Dorothy Waugh: Design Pioneer, Renaissance Woman

Dorothy Waugh’s poster campaign for the National Park Service (NPS) during the depths of the Great Depression was as trailblazing as it was masterful. The government had never before entrusted such an ambitious promotion to a solo designer, let alone a female modernist working in a male-dominated bureaucracy. Yet Waugh’s work for the bureau was just one of the many successful, diverse careers she pursued during her long life. Held in honor of the exhibition Blazing a Trail: Dorothy Waugh’s National Parks Posters, this lecture by noted historian and curator Mark Resnick will focus on her NPS campaign, as well as situate it within her broader story. 

Mark Resnick is an authority on the history of American graphic design, a field in which he curates, publishes, and lectures. He has also served as an art-museum director, as chief business and legal executive at major film companies, and on various arts-related boards. He is the founder of Resnick Arts and Culture Consulting, which advises cultural institutions and their leaders on a wide range of matters and counsels major collectors on the sale or donation of their collections.

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.