Phoenix Art Museum will debut 'Modern Treads: The Discount Tire Poster Collection' in June 2025, featuring over a dozen oversized vintage automotive posters from Discount Tire's collection, dating from 1900 to 1930. The collection, started by founder Bruce Halle in the 1980s and now comprising over 500 posters, highlights developments in the automobile and tire industries at the turn of the 20th century. The exhibition also includes two period fashion ensembles from the museum's collection, showing how early drivers dressed for protection. Co-curated by Susan Driver of the Discount Tire Collection, the show runs through January 2027 in the Lower-Level Katz Wing.
The exhibition matters because it elevates the often-overlooked art form of poster and print making, specifically color lithography pioneered by Jules Chéret. By connecting art, commerce, and industry, the show offers a nostalgic look at automotive history while coinciding with Arizona's 100th anniversary of Route 66. The collaboration between the poster collection and fashion design department adds a unique dimension, illustrating how material culture and protective clothing evolved alongside early automobiles.