10:05am | Amidst the massively scaled Pacific Standard Time (PST) event, a collaboration of Southern California cultural institutions that spans some forty individual exhibitions exploring the birth of Los Angeles art, sits a special gem in the space of Long Beach’s university. The University Art Museum mounted Peace Press Graphics 1967–1987: Art in the Pursuit of Social Change, a survey of the press’ work and their connections to artist collectives of the time.

The significance of this exhibition is two-fold. Firstly, with its glance back at political reformation and free speech, it is a historical tie to the current Occupy Movement, showcasing a time when social networking only happened via face-to-face interactions. Secondly, it showcases the oft-disregarded art scene of Long Beach, particularly our smaller art spaces, which has long been under the shadow of the more prominent Los Angeles art scene.

Founded in 1967 by a unique group of L.A. activist-artists who created an “alternate everything” printing and publishing business, the Peace Press (1967-1987) emerged from the tangle of progressive political and alternative groups that flourished during the decades between 1960 and 1990. The poster archive, now housed at the Center for the Study of Political Graphics (CSPG) in Los Angeles, exemplifies an important element of visual and cultural history: art that reflects the desire and intention to create social and political change, as well as artists who attempt to affect change through both their work and their actions.

“This is an unprecedented moment in Southern California art history. This series of PST exhibitions, collaborations and programs will provide curators and scholars alike an amazing opportunity to showcase and highlight the groundbreaking and innovative work that has been made here on the West coast for decades but doesn’t always get the critical attention it rightly deserves. As a small museum, we are honored to be a part of this initiative and have the chance to add to this rich and meaningful history,” said Chris Scoates, Director of the UAM.

For gay historians and rights activists, a particular piece should spur massive interest: Christopher St. West, a 1971 press graphic that was the first ever gay pride poster for the first ever gay pride, held right up north in L.A. Amanda Fruta, UAM’s Public Relations Director, explained, “[The] Peace Press was a beacon of hope for countless schools of alternative thought, including the Gay Liberation Front. The research process of Peace Press Graphics has brought many shining examples of gay rights heroism to light[.]”

The exhibition, co-curated by Ilee Kaplan and Carol Wells, will feature 50 to 75 posters from the press’ archive alongside works on paper whose subject matter addresses issues such as feminist causes, workers’ rights, civil liberties, anti-nuclear protests, environmental concerns, and anti-war demonstrations by artists who worked with the press, including Robert Crumb, Rupert Garcia, Harry Fonseca, Sheila Levrant de Brettville, and Skip Williamson. In addition, a historical timeline, poetry and spoken word performances, film clips interspersed in the galleries, and a separate film screening series will accompany the artworks— to offer audiences a unique opportunity to understand the art of political protest within its larger cultural milieu.

Peace Press Graphics 1967–1987: Art in the Pursuit of Social Change runs through December 11th.