WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

the highlights
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“The work of the Beehive Collective goes far beyond the traditional understanding of solidarity. It is actively fostering equal exchanges and relationship building between communities that are involved in the same struggle for justice and democracy throughout the Western Hemisphere. Their open and inclusive process and the incorporation of Latin American mythology into their work transcends borders and language barriers. The Beehive collective breaks away from traditional forms of education…The Beehive collective are pioneers and their work is telling and effective.”
– Hendrik Voss, School of the Americas Watch, Washington D.C.

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“The Beehive Collective is one of the most inspiring political art collectives I have ever come across. I am a student of tropical entomology and conservation: my interest is motivated by the loss of tropical habitats as a result of profit incentives, accelerated by institutions and programs such as NAFTA, the WTO, Plan Colombia, the World Bank, [and] technologies such as biotechnology…Their approach in using insects shows their respect for all forms of life, even the most tiniest creatures, and the impact these programs will have on them. The Beehive Collective is a unique, creative, and effective political arts collective that deserves all the support they can get.”
-Lisa Schonberg, Neotropical Entomologist, Drummer, Olympia Colombia Committee, Olympia, WA

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“All of us at the Grupo de Trabajo Colectivo del Istmo are excited about the coming PPP poster. One of the real benefits of the posters is that they are true popular education – no need to read English – or any language – to get the message.”
– Wendy Call, author, No Word for Welcome: The Mexican Village Faces the Global Economy

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“Having written, directed, and acted in educational political performance art for seven years, I have never seen such an appealing graphic art presented with such integrity and diligence and respect for the audience. I also have produced news and public affairs radio for twelve years. I’ve told Boston’s radio listeners about the Beehive Collective’s gorgeous, intricate and diligent work. Their graphic medium conveys complex connections among social issues like a symphony of ideas. I cannot convey the same amount as appealingly with words on the airwaves. The Beehive Collective is creating an educational revolution in both art and classroom instruction.”
– John Grebe, WGBH radio, Boston, MA

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“That presentation made me pay attention and learn more useful information per square minute than any lecture ever could. There’s something about illustrations that teaches more than words, spoken or written. Especially in history teaching, when most everything is factual, and the only thing that changes is the lens that you see it through. It was refreshingly the only lens that I haven’t seen the situation through yet. This is the point of view that people need to know, that comes straight from the Colombian people…”
– Margaret Siple, 17, student at Garfield High School, Seattle, WA

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unabbreviated quotes
“School of the Americas Watch (SOA Watch), the Latin America Solidarity Coalition (LASC) and the National Mobilization on Colombia greatly appreciate the cooperation with the Beehive Collective on different projects over the past year. Their fresh ideas, their humble approach and the collective’s steadfast commitment to movement building, mutual aid and collaboration has been an asset for our organizing. The work of the Beehive Collective goes far beyond the traditional understanding of solidarity.” 
– Hendrik Voss, School of the Americas Watch, Washington D.C.

“At large and small convergences of people throughout the Americas in recent years, the Beehive Collective has provided the visuals for the movement, giving it an artistic context and artistic voice. As a musician performing at large and small convergences around North America myself, there is no group of people that I run into quite as often as the Beehive folks. And as much as I run into folks from the collective, I run into their artwork a thousand times as often.” – David Rovics, political folk singer, Jamaica Plain, MA

“I’m a student at Ben Franklin High School and you just visited my art class today and I just want to say that I was blown away. You’ve enlightened me and all I’ve thought about was your presentation and the people in Colombia you were talking about. Please tell the Bees that they’ve opened up a person to this problem and have given her a cause.”
– Nicola Jones, Cheerleader, Franklin High School, New Orleans, LA

“The Beehive posters place all of our organizations and all of our struggles together on a single map in a way that no tired, ideological left wing laundry list ever can…I remember the proud moment when I saw the free radio ant with it’s antenna breaking through the planet’s crust, along with the IMC ant with the IMC logo on the desktop computer. I saw the place of my work for social change on the map of the movement and felt a great connection through it. The Beehive has always been generous with its materials, and have used them to help other groups fundraise. At a recent cheap art auction to benefit Philadelphia IMC, one of the highest bidded objects was one of the Beehive posters and a giant box of crayons to color it in!”
– Pete Tridish, Prometheus Radio Project, Philadelphia, PA

“All of us at the Grupo de Trabajo Colectivo del Istmo are excited about the coming PPP poster. One of the real benefits of the posters is that they are true popular education – no need to read English – or any language – to get the message.”
– Wendy Call, author, No Word for Welcome: The Mexican Village Faces the Global Economy

“The Beehive Collective is one of the most inspiring political art collectives I have ever come across. I am a student of tropical entomology and conservation: my interest is motivated by the loss of tropical habitats as a result of profit incentives, accelerated by institutions and programs such as NAFTA, the WTO, Plan Colombia, the World Bank, [and] technologies such as biotechnology…. Their approach in using insects shows their respect for all forms of life, even the most tiniest creatures, and the impact these programs will have on them. The Beehive Collective is a unique, creative, and effective political arts collective that deserves all the support they can get.”
– Lisa Schonberg, Neotropical Entomologist, Drummer, Olympia Colombia Committee, Olympia, WA

“The visual power of the banner offers a clear and intricate story that draws the eye everywhere at once, fascinating in its detail … and overwhelming in its breadth. With its symbolism and visual density … it feels like the artwork Hieronymus Bosch would have created if he had been an activist. … I find my skepticism gone by the end of the presentation, replaced by the excitement of viewing artwork that feels more like an experience than an image, communicating time, change, story, and possibility. …The need for the Beehive Collective’s work is great.” – Susanne Antonetta, “The Metaphor Crafters,” Orion magazine, March/April 2012

“This Maine-based group … fuses grassroots political activism with some unbelievably intricately-rendered and conceived graphic posters meant to inspire awareness and change regarding global politics and dynamics, especially in the Americas.” – Kjerstin Johnson, “Bzzzz Wordzzz,” Bitch magazine blog, November 12, 2008

“…filtered through an intricate narrative of metaphor and allegory, the posters depict a world recognizably and disturbingly our own. It is the world of corporate globalization — contemporary colonialism and imperialism – and people’s resistance to it, all explained in pictures.” – Hank Hoffman, “The Beehive Collective,” In These Times magazine, November 19, 2003

Check out our blog for recent media coverage.

We have compiled a list of highlights from our archive of places our words and pictures have appeared in the past, including press coverage, at this bibliography.