Crack Down Benefit Poster
Bill Graham revisited his old Bronx neighborhood in August, 1986 and foresaw a menacing problem in the drug craze that had effectively wiped out the area's local culture. Graham's plans to stage a Crack Benefit in the city were scaled back several times, since few shared his apprehension of the drug problem. Ultimately, two concerts were held; one in Madison Square Garden and the other, an all-Latin show at the Felt Forum the next night. Arlene Owseichik designed this dual poster for both events as a stark message.
Arlene Owseichik has designed posters for Bill Graham Presents since the 1980s and became the company's Art Director in the early 1990s. Working both solo and with freelance artists and photographers on design projects, the San Francisco artist collaborated with Randy Tuten on the 1992 "Laughter, Love, and Music" poster sold to raise money for the Bill Graham Memorial Fund, designed poster art for H.E.A.R. [Hearing Education and Awareness for Rockers] and is a member of the Bill Graham Foundation Advisory Board.