New Day received Third Place in the Forever Free Emancipation Poster Contest

Artist Statement:

My piece entitled New Day, is focused on giving the simplest message with the simplest image. The Emancipation Proclamation was a very important and long awaited event in our nation's past. However, there was a major issue alerting the slaves to their newfound freedom. Without the ability to read, this was limited to word of mouth. My goal was to create a picture that would, in the most unmistakable way, represent this newfound freedom.

The night sky in the foreground is a view that every human being is familiar with and empowers the individual to reach for something higher, something greater. The emphasized constellation and the north star it encompasses are both the symbols of and the guide to this previously denied liberty. In the background the outline of the swallow in flight represents freedom, and the sunrise alludes to a brighter future ahead and the unknowable opportunities that await. As the sky brightens and that which led to freedom is no longer needed, it returns each night to serve as a reminder of the past and the promise of the future.

Joshua Kingsbury

March 2011

Freshman in Animation at Columbus College of Art & Design

Media: Digital Print