Gauntlet Gallery
What is Shepard Fairey’s piece called “Celebration Day”?
Artist Statement
This year I’ve been ridiculously fortunate to work with some of my favorite bands… the Black Keys, Bad Brains, and the mighty Led Zeppelin! After I did the Mothership package for Zeppelin they were happy enough with the art to ask me to give it another go for the package of their concert album “Celebration Day”. I have loved Zeppelin most of my life, so I figured I could pencil them in. At one point in high school I think Physical Graffiti was in my car tape deck for 3 months straight. Anyway, the band liked what I came up with, so BAM!, I have now done TWO album packages for one of the greatest rock groups of all time… which is surreal beyond explanation. I’m releasing an edition of 300 signed and numbered screen prints of the Celebration Day art. There will be an additional 50 prints signed by the band sold for charity at a later date, so if you are a big Zepp fan keep an eye out for that. The concert sounds amazing and the DVD of the show looks amazing. Zeppelin’s power has not waned a bit since their prime in the 70's, and I personally think that “Celebration Day” is better than “The Song Remains The Same” as a live record. 18 x 24 inch screen print. 4 vibrant colors. Signed and numbered edition of 300. $55.00 Purchase limit of 1 per person/household.
Summary
Celebration Day is a 2012 screen print by Shepard Fairey, released December 18, 2012 through Obey Giant. Measuring 18 by 24 inches in four vibrant colors, it was issued as a signed and numbered edition of 300 at $55 with a one-per-household limit. Fairey created the artwork for Led Zeppelin's concert album "Celebration Day," his second album package for the band after the Mothership project. The print celebrates one of rock's defining groups and reflects Fairey's lifelong fandom, translating commissioned album artwork into a collectible, signed and numbered graphic edition for his audience.
Why It Matters
Celebration Day carries unusual personal and cultural weight as Fairey's second album commission for Led Zeppelin, following his Mothership package. In his own account, Fairey describes lifelong devotion to the band, making this print a rare instance where his personal music passion and professional practice fully converge. The work commemorates a specific Led Zeppelin concert album, anchoring it to a defining act in rock history and giving it strong crossover appeal to music memorabilia collectors. At a signed and numbered edition of 300, it is meaningfully more limited than many of Fairey's accessible band prints, and the four-color screen-printed execution underscores its quality. Fairey also noted that an additional 50 prints would later be signed by the band and sold for charity, signaling the cultural reach of the project. For collectors, the differentiators are the Led Zeppelin connection, the second-package distinction, the signed-and-numbered status, and the small edition. For a database, the load-bearing facts are the edition of 300, the 18 by 24 inch size, the four colors, the $55 price, and the album-art origin, all of which mark Celebration Day as one of Fairey's most resonant music collaborations.
Collector Perspective
This print is a prime target for collectors who chase Fairey's music work and for Led Zeppelin fans seeking art tied directly to the band's catalog. The signed-and-numbered edition of 300 gives it more scarcity than many of Fairey's open or larger band editions, appealing to collectors who value numbering and tighter runs. At 18 by 24 inches with four vibrant colors, it is a vivid, frame-friendly display piece. Its origin as Fairey's second Led Zeppelin album package adds a distinctive provenance story that elevates its desirability. It fits naturally in collections organized around Fairey's music collaborations and album art, alongside his other rock and counterculture prints.
Historical Context
Celebration Day caps Fairey's intensely musical 2012, a year in which he collaborated with the Black Keys, Bad Brains, and Led Zeppelin. Released December 18, 2012, it followed his earlier Mothership commission and made him the artist behind two album packages for Led Zeppelin, a rare distinction tied to one of rock's most influential groups. The project reflects Fairey's roots in music fandom and his sustained practice of converting commissioned album artwork into signed, numbered editions through Obey Giant. Within his career arc, the print belongs to the mature collaborative phase where his cultural standing allowed him to work directly with legendary musicians and translate that access into collectible fine-art prints.
FAQ
What is Celebration Day's connection to Led Zeppelin?
Fairey created the artwork for Led Zeppelin's concert album "Celebration Day." It was his second album package for the band, following his earlier Mothership project, making him the artist behind two Led Zeppelin album packages.
How many prints were made?
It was issued as a signed and numbered edition of 300, sized 18 by 24 inches in four vibrant colors, at $55 with a one-per-household limit. Fairey noted an additional 50 band-signed prints would later be sold for charity.
When was it released?
Celebration Day was released December 18, 2012 through Obey Giant, capping a year in which Fairey worked with the Black Keys, Bad Brains, and Led Zeppelin on music-related projects.
What medium is it?
It is an 18 by 24 inch, four-color screen print, signed and numbered. Its tie to a specific Led Zeppelin concert album gives it strong appeal for both art and music memorabilia collectors.
Related Works
About the Artist
Shepard Fairey (b. 1970, Charleston, South Carolina) is an American street artist, graphic designer, and activist, and a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. His 1989 “André the Giant Has a Posse” sticker grew into the global OBEY GIANT campaign — an ongoing experiment in propaganda, obedience, and visual culture. He reached worldwide recognition with the 2008 “Hope” portrait of Barack Obama, now held by the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. Across screen prints, stencils, murals, and collage, Fairey channels propaganda aesthetics toward themes of peace, justice, environmentalism, and civil rights. His work is in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Victoria & Albert Museum, and LACMA.