Since Monday, Iowa State has been celebrating First Amendment Days. Tuesday’s keynote event was a Webex meeting with Bonnie Siegler, who presented “Signs of Resistance: A Visual History of Protest in America.”

Siegler is one of the biggest influential designers. She founded and is running the design studio called Eight and Half. Her art has been seen on Saturday Night Live, HBO and Late Night.

In her presentation, she expressed the art of protest through monumental moments in history throughout different time periods and countries. Siegler’s presentation consisted of images from different kinds of protests that occurred in America.

She showed many images that were all different from each other but were impactful on each respective topic. Some of the categories she showed in her presentation were suffrage, Uncle Sam, civil rights, Vietnam, AIDS, Black Lives Matter, former President Donald Trump and memes.

These images consisted of protest signs, magazine covers and posters. All of the images shown had meaning through them, whether it was through the words or images.

“Sometimes, the most direct language is the most powerful of them all,” Siegler said. “You can’t get these images out of your head.”

She pointed out that protest images can be made by anyone. She showed many examples of children’s designs and images showing people of all ages, from children to adults, holding signs in a protest.

No matter who it was, the protest image had importance behind it.

“Make people see things through the way that we do,” Siegler said as one of her key takeaways.

Siegler said she understands the importance of expressing oneself through protests.

“Get involved in whatever cause benefits you the most,” she said, encouraging individuals to make their own images.