On August 21, for the first time in nearly two decades, people on the mainland United States will have the chance to witness arguably the most impressive natural phenomenon found on Earth: a total solar eclipse.
Even more remarkable, the eclipse will sweep all the way across the continental US, tracing what’s called the path of totality from Oregon to South Carolina. The last time an eclipse traversed the country from coast to coast was in 1918. It’s a truly historic event.
Artist and astronomer Tyler Nordgren has created a series of posters for the “2017 Great American Eclipse,” celebrating the phenomenon, and some of the nation’s best viewing locations, with a vintage aesthetic. He’s selling his work through “Space Art Travel Bureau.”
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“I was inspired by the Works Progress Administration posters of the 1930s for their ability to use art to educate the public,” Nordgren tells Creators. He hopes his posters can likewise inspire and teach today. “While I draw on vintage travel art, my goal is to use it to educate, first and foremost, and not just to give people a pretty memento of where they’ve been,” he says.
Nordgren was commissioned by cities, counties, states, and national parks to create the posters and promote their particular location for viewing the eclipse. Among the destinations are Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Sun Valley, Idaho, and the San Francisco Exploratorium, which will feature a livestream from the path of totality.
Like many of other Americans, Nordgren has a plan for viewing the eclipse. He also has some suggestions for those who haven’t yet made reservations. “I’ll be in Eastern Oregon where the odds of clear skies are at their greatest,” he says. “My recommendation at this point is, if you don’t have reservations anywhere in the path, drive to whatever part of totality is closest to you.”
And Nordgren insists viewers either go big or go home. “99% total is not good enough,” he says. “It is literally the difference between night and day whether you are at 100% total or only 99%.”
You can purchase your own Great American Eclipse poster or other “Space Art Travel Bureau” posters on Nordgren’s website.
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