
About

Kickstarter Gold: Art for Dark Times
$12,341
279



Hi, I'm Safwat Saleem, and I'm a graphic designer based in Phoenix, Arizona. About 7 years ago, I first came to Kickstarter for help with my art project A Bunch of Crock. Since then, I've turned to Kickstarter for two more print-focused projects — Oh, Expletive and Greetings from Nowhere. Now, as part of Kickstarter Gold, I'm excited to share a brand new (and much needed) project: Art for Dark Times.


If you’re like me, following the news has become increasingly difficult lately. As a coping mechanism, in addition to consuming more pizza than is probably healthy, I’ve been busy working on an exciting project called Art for Dark Times.
This project is a response to a world that, to me, seems to have grown especially dark these past several months. Art for Dark Times consists of a series of glow-in-the-dark posters, enamel pins and stickers that serve as daily reminders that we’re not alone in our frustration or fear or anger, that we can’t give up, and that we need to focus on the bigger picture.


There are several fantastic rewards to choose from. Check out the guide below to pick a reward level. PLEASE NOTE: Only the posters and enamel pins will glow in the dark; stickers will not. See this update for more details.


There are five different themes for the artwork in this series. The themes are meant to serve as daily reminders that we’re not alone in our frustration or fear or anger, that we can’t give up, and that we need to focus on the bigger picture. The themes are:
- 01. Dream
- 02. Love
- 03. Fight
- 04. Persist
- 05. Rise

Screen Printed Posters
11″ x 17″ glow-in-the-dark screen prints.
Printed on high quality 100-lb paper.
Limited edition prints.
Signed and numbered.





Please note: Some minor details might change in the final versions of these posters.

Enamel Pins
1.5"x1.5" glow-in-the-dark soft enamel pins.






Please note: Some minor details might change in the final versions of these enamel pins.

Stickers
Update: Stickers will not glow in the dark but will still be awesome. They will be standard 2" x 3" vinyl stickers.

Please note: Some minor details might change in the final versions of these stickers.

Since this project is part of Kickstarter Gold, I'm also producing (super limited-edition) "Bad Ass" enamel pins. This pin is based on the "Bad Ass" notebooks that I produced for Greetings from Nowhere in 2012.





I need your help donating my artwork to organizations that can use it. One of my goals for this project is to donate my artwork to like-minded organizations. I've already formed some partnerships (details TBA soon), and I'm also actively in the process of seeking out more partnerships.
If you are a part of or have a contact in any such organization that fits the bill, please let me know. For example, there might be an organization in your town that supports immigrants. Or, maybe you are a school teacher and could use some posters in your school to help spread some positivity. If so, get in touch!


Risks and challenges
All images shown here are mockups, and it is possible that the final versions of the screen prints, enamel pins and stickers might look a bit different.
If it is necessary to make a major design change as I get things ready for production, I'll be transparent about that before the funding period ends so that you can modify your pledge if you want to.
Timelines can always be a potential challenge, but I feel pretty confident about being able to ship these rewards in September.
Learn about accountability on KickstarterQuestions about this project? Check out the FAQ
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Funding period
- (25 days)