September 19 – October 4, 2025
The Haakonson Family Gallery
Opening Reception for Members and Guests: Friday September 19th, 7 – 9 pm
Free admission
Presented for 2025 Alberta Culture Days + 2025 Design Week @ Harcourt House
Introduction
From their humble beginnings in the late 15th century to their vibrant digital iterations today, posters have remained a dynamic medium for both communication and artistic expression. Poster art embodies many forms — art with a message, metaphorical art, street art, and the art of the people. Through the interplay of words and images, posters announce events and convey information across a broad range of subjects. Their visual impact must be immediate, and their message clear. Due to their utilitarian function, posters have often been classified within the realm of graphic arts.
Harcourt’s Posters
Over the past 15 years, Harcourt’s posters have pushed beyond the traditional boundaries of poster design by challenging conventions and subverting the genre’s typical declarative role. These works have redefined the genre, elevating poster design to a fine art form on par with painting, sculpture, and other visual arts. Rooted firmly in real-world contexts, Harcourt’s posters engage in an active dialogue with the viewer.
The exhibition Art for Art Promotion: Harcourt’s Posters in Retrospect presents a selection of original posters created in-house to promote Harcourt’s exhibitions, educational initiatives, special events, and fundraisers. The collection includes posters by Harcourt’s in-house designers: Ruta Nichol, Darren Kooyman, and Krista Acheson — ranging from one-off pieces for specific projects to Nichol’s/Kooyman’s ‘standardized’ design, developed in 2019 to unify the visual identity of Harcourt’s exhibitions and educational programming. This latter format features a lead artwork as the central image, highlighting the distinctive character of each show. Within the exhibition, these works form a vibrant visual tapestry – showcasing the diversity and originality of the featured artists and the exhibitions they represent.
The poster designs by Nichol, Kooyman, and Acheson — marked by bold geometric forms, vivid colour palettes, and inventive typography — represent a clear departure from the restrained minimalism of modernist design. Their visually striking, often playful compositions have expanded the possibilities of graphic design, enriching the aesthetic landscape and contributing to the genre’s ongoing evolution.
Art for Art Promotion offers a window into Harcourt’s vibrant visual history and its enduring commitment to the promotion of contemporary art. While digital technologies and online platforms have significantly reshaped the field of poster design, the medium continues to thrive. Despite the prevalence of digital media, posters remain a vital and highly effective tool for promotion — and, fortunately, they continue to hold a cherished place in our visual culture.
Jacek Malec
Exhibition Curator
Presenting Partner:
