Poster Image
$20
Item#: 2019SYR09
Purchase Details
11x17-inches, printed on heavy weight (100-pound) Hammermill cover paper. We package each print with a piece of chipboard in a clear plastic sleeve.
You also receive…
An information page with photos of the artist and poet, and hand-written comments from each.
Medium- and large-format posters are available by custom order. Contact us for details.
Poem Inspiration Location
Travel the Wide Bank
poster information
Description
Travel the wide bank,
Follow Old Sal's towpath steps;
Eighth worldly wonder
I grew up in Syracuse, the Erie Canal close by. During ice-cold winters the canal would freeze over; we'd bring our skates and thermoses of hot cocoa down to the ditch. Later in life it became a glorious place to walk with cherished friends, mulling over matters big and small.
I think about its history back to the days my ancestors worked on the construction of this engineered wonder. It started out as just a ditch but it revolutionized trade, commerce, and transportation. Old Sal was the mule in the popular song “15 miles on the Erie Canal”: she did her part, too.
Businesses began popping up along the canal. Ideas and movements grew like the Women's Rights Movement. It was a passageway for change and progress. The story of the Erie Canal always captures my attention. It brought the world to the people.
The Syracuse Poster Project brings poets and artists together. It's been an honor, and exciting to be a part of this visual haiku magic.
After reading the haiku, I could immediately visualize the poster I created. I knew I wanted it to be very colorful and loosely emulate the art nouveau style.
I believe that the art nouveau style reflects the richness of the Erie Canal's history, while the bright colors mirror the Canal's natural setting. I hoped to showcase the Canal in an elevated light, magnifying the experience for the viewer.