Question 1

True or false: Shepard Fairey founded the clothing brand Obey Giant in 2001.

Accepted Answer

True. Fairey launched the OBEY Giant clothing line in 2001, expanding his street art campaign into a global streetwear brand.

Question 2

True or false: Shepard Fairey designed the iconic 'Hope' poster for Barack Obama's 2008 campaign.

Accepted Answer

True. Fairey created the red, white, and blue stylized portrait of Obama, which became a viral symbol of his presidential campaign.

Question 3

True or false: Shepard Fairey's 'Obey Giant' campaign began in 1989 with a sticker featuring Andre the Giant.

Accepted Answer

True. In 1989, Fairey launched the 'Obey Giant' sticker campaign using a photograph of professional wrestler Andre the Giant.

Question 4

True or false: Shepard Fairey is a self-taught artist with no formal training in graphic design.

Accepted Answer

False. He earned a BFA in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in 1992, where he refined his graphic skills.

Question 5

True or false: Fairey's first major street art campaign featured a giant image of professional wrestler Andre the Giant.

Accepted Answer

True. In 1989, he launched the 'Andre the Giant Has a Posse' sticker campaign, later evolving into the Obey Giant art movement.

Question 6

True or false: Shepard Fairey's work is entirely non-political and focuses only on abstract designs.

Accepted Answer

False. Fairey's art is deeply political, often critiquing war, corporate greed, and government surveillance, like his 'Obey' and anti-Trump posters.

Question 7

True or false: Shepard Fairey created the 'Hope' poster for Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign.

Accepted Answer

True. Shepard Fairey designed the iconic 'Hope' poster in 2008, which became a widely recognized symbol of Obama's campaign.

Question 8

True or false: Shepard Fairey was born and raised in Los Angeles, California.

Accepted Answer

False. Shepard Fairey was actually born in Charleston, South Carolina, and grew up there before moving to Los Angeles.

Question 9

True or false: Shepard Fairey earned a degree in fine arts from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Accepted Answer

False. Fairey graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in 1992.

Question 10

True or false: Shepard Fairey was a professional skateboarder for the brand Powell-Peralta.

Accepted Answer

False. Fairey skated and designed decks but was never a professional skateboarder; he is best known as a street artist and graphic designer.

Question 11

True or false: Fairey once designed an album cover for the band The Smashing Pumpkins.

Accepted Answer

True. He created the cover art for their 2012 album 'Oceania,' blending his signature screen-printed style with the band's psychedelic rock aesthetic.

Question 12

True or false: Shepard Fairey's 'Hope' poster is part of the permanent collection at the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery.

Accepted Answer

True. The National Portrait Gallery acquired the 'Hope' poster in 2009, and it remains in its permanent collection.

Question 13

True or false: Shepard Fairey was arrested in 2023 for vandalism during a protest in Washington, D.C.

Accepted Answer

False. Fairey was arrested in 2009 en route to Obama's inauguration for vandalism, not in 2023. He has faced multiple arrests but not that year.

Question 14

True or false: Shepard Fairey's 'Hope' poster was commissioned and paid for by the Obama campaign.

Accepted Answer

False. Fairey created the poster independently and distributed it; the campaign later approved it but did not commission or pay for it.

Question 15

True or false: Fairey's 'Hope' poster was the subject of a copyright lawsuit over the original photograph used.

Accepted Answer

True. Associated Press sued Fairey for using an AP photo as a reference without permission. The case settled in 2011 with a licensing agreement.

Question 16

True or false: Shepard Fairey was arrested in 2009 on outstanding warrants for vandalism in Boston.

Accepted Answer

True. In February 2009, Fairey was arrested in Boston on two outstanding warrants related to graffiti and vandalism charges.

Shepard Fairey Trivia Questions