Philadelphia artist creates broadside of Jobs Act

A poster by a Philadelphia artist will represent the American Jobs Act on walls and lawns this election year.

Graphic Designer Amanda Benton’s poster was one of three chosen in a national competition to promote the plan President Obama is struggling to get through Congress.

“I wanted to give it like a broadside type of look to it. Just because I wanted it to have like a feel of this important announcement being made to try and grab people’s attention,” Benton said about her design.

Finalists were selected by online voters on the Obama campaign’s website.

Benton, 26, works in the printshop of the University of the Arts. She was in the car from the airport to her parent’s home for the holidays when she received a call. Her poster had won the competition. 

“It was kind of surreal,” Benton said. “I hung up the phone and me and my mom freaked out, then we got home and we kind of freaked out to my dad.

“I have both Republican and Democratic friends and family members,” Benton noted.

“I mean people support me and my artistic abilitie,” she said. “Even though it was political, in terms of that, like we just tried to stay out of it because it just gets messy.”Benton and the other winners won’t get paid for their work. Benton doesn’t mind because she doesn’t have money to contribute to a campaign.

“I can donate my creative abilities to try and help them out that way.”Benton and the other two finalists will receive copies of their posters, signed by the president.

– I don’t have any money to donate to obama for America, or to the campaign but I can donate my creative abilities to try and help them out that way.