Really great job on a lot of these. A bit of historical knowledge goes a long way.

The Texas one doesn't sit right with me. It strikes me as making light of conflicts that are still very much on some peoples' minds.

There's only 46 posted there, and Florida (my home state) isn't among them! :(

@Trilobyte - Having never lived in Texas, I have no context for how prevalent that conflict is, but I imagine for a lot of the younger generation it's merely history.

I'm from Virginia and John Wilkes Booth shouted "thus always to tyrants" when he shot Lincoln. It's a sordid history involving a lot of bloodshed, but it doesn't mean the poster isn't cool.

D.C., New Jersey and Illinois are my favorites. I may have to get IL for my kitchen because I'm in Chicago and frankly - there's hot dogs on it.

They forgot Rhode Island, too.

Michigan's is annoying and kind of offensive to those from the UP. Way to ignore half the state.

I don't see any for Illinois.

The Texas one doesn't sit right with me either.

@Pi, just because it's a cool poster and it's "merely history" for a younger generation doesn't make it less offensive. Ugh.

Hmmm...I'm not finding my beautiful, dysfunctional state of Florida.

I'm from New Jersey, but there's no way I'd hang that poster up in my place. It seems to make fun of New Jersey, rather than show pride for it.

Note: Not all people from NJ are like the ones shown on Jersey Shore : (

Yeah, I don't see Illinois or North Dakota...

Really like Michigan's (my home state) and don't really like Wisconsin's (my current state).

If your state is missing you can check here, they might be out of the prints at this current time: http://statemottosproject.com/gallery/

@jmill9584 & Wheaton - Illinois is the one with the hot dogs - state sovereignty national union.

Going to agree that the Texas one leaves a very bad taste in my mouth.

I find the image offensive and ignorant. Perhaps the ambiguity of its message should have been considered more deeply by the designer, or, assuming ignorance based on the sole fact that it was designed in the first place, by whomever decided to approve the print and sell the damn thing - and, no, not the "intent", but what exactly is this putting across? That all of that stealing of land and killing off of Indians was done with love? That violence leads to less-than-threes? That it's okay to dilute an incredibly complex history of the interaction between varied and complex peoples to childish sterotypes because, well, hearts?

Fail.

Seriously - ditto on other comments - where's Illinois?!?!

The Georgia one is seriously boring. I think the New Jersey one is kind of offensive, too. It's unfortunate that the illustrator feels that image represents their state and motto.

The Texas one could be some sort play on irony/words .A state with "Friendship" for a motto wasn't exactly founded on friendly terms, maybe?
Or maybe it just means that through all the violence we've managed to become the best state. Ever. (Though, as a native Texan, I might be a bit partial)

I am pretty sure the Texas one means to say that they used to fight each other but are friends now? I don't see how this can be misunderstood.

Anyway, kind of odd to see all those freedom, liberty headlines of states that don't grant certain groups of the population full civil right and allow some parents to mess up their kids by putting them in boot camps or pressure gay teens into ex-gay "therapies".

Oh whatever, I am aware this is not the point of the posters and they are supposed to be positive and so on I'll shut up now.

I think the New Jersey one is supposed to reference the iconic Bruce Springsteen Born in the USA album cover. Lots of people think of Springsteen as a Jersey hero. It might not be your cup of tea, but I don't think it's deliberately insulting (or a Jersey Shore reference).

Are these supposed to be ironic?

The Florida one reminds me of the eyes Of Dr. T.J. Eckleburg in "The Great Gatsby."

Also, gotta love Maryland. John Waters would approve.

I don't like to be critical of someones art work, but when you are representing your state... I hated the NJ poster, it reinforces that "we are the butt" of stupid jokes. I agree with the other post, we are not like the cast of Jersey Shore. We do not have big hair, have large breast implants nor do we all walk around with words on our butts.

Hawaii's state motto is translated as "the life of the land is perpetuated IN righteousness" not BY righteousness. a simple wikipedia or google search would have shown that.

Ha! I knew Maryland would be weird (because of our profoundly weird motto, "Manly Deeds, Womanly Words"), but damn.

Um, I have lived in Georgia for twenty plus years, I have no earthly idea what the Georgia poster is supposed to depict or reference, our red clay filled dirt?

50? Maybe they aren't done yet, since we're all counting less than that. Although, you can only chose from "popular," "random," or "new." Does that mean not all of the posters are shown? I searched for Illinois and still didn't find one. There is one for D.C. so maybe there won't be an Illinois one if there are only 50. We should all comment on their site so they know there's a demand for the missing states.

Hmm... I dont see Maine on there...

@pbsteele That's because lots of people don't realize RI is a state. :( I went to school in Maryland with a lot of people from all over the country. My west coast friends thought RI was part of Long Island and that I was a New Yorker. You'd think bright college kids would know all 50 states!

That being said, I like this project. Indiana is my favorite.

Some are pretty good, some are pretty bad. Of course the one for my state Georgia is probably the worst one.

Thanks @sarahrae! Found Rhode Island! I love it!

whether intentional or not, i also think the NJ is pretty offensive. seriously, they couldn't think of anything more representative of the state than words across our bum?

So I guess it was too much to extend this project beyond cool people in Brooklyn and Austin and actually ask residents of the states to do the designs?

Oh, and, I'd be pissed if I lived in some of these states and saw these associations with my home. Flashers? Trashy people with butt-word pants? No thanks.

As a true Show-Me girl (currently masquerading as a Hoosier), I LOVE Missouri's! But Indiana's dissapoints me. "Hoosier" is kind of an insult in St. Louis, and they didn't put "Hoosier State" on the poster... so to me, it's no fun.

So the missing state prints have been sold out? Due to popularity or not printing enough?

You'd think they could still show them but maybe superimpose 'sold out' on them, or something. To leave them out is BAD.