Artist
Screaming Hand
Celebrate 30 years of youth and skateboard culture with the iconic Screaming Hand image.
Exhibited from August 5th, 2016 – March 26th, 2017
Explore how the iconic Screaming Hand has left an impression around the world.
The unforgettable blue hand turned 30 in 2016. Celebrate the birthday of this icon and enjoy original art by Jim Phillips and 200 other contemporary artists inspired by this fundamental image of skate culture.
Graphic artist Jim Phillips is best known for his surf and skateboard art. Born in San Jose in 1944, Jim has been a local resident of Santa Cruz for most of his life. He was Art Director at NHS in the 1970s and 1980s where he created thousands of decks, t-shirts, stickers, product illustrations and advertisements.
“I’m often asked where I got the idea for the Screaming Hand...In typical surf scenes, I would draw a big wave and a goofy surfer with sight gags like circling shark fins or a clenched hand sticking out of the water like a drowning guy. That intrigued me after I saw a drowned guy at the beach, snot coming out of his nose after some men tried to revive him, the first dead person I ever saw. Stuck in my mind, I drew the clenched hand on my book covers and notepads."
- Jim Phillips, artist
Revisit Opening Night
MAH Members and friends of NHS experienced Screaming Hand before it opened to anyone else.
Meet the Artist
More Santa Cruz History
Visit the History Gallery
Discover other artists, activists, and laborers who have made Santa Cruz County what it is today.
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Get Inspired Today
Screaming Hand may have come and gone, but there's plenty to discover in our current exhibitions.