Stephen Haynes: Poster Contest Winner
21 April 2010 by Sasha in Poster Contest, Visual Arts
The results of the 2010 Three Rivers Arts Festival poster contest are in, and The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust is proud to announce the grand prize winner. Stephen Haynes was selected for his stylish art-deco poster titled Waking Up to the Arts. His design will be used to promote the Festival throughout the Pittsburgh region.
This year, the Trust received 70 distinctive entries for the poster contest. Waking Up to the Arts was chosen by the Three Rivers Arts Festival advisory board for best reflecting the mission to connect the community to the arts.
Stephen is a professional Pittsburgh artist who currently creates illustrations and designs for Excel Sportswear while also freelancing in his spare time. Although his work for Excel Sportswear mostly centers on computer graphics or pen and paper, his favorite way to artistically express himself is through painting. “Ideally,” he says, “I would be a painter.” Stephen also finds joy in creating posters, CD covers and logos for bands.
We asked Stephen to give us some insight into his poster design and the concept behind it. “I think that Pittsburgh is seeing resurgence in its love and appreciation for the arts. I’ve created a scene in which a ‘Golden Triangle’ sunrise represents this resurgence and bathes the city in its light. The houses and incline of Mt. Washington, which embody the history of this city’s hard-working population, are juxtaposed with the modern downtown skyline. The two halves are joined in the middle by three bridges symbolizing the three rivers that meet here.”
Stephen explained that he began with a series of pencil sketches on paper until his idea was fairly fleshed out. “I just love the development process: doodling, getting a sudden spark of inspiration, and then running with that idea.” He then built the elements of the piece using a computer illustration and design program, which enabled his design to have such a crisp, clean style.
You may be familiar with Stephen Haynes from his participation in last year’s Artists Market at the Festival, where he exhibited paintings. Since it was his first year participating, he admitted that he did not quite know what to expect. “Luckily, I was located within a cluster of artists who have been exhibiting for many years, and I learned a lot from them.” Stephen will be showing his work at this year’s Artists Market as well. “Because of my experience last year, I feel like I’m going in with a wealth of knowledge. I love the Bohemian atmosphere of the market and I’m really looking forward to being a part of it again!”
More of Stephen’s artwork can be found on his blog www.fatherofodin.net or by visiting www.macworthington.com. If you want to meet Stephen and view some of his artwork in person, be sure to stop by his booth in Gateway Center Plaza during the first session (June 4th- 8th) of the Artists Market.
You can explore all of this year’s poster entries here.
Thank you to all of our participants for putting so much time, energy and creativity into your designs!