More Than A Brand – Art for People's Sake

I’ve wanted to make this poster ever since I saw the ‘30 Days: Life on an Indian Reservation‘ episode in my college Anthropology class. I, like many others, had always believed that the Native Americans were making tons of money off of Indian gaming and living well. And while this is true for some tribes, there are actually many reservations where unemployment, alcoholism and crime are the daily reality. In fact, Indians today are still among the poorest of Americans.

Despite these overwhelming obstacles, Native Americans have been and remain a very proud people with an incredibly rich history. This poster, titled ‘American’ will hopefully serve as a reminder that we are all united under one banner in this country. 18″ x 24″ prints are available in the More Than A Brand Store, and as always a portion of the sales will go to support various charities.

I recently received this uplifting email from Students For A Free Tibet in India:

Hi Bart Welt, Thank you so much for taking out time to support the cause.
We respect your work and will not alter it. I would also print this out
and give it to his family here.

It always makes us more determined to campaign for his release when we see
his wife and 3 kids around us. I admire his wife who has to go through all
the trauma and yet takes care of his parents and the three kids.

There’s a short documentary made on her: http://www.vimeo.com/6579635

Keep supporting the campaign to release Dhondup Wangchen and many other
innocent Tibetans.

Regards,

Tenchoe
SFT India

It’s awesome that we live in a world where people from all corners of the globe can unite for a single cause. Please take some time and view the video about Lhamo Tso and also the video that began eveything, Dhondup Wangchen’s ‘Leaving Fear Behind.’

Dhondup Wangchen is a Tibetan filmmaker whose documentary “Leaving Fear Behind” revealed the attitudes of Tibetan citizens towards the 2008 Olympic Games held in China. In March 2008 he was arrested for “inciting separatism,” a serious offense in China. He is currently awaiting trial, and has been tortured and refused treatment for his deteriorating health. In addition, his lawyer has been barred from representing him, casting serious doubt over the fairness of the trial.

Freedom of expression is something that we take for granted here in the states, however not everyone is allowed these basic rights. Check out these websites to learn more and get involved:

Facebook Petition for the Release of Dhondup Wangchen

Students For A Free Tibet

Free Tibet 2008 (Watch The Film)

I’m also making available a high-resolution 18″x24″ image for download. Please use this to print out and distribute your own posters and raise awareness for Dhondup Wangchen and the plight of the Tibetan people. Do me a favor though, play nice and don’t modify the image. I wouldn’t go messing up your hard work. Now that we’re all on the same page, you can download the poster here.

If there’s one thing I’m a sucker for it’s beautiful typography. This image immediately caught my attention, however I unfortunately do not know the artist. This piece reads the same upside-down as well which really adds an impressive element to the design.

According to the U.S. State Department, an estimated 800,000 to 900,000 human beings are bought, sold or forced across the world’s borders each year. The majority of these are teenage girls, and others as young as 5, who are swept up into the sex trade.

The issue of human trafficking is a worldwide problem, and one that doesn’t get the attention it deserves. This poster, titled ‘The New Slavery’ will hopefully raise awareness for those individuals who are enslaved by the sex trafficking industry. This 24″ x 36″ poster is available in the More Than A Brand Store. A portion of the sales from this print will go to support organizations that combat human trafficking.

I’ve had a few requests for a ‘Heaven And Earth’ wallpaper. However, since the poster itself can be viewed either side up I couldn’t choose just one perspective. Instead I decided the only fair decision would be to offer both sides. So here you go… Heaven and/or Earth if you so choose.

Earth Side:
1024 x 768
1280 x 800
1440 x 900
1680 x 1050
1920 x 1200
iPhone/iPod

Heaven Side:
1024 x 768
1280 x 800
1440 x 900
1680 x 1050
1920 x 1200
iPhone/iPod

A while ago I created this promotional poster for Project Ink. However, it was uncertain that we’d ever use this piece and seeing that the company has now moved away from this particular tag line all together, it’s pretty much dead on arrival. I really like how this design turned out and wanted to at least give it some short lived glory by posting it here.

Can you tell from this poster that I’m based in California?

JHM Global is an organization that works to empower women in impoverished countries. In addition, they also provide aid to orphans and teenagers with broken families. On top of that, it is run by the Hopewell family who are close friends of mine.

This poster, called ‘Many Colors,’ is my gift to them for the stellar work they do. The poster itself will be distributed by the organization and will be available through the More Than A Brand store. To learn more about JHM Global you can visit their website at www.jhmglobal.com. Donations are not required, however I’m sure they will reward you with a hearty high-five.

Continuing in the spirit of cool things that are also free are these cool iPhone/iPod wallpapers from the ‘Made In _____’ series. Because honestly… that kitten hanging from the tree just doesn’t cut it anymore. You know who you are.

So go ahead, download one, or all five and support the cause. And remember to check out the More Than A Brand store to get the full-sized posters.

‘Made In Africa’ iPhone
‘Made In China’ iPhone
‘Made In India’ iPhone
‘Made In Indonesia’ iPhone
‘Made In Mexico’ iPhone

Oh, and in case you were wondering, the iPhone is made in Taiwan.

Here is a stylish yet poignant wallpaper based on the ‘Heart For Africa’ poster which will soon be available for sale through the More Than A Brand store. This design will hopefully bring some color to your desktop and serve as a conversation starter. Select the appropriate format for your desktop or iPhone/iPod.

1280 x 800
1280 x 1024
1440 x 900
1900 x 1200
iPhone/iPod