Just when you think it’s safe to live your life based on a series of stereotypes, someone comes along and totally smashes all your preconceptions.

Take, for instance, the City Club of Portland, which you may or may not associate with retirees and stuffy, ceremonious (although wonktastically informative) lectures. This week, they’re kicking off the coolest thing I’ve ever seen them do, and I really hope it’s a sign of things to come.

Starting this Thursday, as part of First Thursday, City Club is hosting “Changing Landscapes,” featuring the work of a collective of politically minded artists called Justseeds.

The exhibit is from Justseeds’ “People’s History” series—a whole mess of political posters highlighting “under-identified, under-acknowledged activists.” It’s a nice mix of sweet visual design and political history, and—if you ask me, which you obviously didn’t—this is exactly the kind of thing City Club should continue doing if it wants to foster civic participation among people in their 20s and 30s.

City Club Commons
901 SW Washington
First Thursday Opening, featuring artists and video installations (including work by Vanessa Renwick)
Thursday, May 3, 6:30pm
On view after that from 9-5 at the space and during regular City Club events

Peep more images from the series after the jump.

"I'm really excited to bring these artists to a wider audience, of Portland's policy makers and respected members of the community," City Club's communications coordinator, Marc Moscato, said. "These works promote the same values as City Club--the importance of democracy and promoting civic engagement--but it's definitely more confrontational than anything I've seen the club do."