Mothers United for Metro Shelter (MUMS) photo, Halifax Poster Project, Halifax, 1986. Photo: Mark Simkins
Mothers United for Metro Shelter (MUMS) photo, Halifax Poster Project, Halifax, 1986. Photo: Mark Simkins
What's Going On? The Mothers United for Metro Shelter (MUMS), original poster, 15"x22," Halifax Poster Project, Halifax, 1986.
What's Going On? The Mothers United for Metro Shelter (MUMS), poster detail, Halifax Poster Project, Halifax, 1986.
What's Going On? The Mothers United for Metro Shelter (MUMS) (1986), poster enlarged for The Right Thing to Do neighbourhood history display at Halifax’s North End Library, Halifax, 2006.
Cathy with What's Going On? (1986) poster, Garry Kennedy + Cathy Busby: ACTIVISM, ARTS EDUCATION AND PRINTED MATTER, grunt gallery, Vancouver, 2017. Photo: Alisha Weng.
What's Going On? (1984/6) posters, Garry Kennedy + Cathy Busby: ACTIVISM, ARTS EDUCATION AND PRINTED MATTER, grunt gallery, Vancouver, 2017. Photo: Alisha Weng.
Cathy Busby staged this photo for an International Women's Day poster, Halifax, 1986. Events organized with Melodie Calvert.
What‘s Going On? (1986)
What’s Going On? are a series of posters I initiated and decimated as the Halifax Poster Project.
The first poster, made with Paula Bowley, entitled What's Going On? Nuclear Subs in the Harbour (1984) was done to support the resistance against nuclear submarines entering the Halifax harbour.
The second poster, made with Catherine Quinn, entitled What's Going On? The Mothers United for Metro Shelter (MUMS) (1986) was in support of the MUMS collective who were demanding affordable housing for single mothers.
At this time activist organizing largely relied on phone calls to rally the community for these events, often leaving gaps in communication and questions about who was in support of the cause. The What's Going On? posters had an overview photo of the situation then listed all the names and addresses of the organizations involved. The printing of the posters was funded though small donations by these organizations who would then get a set amount to distribute. The intention was to gather together the various players involved in these causes and support them to more efficiently share information to the community.