Festival at Sandpoint unveils fine arts poster
SANDPOINT — The Festival at Sandpoint kicked off its summer celebration Tuesday night at its sponsor appreciation event while also revealing its 2024 fine arts poster art created by local, designer and illustrator Daniel Gill.
The Festival at Sandpoint’s fine arts poster tradition dates back to the organization's start in 1983. What started as advertisement and fundraising for the Festival at Sandpoint has now become a way to showcase some of the community’s many talented artists to celebrate and publicize their work.
Each year, the fine arts poster and winning artist are selected through a contest. Submissions are evaluated on multiple criteria: originality, creativity, execution, quality, demonstrated skill, and how well the art embodies the spirit of the Festival community in a creative or innovative way.
Gill’s winning piece, “Scotchman Sunset,” was inspired by his experience hiking Scotchman Peak this past summer.
“Anyone who has made the climb will recognize the mountain goats that call the area home and seem fairly unbothered by the passersby,” Gill said. “I hope that anyone who sees the piece will find it to be a tribute to the natural beauty of the region and the summer days that make one want to relax and enjoy the view.”
In regards to the style of fine arts poster, Gill was inspired by classic travel posters.
“As an artist, it's always tempting to try something complicated and painstakingly detailed, but for this piece, I thought I should try a simple approach that would need little explanation,” Gill said. “I wanted to see what kind of an image I could get working with just simple shapes and flat colors.”
Gill’s online art portfolio can be found at danielgilldesign.com.
Daniel Gill has donated the original piece to be auctioned, with 50% of the proceeds supporting the Festival’s non-profit mission, and 50% supporting the Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness, another local non-profit.
The auction for this year’s artwork began last night and will conclude at the Grand Finale performance on August 4. Bids supporting the auction can be placed at the Festival’s office through July 24. Beginning July 25, the original art will be available for bidding at the merchandise booth during each performance.
Approximately 20% of the Festival at Sandpoint’s annual revenue is comprised of donations. Participating in the annual fine arts auction is a great way to support a local nonprofit and hopefully add a one-of-a-kind piece by a local artist to your collection
In addition to the 2024 Fine Arts Poster Art Contest winner, Magdalena Idzikowska, a college student pursuing a degree in Graphic and Web Design from North Idaho College, was selected as the 2024 Series Lineup Poster Artist.
This year’s poster and all past posters will be available for purchase at the Festival at Sandpoint’s office for $15. Poster prints, t-shirts, and other 2024 merchandise will also be available to purchase at the merchandise booth during the Summer Series.
The Festival at Sandpoint encourages local artists to enter the poster contest starting Sept. 1 for the opportunity to have their masterpiece chosen for next year’s Fine Art Poster. The submission deadline for the 2024 poster contest is Feb. 3, 2025, at 5 p.m. Pacific Time.
The Festival at Sandpoint is a non-profit organization that hosts an annual summer performance series in Sandpoint featuring a variety of genres, including rock, country, folk, indie, and more. This year, the Festival will take place July 25 through Aug. 4, 2024, at War Memorial Field on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille.
Information: festivalatsandpoint.com
A look at the Festival at Sandpoint's fine arts poster for the 2024 summer performance series