the museum without the crowds during exclusive Member Mornings. Held on select Thursdays throughout the year, these are the ideal time to enjoy your favorite exhibitions at your leisure. No reservations are required, and complimentary coffee and tea will be available for members in the Café.
Accessibility Note: Masks and clear masks are available free of charge at the museum. Assistive listening devices and stools are available. ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or a CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) is also available upon request. Please contact access@posterhouse.org or (914) 295-2387 to request interpretation services and to address any other accessibility needs. For other event-related questions, please contact info@posterhouse.org.

Docent Tour: Mike King
2025-10-24 17:00 - 18:00
Join the Poster House education team on guided docent tours of our current exhibitions! Gain a deeper understanding of the historical context and the design techniques behind one of the museum’s shows in an informative yet casual setting.
The tours, along with admission on Fridays, are always free!
This Friday, we will be focusing on the posters from Copy/Paste/Print/Repeat: Mike King & the Art of the Gig Poster.
Accessibility Note: Masks and clear masks are available free of charge at the museum. Assistive listening devices and stools are available. ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or a CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) is also available upon request. Please contact access@posterhouse.org or (914) 295-2387 to request interpretation services and to address any other accessibility needs. For other event-related questions, please contact info@posterhouse.org.

The Subway Sun: A Curatorial Conversation
2025-10-24 18:00 - 19:30
Join us for a hybrid conversation between Jodi Shapiro, Curator at the New York Transit Museum, and Es-pranza Humphrey, Assistant Curator of Collections at Poster House, exploring the visual and cultural history of The Subway Sun. This talk will cover the ambitious campaign of distinctive posters that were posted in subway cars and intended to encourage riders to explore New York City by way of the Interborough Rapid Transit system that sped underground.
Jodi and Es-pranza will also share stories and archival treasures from their complementary exhibitions, the Transit Museum’s Shining a Light on the Subway Sun: The Art of Fred G. Cooper and Amelia Opdyke Jones and Poster House’s From the Bronx to the Battery: The Subway Sun. Both curators will consider the work and legacy of illustrators Fred G. Cooper and Amelia Opdyke Jones in addition to other artistic efforts to enhance the experience of subway travel in the city.
This program is presented in partnership with the New York Transit Museum. Registration information via the event page will be shared with the New York Transit Museum.
Image Credit: The Subway Sun: Cool off at Orchard Beach, 1937, New York Transit Museum Don Harold Collection, 2021.1.1.62
Accessibility Note: Masks and clear masks are available free of charge at the museum. Assistive listening devices and stools are available. ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or a CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) is also available upon request. Please contact access@posterhouse.org or (914) 295-2387 to request interpretation services and to address any other accessibility needs. For other event-related questions, please contact info@posterhouse.org.

Streets to Gardens: An East Harlem Walking Tour with NYRP
2025-10-25 13:00 - 15:00
Join Poster House and the New York Restoration Project (NYRP) for a guided walking tour through East Harlem’s community gardens, presented in connection with the exhibition Blazing a Trail: Dorothy Waugh’s National Parks Posters.
As guests walk from garden to garden, we will learn about the vibrant history of New York City’s community gardens and their ongoing role as spaces of creativity, resilience, and community care. NYRP guides will share stories of local activism, urban stewardship, and the ways these green spaces inspire artistic expression and foster connections to the natural world—echoing themes celebrated in Dorothy Waugh’s visionary poster designs for America’s National Parks.
What to Bring & Wear

A bottle of drinking water

Extra clothing in case the weather turns cool

Closed-toe shoes (required for entry into all garden spaces)

Additional Details

Rain Date: Thursday, November 6

Meeting Point: Final details and starting location will be shared with registered participants closer to the tour date.

This program is free to attend—suggested donation: $10 to support Poster House’s public programming. Donations will be accepted on-site during the event.
The New York Restoration Project (NYRP) believes that access to nature is a fundamental right for all New Yorkers. Working in partnership with communities across the five boroughs, NYRP renovates community gardens, restores parks, plants trees, supports urban agriculture, and builds green spaces in often underserved neighborhoods.

