Beehive Collective: The True Cost of Coal

Two years in the making, The True Cost of Coal is an elaborate narrative illustration that explores the complex story of mountaintop removal coal mining and the broader impacts of coal in Appalachia and beyond. The image is the culmination of an intensive and collaborative research process, as the Beehive methodology centers on first hand story-sharing. To create the poster, the Beehive interviewed hundreds of community members throughout the Appalachia region. "We feel it’s extremely important to gather our information from as close to the source as possible," a Beehive illustrator says.

In their interactive picture-lectures, the Bees lead audiences through an engaging, larger-than-life banner version of the graphic, interweaving anecdotes, statistics, and history. The experience prompts discussion and understanding of contemporary struggles about energy and coal, while honoring the deep legacy of the Appalachian experience. Upon seeing the graphic, Tanya Turner of Pineville, KY said, "This image is changing Appalachia. Appalachians are taking back Appalachia and this image is a tool for that change."

The True Cost of Coal is only the latest work in the Beehive’s repertoire of graphics campaigns. The Beehive hums with activity, tackling issues as diverse as biotechnology, corporate globalization, food and agriculture, and colonialism. The group’s mission is to "cross-pollinate the grassroots" by creating images that educate the public and deconstruct complex geopolitical issues. Their body of work is distributed as "anti-copyright;" individuals and organizations are encouraged to reproduce the graphics for non-profit use as a means of circulating information and awareness.

The Bees will also be presenting another graphic project, Dismantling Monoculture: Tales of Ants and Economics in the Americas, on Wednesday, October 20, 2010 at 7:00pm in the West Lecture Hall at Hampshire College. Be sure to catch both!

These events are sponsored by Food For Thought Books, and Hampshire Colleges' First-Year Program, Community Partnerships for Social Change, Film, Photo, & Video Program, and Humanities Program.