Syracuse Poster Project
Community Art Project Submission // Haiku by Matt Thomas
The Syracuse Poster Project is an annual call to regional poets and artists to help beautify the City of Syracuse and make better use of the poster panels that are installed throughout the city. For the 2021 competition, sixteen winning posters were selected to celebrate the heritage and future growth of Syracuse. This poster was awarded 2nd Place.
This illustration was inspired by a haiku written by Matt Thomas and features the old Penfield Manufacturing building on the city’s north side. When originally built in the 1800’s, what looked like a residential home was constructed on top of the facility as a clever way to hide unsightly roof-top equipment. The building was unoccupied for a number of years, but because of the house on top, is a famous part of Syracuse architecture.
In 2020, it was announced that the building would be redeveloped. In the spirit of the haiku, the illustration shows awakened cicadas and growing flowers around the old factory symbolizing new growth for the building.
Prints of the poster, along with the other winners, will be available for sale in 2021.


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