A swarm is coming! The Beehive Design Collective is heading to Newforest as part of their long-anticipated “True Cost of Coal”: a visual exploration of mountaintop removal coal mining resistance campaign!

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.  The image is the culmination of an intensive, collaborative research process. To make the poster, the Beehive interviewed hundreds of community members throughout the Appalachian region.  The Bees craft these stories into visual metaphors, weave them together in a patchwork “quilt,” and share them with audiences as a larger-than-life banner.

The Beehive’s picture-lectures prompt 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.”

For more information and to view the graphics visit

www.beehivecollective.org OR beehivecollective.blogspot.com.