They’re in every city. A simple commute on Chicago’s el every morning passes several: fading letters, discount prices, the brick showing through paint that’s been worn down by years of rain and wind. What we forget, in our age of instant gratification and decreased storefront diversity, is that at some point someone dangled from the roof and spent hours applying the paint that now fades on that wall.
In 2010, authors/filmmakers Faythe Levine and Sam Macon started documenting the work and background of the people who make these signs, from the history of the work to those who make it their living to paint beautiful signs. Their book, Sign Painters, was published in 2012, and they’re now touring the film around the USA. Before you go see it, check out a trailer and some images from the book and film.
May 16: Oriental Theater, Milwaukee, WI
May 17: Logan Theater, Chicago, IL
June 7-8: Rio Theatre, Vancouver, BC
June 13: Fine Arts Theater, Asheville, NC
June 14: ISType 2013 conference, Istanbul, Turkey
June16: Design Film Festival, Singapore School of the Arts
June 17-18: Trylon Cinema, Minneapolis, MN
June 19: Sled Island Film Festival, Calgary, AB
June 20: Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati, OH
June 23: Salt + Cedar, Detroit, MI
June 26: Eventbrite, San Francisco, CA
July 2: City Library, Salt Lake City, UT
July 12: Madison, WI
July 25: UCLA Fowler Museum, Los Angeles, CA
August 19-22: Northwest Film Forum, Seattle, WA
More dates TBA. Tickets are available via the film’s main site.
