Beehive Collective visits NYC

Posted May 17, 2005 by in Events

A few weeks ago the Beehive Collective visited NYC. They were invited to Washington Square Park during the May Day weekend when the New World in Our Hearts Conference was happening. The Beehive members gave a narrative explanation of their Plan Colombia poster, after unfurling it out on the bricks of the park, in front the large crowd that assembled.

The Beehive Collective is a group of artists that create graphic posters about the intense web of effects from corporate globalization, the resistance in culture and the impacts of deregulation. The "bees" also create elaborate stone mosaic murals, one being created for MOFGA, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, about agriculture and biodiversity.

The Beehive's Biodevastation poster was the first image of theirs I came across, in 2000. And ever since I have been amazed by their capability of representing the different aspects of globalization, in sort of a "food-web" poster mural, creating posters on the Free Trade Area of the Americas(F.T.A.A), the Latin American Solidarity Network, and currently the Plan Puebla Panama.They have traveled all over the Western hemisphere (North and South) gathering first-hand accounts from people most directly affected by these political and economic initiatives to place them in their imagery. And they do not forget to include the social movements and resistance amidst all of these overwhelming issues. Being sensitive to forms of cultural appropriation they are committed to using animal and insect metaphors to represent the struggles going on around the world. Which works out very well when they are doing "field research." I can remember a few different stories told to me by a "bee" about traveling in Colombia and Mexico, where indigenous communities would tell them about the different symbolic meanings that the regional creatures have for them. These aspects have been worked into the imagery and allow for the representation of ethnicity and culture without being "racial."

This is a super busy group of folks, and its necessary to note that they have distributed tens of thousands of posters and given hundreds of "narrative picture-lectures" thru grassroots and independant organizing! They are always looking for a hand in disseminating the fruits of their labor and for help with their various projects, so contact them through their website or email: pollinators(at)beehivecollective.org

If you happen to be in Maine in August visit the Collective's "beehive" for their ceremony celebrating the completion of renovations on their, soon-to-be, 100 year old Grange hall!

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