Festival announces 2024 poster contest winners
The Festival at Sandpoint’s Fine Arts Poster tradition dates back to the start of the organization in 1983. What started as advertisement and fundraising for the Festival at Sandpoint has now become a way to showcase the community’s many talented artists to celebrate and publicize their work.
In 2022, the Festival at Sandpoint altered the selection process to an open competition and began accepting community submissions for its first Fine Arts Poster Contest. This year’s contest was expanded to include a potential Series Lineup winner as well.
Submissions are evaluated on multiple criteria: originality, creativity, execution, quality, demonstrated skill, and how well the art embodied the spirit of the Festival and the Sandpoint area.
Daniel Gill, a Sandpoint designer and illustrator, was selected as the Festival at Sandpoint’s 2024 fine arts poster artist.
Gill studied graphic design at Southern Utah University and earned his bachelor of fine arts degree in 2010. Since then, he has worked primarily as a graphic designer specializing in brand development, visual identity, and creative storytelling.
He enjoys making art in any form, and his mediums vary from traditional drawing and painting to digital illustration to photography and video.
“My love of drawing and painting goes back to boyhood,” Gill said. “While I now spend more time with a mouse and keyboard, a pencil and brush will always be my first love.”
The winning art piece will be revealed July 9, following the Festival’s sponsor appreciation event.
“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. I wanted to see what kind of an image I could get working with just simple shapes and flat colors,” 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.”
The artist’s donation of this original piece is both a tradition and a fundraiser for the non-profit organization’s mission. The original art is auctioned, with bidding beginning July 9 and concluding at the Grand Finale performance Aug. 4.
In addition to the 2024 fine arts poster 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 and scholarship winner.
Originally from Poland, Idzikowska's passion for travel inspires her art and life.
From studying at Liverpool Hope University in England to now attending North Idaho College in Coeur d’Alene, she has worked to merge her creative side with her love for exploration.
“As someone who deeply appreciates nature, I was inspired to create my poster titled ‘A Mountain Goat's Melodic Journey,’" Idzikowska said. “Upon learning about the presence of mountain goats around Lake Pend Oreille in Sandpoint, I felt compelled to showcase their beauty and significance through my artwork.”
Information: festivalatsandpoint.com/posters
Idzikowska