With nearly fifty posters in the running, the coveted first place prize for the annual Sweet Pea Poster Contest had stiff competition. From digital art to pencil drawings and paintings to multi-media works of art, the contest featured an array of art from as far away as Florida and as near as just down the street from our office. A jury of four narrowed the entries down to seven that were then presented to the Sweet Pea Board of Directors for a final decision. After three rounds of voting (to determine third, second, and then first place) Autumn Fiske’s classic design was declared the winner.
Autumn Fiske is a thirty-year old Ryegate, Montana native who first attended the Sweet Pea Festival as an MSU student. A classmate invited Autumn to go hear some live music at the Festival. When Autumn strolled into the Festival she found plenty of music…and so much more! She was delighted by the art…the food….the myriad of vendors…the wide array of live performances…the overall community ‘vibe’…“The whole [festival] atmosphere was so casual and relaxing, but exciting and vibrant – all at the same time, “ the artist remembers.
It’s been a few years since Autumn enjoyed the Sweet Pea Festival as she now resides in Chinook, MT (five hours away near Havre), but she’s excited to return for the 2013 Sweet Pea Festival this August. Autumn also applied for the poster contest in 2012 but second time’s a charm for this Montanan who is taking home the blue ribbon and the $1,000 cash prize this year!
Autumn enjoys art immensely and views it as a great connector of people. “Everyone is attracted to beauty, and I love the universal element of art,” she explains. Predominantly, she works with acrylic paint, but she also works with pencil and watercolors. Often, Autumn paints portraits. That said she really enjoyed branching out and creating art for the Sweet Pea Festival. In regards to her winning poster design, Autumn states that she was very drawn to the color palette she selected. The vibrant green she used as her background color showcases the lush, well-watered environment where Sweet Pea plants thrive. She likes the bold way this green color off-sets the sweet peas she painted.
Congratulations to Autumn Fiske on her winning design! Our panel of expert judges and the Sweet Pea Board agree: she has beautifully captured the spirit of the Sweet Pea Festival.
2nd Place: Chelsey Croskey
3rd Place: Ian Schumacher
Honorable Mention: Daniel Taylor