"One instant. One glance. That's all a good poster needs to charge a mind with a new thought." Such is the premise on which illustrator Martin French founded the Exile Poster Project, a collection of 20 posters now up on Portland's streets, City Hall, and the Capitol in Salem, Oregon. The posters, created by believers in Portland's secular art community, are designed to draw attention to the sexual exploitation of children, a known problem in the City of Roses. They do so with stark, arresting symbols that stay with the average citizen for days. "When it comes touncomfortable topics, we can all become experts inavoidance. But posters are almost impossible to avoid," says French, who spoke with editorial director Katelyn Beaty this fall.

The following images are from the Exile Poster Project, which debuted this spring at Imago Dei Community's art space.