The People’s Declaration: Grassroots Posters from 1976 and 2026

Join us for a panel discussion and exhibition tour exploring how people made themselves heard through printmaking in 1976 and 2026.

Philadelphia’s commemorations of the Declaration of Independence have always included big plans, but haven’t always embraced grassroots communities, especially those marginalized by race, class, gender, or sexual orientation.

Curators from the Free Library and Penn’s Kislak Center will explore how Philadelphians made themselves heard through posters, newspapers and other materials in the 1976 and 2026 anniversaries.

Mitch Fraas will show highlights from an exhibition on the 1976 “counter-celebrations,” Suzanna Urminska will discuss posters from Mural Arts’ 2026 “Printmaking by the People” project, in which everyday Philadelphians have imagined a new Declaration of Independence, and Rhonda Babb will discuss a new poster-mural design created to convey the “people’s vision.”

Afterwards, the curators will lead a tour of the “Printmaking by the People” exhibition at the library's Heim Center for Cultural and Civic Engagement.

Speakers:

Suzanna Urminska, Curator of Exhibitions, Free Library of Philadelphia
Mitch Frass, Senior Curator, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania Libraries
Rhonda Babb, Printmaker, Designer of Behold These Truths