Southern Miss Museum of Art to Host National Poster Show Exhibit, Juried by Prominent Alumnus and Designer

Tue, 01/28/2025 - 09:57am | By: Ivonne Kawas

Emerging in the late 19th century with the development of color lithography, posters have been captivating audiences for well over a century with their bold designs, vibrant colors and compelling messages. From advertising events to sparking social movements, these works of art remain a timeless and powerful medium of communication today.

The Museum of Art in The University of Southern Mississippi’s (USM) School of Performing and Visual Arts will host the National Poster Show beginning January 30 through February 20, on the Hattiesburg campus. The exhibit will feature contemporary posters juried by renowned designer and Southern Miss alumnus Michael Borosky ’83, alongside a special display of early 20th-century war and travel posters generously loaned from the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art’s permanent collection.

“This year’s show features a rich variety of beautifully designed posters, some communicating messages of political or social concern, others promoting music or sports events, and a few that are purely aesthetic, nonobjective designs,” said Mark Rigsby, museum director and professor of Art and Design.

The show will feature 18 posters designed by 12 artists from across the U.S., including:

• Chris Corneal (DeWitt, Mich.) 

• Meaghan Dee (Blacksburg, Va.) 

• Mitchell Eismont (Dayton, Ohio) 

• Mark Fox (San Francisco, Calif.) 

• Jennifer Kowalski (Bethlehem, Pa.) 

• Minjung Lee (New York, N.Y.) 

• Daniel Martin (Kenosha, Wis.) 

• Douglas May (Dallas, Texas) 

• Nick Mendoza (Stillwater, Okla.) 

• Melina Smyres (Ada, Okla.) 

• Steve Sult (Niles, Mich.) 

• Stephen Tomasko (Akron, Ohio) 

Distinguished Southern Miss alumnus Michael Borosky will serve as juror and visiting artist for the show. Borosky’s extensive career spans graphic design, art direction, interaction design, brand strategy and advertising. As the executive creative director and co-founder of Eleven, a San Francisco-based branding firm, Borosky has crafted memorable brand moments for clients such as Apple, Virgin America Airlines, Levi’s, Williams-Sonoma, Kodak and Disney. He also led Eleven’s experience design practice, shaping consumer experiences for companies like Chevrolet, Google, Dignity Health and Pella. A curious and lifelong learner, Borosky regularly attends the annual TED Conference and is currently consulting pro-bono for the TED Fellows program.

The National Poster Show Exhibit will conclude with a juror’s lecture by Borosky on February 20 at 5:30 p.m. in Gonzalez Auditorium (LAB 108). A closing reception will follow at 7 p.m. in the Gallery of Art and Design, providing an opportunity for students and the community to meet and interact with Borosky.

The exhibit can be viewed at the Gallery of Art and Design, located in the George Hurst Building, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This event is made possible through the generous support of the following sponsors: Mr. and Mrs. James Simrall, Jr. Arts Endowment, and the Robert N. Kinnaird, Jr. and Lucille Ehlers Kinnaird Memorial Endowment.