DISPATCH - NOV 6, 2012 (7:45 a.m.)
HEMPSTEAD, NY
Today is Election Day--the day when voters go behind the polling curtain to decide the direction the country will take for the next four years. The presidential campaign is now over. Watching the vote tallies begins.
Election Day is a linchpin moment but the pulse of politics beats all year round. In addition to political journalists, columnists, elected officials, lobbying groups and concerned citizens, editorial cartoonists are tapped into the journeys of proposed legislation and the speeches, actions and inactions of political players.
In a bow to these visual artists in the trenches, Hofstra University Museum decided to mount the exhibition "Political Slant: Editorial Cartoons." The show exhibits the work of five contemporary political cartoonists publishing in Long Island, NY, Colorado, New Jersey, Louisiana and Pennsylvania. A historical perspective on the art form is also included. Topics portrayed include presidential elections, education, economy, war and civil rights, according to the museum.
"'Political Slant: Editorial Cartoons' highlights today’s headlines and issues with the pointed satire and humor that our featured cartoonists are known for," states Beth E. Levinthal, Executive Director of the Hofstra University Museum. "Utilizing their talents, these artists give audiences insights into the important issues of our day in a manner that invites us to shift our viewpoints while gaining greater understanding."
Exhibiting are Pulitzer Prize winner Walt Handelsman (Newsday), Pulitzer Prize winner Mike Keefe (formerly of the Denver Post), Steve Kelley (formerly of the New Orleans Times-Picayune), Jimmy Margulies (North New Jersey Record) and Pulitzer Prize winner Signe Wilkinson (Philadelphia Daily News). Also on view is the work of Thomas Nast (1840-1902). He is considered the "Father of the American Cartoon," according to the museum. He covered the Tammany Hall crowd and more.
Hamptons Art Hub is featuring the works of each exhibiting cartoonist in The Funny Pages. In honor of Election Day, here are a few of the works on view:
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"The Candidates Are Running Head to Head" by Walt Handelsman, 2012. Digital print, 6 3/8 x 10 inches. © Walt Handelsman, Newsday, 2012. Courtesy Hofstra University Museum.
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"School Test-Taking Basics" by Signe Wilkinson, 2012. Digital print, 9 1/2 x 15 3/4 inches. Courtesy Hofstra University Museum. © Signe Wilkinson, Philadelphia Daily News, 2012
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"Economic Indicators" by Walt Handelsman, 2012. Digital print, 10 5/8 x 16 1/2 inches. © Walt Handelsman, Newsday, 2012. Courtesy Hofstra University Museum.
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"The Graduate" by Jimmy Margulies, 2012. Digital print, 9 1/2 x 14 inches. Courtesy Hofstra University Museum.
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"Homework Supercommittee" by Steve Kelley, 2011. Digital print, 10 1/4 x 16 inches. Courtesy Hofstra University Museum.
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“POLITICAL SLANT: EDITORIAL CARTOONS” is on view through Dec 21, 2012 at the David Filderman Gallery of Hofstra University Museum. Exhibiting are Walt Handelsman, Mike Keefe, Steve Kelley, Jimmy Margulies, Signe Wilkinson and Thomas Nast.
The Hofstra University Museum is located at 112 Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY. www.hofstra.edu/Community/museum/index.html
RELATED STORIES: Here are the stories that have been published, so far, in The Funny Pages at Hamptons Art Hub:
Hamptons Art Hub: "The Funny Pages - Mike Keefe." Published Oct 21, 2012.
Hamptons Art Hub: "The Funny Pages - Jimmy Margulies." Published Oct 28, 2012.
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© 2012 Pat Rogers and Hamptons Art Hub. All rights reserved.