Winter Term is an annual initiative in which The Drawing Center partners with an artist or organization whose mission it is to explore the transformative role that drawing can play in civic and global society. The second session engages The Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP), a Brooklyn-based organization that leverages graphic design and illustration to bring transparency to complex civic structures (e.g., land use, labor rights, immigration rights, juvenile detention) in partnership with the communities impacted by them. The typical end product—multi-language posters, pocket-sized booklets, and hands-on toolkits—ensures ease of access and dissemination to those constituencies who need them most: immigrants, street vendors, and public housing residents, among others.

CUP’s residency at The Drawing Center documents the organization’s process by following one project from CUP’s 2018–19 season: “Immigrants & NY,” a guide explaining civil rights and protections for immigrants at risk of deportation (Designer: Luiza Dale; Community Partner: The New York Immigration Coalition). The residency features an exhibition in which the project is broken down visually from its conception through its design, testing, and distribution. This exhibition is accompanied by a series of events geared towards individuals wishing to learn more about community-engaged design, as well as an on-site store where individuals can browse and purchase past and current posters from CUP’s Making Policy Public program.