Bozeman’s Sweet Pea Festival announced the winners of its annual poster and t-shirt design contest Wednesday.
A mother and son duo, a graphic designer, and a 7-year-old are the winning artists this year. The contests are held for designing the Sweet Pea Festival poster and adult and children’s t-shirts.
This year’s festival will run from Aug. 4 to 6. Aimed at sharing art with the Bozeman community, the volunteer-led event includes chalk art, music, painting workshops, and a sweet pea bouquet arranging contest. The festival debuted in 1978.
Between the three contests, there were more than 100 entries, said Sweet Pea’s executive director Kris Olenicki. Winners are decided by a five-person panel made up of community members and the Sweet Pea board.
It’s difficult to pick the winners because there is always so much talent in the submissions, Olenicki said.
The winning poster — a colorful bouquet of sweet pea flowers in a mason jar etched with the words Bozeman, Montana — was designed by Joyce Folgert and her son Jere.
A retired teacher from Rocky Mountain College, Joyce spends her time teaching watercolor classes, gardening and writing children’s books. Jere is a father, an army veteran, and an award-winning wildlife filmmaker.
Graphic designer Andrea Oshinsky won the adult t-shirt design contest. Her digital design features six sweet pea flowers with pops of orange, purple, blue and green.
Oshinsky studied graphic design in college, and has worked professionally in the field for 8 years. She moved to Bozeman last year with her husband from Chicago.
“I feel fortunate that I get to do what I love every day,” Oshinsky said of her career in a press release from Sweet Pea.
The children’s t-shirt design winner is Clara Michael. Her t-shirt features purple sweet peas and a stack of multi-colored birds.
“I am seven years old and I go to Whittier,” Michael said in the release.
“My favorite subject in school is writing. I have lived in Bozeman my whole life, and I have a very nice brother and parents. I love to do art with my friends, and I love to swim.”
Sweet Pea’s Olenicki encouraged everyone to submit to the contests next year, with submissions opening in February. The festival would love to see as many submissions as possible.
“You do not have to be a professional artist to submit,” Olenicki said.
Even if people didn’t win this year, they should not be deterred — there was so much talent in all the entries, she said.
Sometimes, people ask the festival organizers why the designs of the posters, t-shirts and post cards don’t match.
The answer is that each design is a chance to showcase local art and artists, Olenicki said. Sweet Pea’s goal is to cultivate the arts — and the more art they can display, the better.
Merchandise will be available for purchase at the festival, or people can order items online at https://sweetpeafestival.org starting July 1.
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