Virtual Vibrant Verbal Description Tour: Dorothy Waugh’s National Parks
2025-10-28 16:00 - 17:00
Every month, Poster House offers virtual Vibrant Verbal Description Tours specifically for community members who are blind or have low vision. In order to reach a wide, art-loving audience around the world, we offer our description tours online through Zoom. These tours are given by our Lead Educators, allowing you intimate access to the works in the museum’s current shows and in the permanent collection.
This month’s tour will focus on the exhibition Blazing a Trail: Dorothy Waugh’s National Parks Posters.
Please email access@posterhouse.org or call 914.295.2387 to sign up for this event. You will be emailed poster images for reference as well as information about accessing Zoom the day before the virtual tour. Tours start promptly and will last approximately 60 minutes with questions.
For a complete list of our accessibility tours, click the Accessibility filter at the top of our Events page, email access@posterhouse.org or call 914.295.2387. Poster House will also strive to accommodate any outside accessibility tour requests given two week’s notice.
Accessibility Note: This online event will be hosted on Zoom with attendees’ cameras off. A recording of this event will be made available to all registered attendees. Automated closed captioning will be provided. ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or a CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) is available upon request. Please contact access@posterhouse.org or 914.295.2387 to request interpretation services and to address any other accessibility needs.

Members-Only Tour: The Future Was Then
2025-10-29 18:00 - 19:00
Poster House members are invited to a curatorial tour of The Future Was Then: The Changing Face of Fascist Italy. Join curator B.A. Van Sise as he discusses how dictator Benito Mussolini adapted to the Futurist art movement, and in turn how Italian culture and commerce bent to the increasingly authoritarian regime of Mussolini. Light refreshments will be served.
Accessibility Note: Masks and clear masks are available free of charge at the museum. Assistive listening devices and stools are available. ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or a CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) is also available upon request. Please contact access@posterhouse.org or (914) 295-2387 to request interpretation services and to address any other accessibility needs. For other event-related questions, please contact info@posterhouse.org.

Designed to Control: Authoritarian Branding of the 20th Century
2025-10-30 18:30 - 19:30
Youth may be wasted on the young, but under the totalitarian state they saw naivety and enthusiasm of youth as a particular opportunity. For the state to prosper, youth was treated as a sub-brand of the greater regime that both followed and perpetuated its ideology. Graphic design, typography, officially sanctioned styles and fashions, symbolism and signs played a huge role in transforming children and teenagers into functioning fascists, indoctrinated in stages according to their age and level of cognitive development. Young people were given daily doses of visual, written, and verbal propaganda. The goal for the youth was to graduate to a higher rank within the system until compliant boys turned into loyal statesmen, soldiers of the realm, and promoters of the regime and girls into the mothers of the next generation of fascists.
In honor of the exhibition The Future Was Then: The Changing Face of Fascist Italy, prominent design historian Steven Heller will present a survey of this charged topic and address the design methods used to enforce conformity to various regimes’ authoritarian agendas.
Steven Heller is the cofounder and cochair emeritus of MFA Design at the School of Visual Arts and editor-at-large at Printmag.com, where he writes The Daily Heller. He is a former contributing columnist to the New York Times Book Review where he was also the senior art director. Heller is the author and/or editor of more than two hundred books on graphic design, illustration, and political art, including Iron Fists: Branding the 20th Century Totalitarian State; Merz to Emigre and Beyond: Avant Garde Magazine Design of the Twentieth Century; and Growing Up Underground: A Memoir of Counterculture New York.
Accessibility Note: Masks and clear masks are available free of charge at the museum. Assistive listening devices and stools are available. ASL (American Sign Language) interpretation or a CART (Communication Access Realtime Translation) is also available upon request. Please contact access@posterhouse.org or (914) 295-2387 to request interpretation services and to address any other accessibility needs. For other event-related questions, please contact info@posterhouse.org.
