Madelon Powers Gallery to Present Inclusion Poster Project 8: The American Dream
East Stroudsburg, PA (10/15/2026) — East Stroudsburg University's Madelon Powers Gallery will present Inclusion Poster Project 8: The American Dream, the eighth installment of an interdisciplinary student exhibition that fosters dialogue about inclusion and diversity, Wednesday, October 21 - Tuesday, December 8. The Fall 2026 exhibition brings together student work in graphic design and philosophy while inviting the broader ESU community to contribute perspectives on the meaning of the American Dream.
Hours for the gallery, located in the university's Fine and Performing Arts Building, Normal and Marguerite streets, are Monday - Friday, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. A reception for the artist will be held on Wednesday, October 21 from 4-6 p.m. in the gallery. The exhibition and reception are open to the public at no cost.
The Inclusion Poster Project (IPP) was founded in 2017 by David Mazure, professor in the department of art + media + design, and Dr. T. Storm Heter, professor of modern language, philosophy and religion, with the goal of amplifying student voices around social justice issues. Each year, a new theme is selected by the IPP committee, and students in Mazure's AMDE 220: Graphic Design course create posters addressing issues of inclusion, justice and diversity. The posters are entered into a juried competition, and winners are recognized during the opening reception.
For IPP8, students in Heter's PHIL 213: Black Humanism course surveyed literature related to this year's theme, examined campus strengths and challenges connected to diversity, and developed slogans and visual concepts to share with student designers. Cross-disciplinary dialogue between the philosophy and graphic design students is a central part of the project and informs the final posters.
This year's project also invites students across ESU to complete the statement, "The American Dream ________." through a QR code that allows students to record and share their unique perspectives. Responses from the student campus community will be incorporated into the gallery exhibition.
The opening program will feature two guest speakers. Designer Kim Berlin will present "Houston, we have a (design) problem," a talk on design ethics rooted in her experience creating the Avelo Airlines identity and the questions that followed the airline's participation in deportation charter flights for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Artist and designer Rhonda Babb will present "HOPE + ACTION = CHANGE," highlighting The Hope Symbol Project, and will host a pop-up printmaking station where visitors can create activism-inspired protest posters to take with them.
Additional exhibition features include a Free Speech 'Zine Zone showcasing zines produced by ESU students and a special mezzanine display, Handmade Protest Books, featuring work by Pat Pinciotti and Paula Kelberman.
For more information on the exhibit or reception, contact the Fine and Performing Arts Building at (570) 422-3694.
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