January’s “Presidential Trappings” series, presented by New Canaan Library and the New Canaan Museum & Historical Society, concludes on Tuesday, January 26 at 7PM EST. Alicia Yin Cheng, founding partner of MGMT. design and author of This is What Democracy Looked Like: A Visual History of the Printed Ballot will take the audience through a fascinating history of some of the unique designs of ballots in the past. Please register at newcananlibrary.org; Zoom info will be provided upon registration.
The humble ballot has a long and storied history, and has, in fact, not always been so humble in design. Ms. Cheng will discuss her recently published book, This is What Democracy Looked Like: A Visual History of the Printed Ballot, which illuminates the noble but often flawed process at the heart of democracy. In her discussion, Ms. Cheng will cover the book’s exploration of US ballots from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, examining the unregulated, ornate, and at times absurd designs that formed the very foundation of our electoral system and offer insight into a pivotal time in American history.
Alicia Yin Cheng is a graphic designer and founding partner of MGMT. design. She has taught and served as a visiting critic at Yale University, Princeton University, the Maryland Institute College of Art, Barnard College, Parsons School of Design, the Cooper Union School of Art and the Rhode Island School of Design. Alicia served on the board of the AIGA/New York chapter and received her BA from Barnard College and her MFA from Yale University.