1st Friday

poster contest

revealed

PUTNAM — As planning continues for the upcoming season of First Fridays, organizers are excited to begin accepting submissions for the 2nd Annual First Fridays Poster Contest. Now through March 14, local artists of all ages are encouraged to submit an original piece of artwork that engages with the 2015 season-long theme: A Century of Art. For a second year, the winning artist will receive a cash prize and will see their work on the cover of the 2015 First Fridays program.

For more information on the poster contest, including a detailed description of the 2015 theme, artists are encouraged to visit www.discoverputnam.com. 

Introduced for the 2014 season, the poster contest was created to engage the arts community in designing the cover for the First Fridays program, which saw 3,500 copies printed and distributed throughout the state. Fourteen posters were received and judged by the Putnam Business Association PR & Marketing Committee, with the winning entry submitted by Putnam resident, Thomas Rall. In addition to his work serving as the cover art for the 2014 program, Rall received a $250 prize. At the July First Fridays event, all fourteen entries were part of a silent auction, with proceeds going to the Putnam Arts Council, the driving force behind the Art Attacks featured at each First Fridays event. 

For 2015, entrants are encouraged to interpret and explore art of the 20th century to create an original work. The periods to be celebrated, respectively, during the six evenings of the 2015 First Fridays season will include: Art Nouveau, The Jazz Age, World War II & the Arts, Pop Art, Urban Art, and Digital Art. All pieces must fit into a 16x20 poster frame portrait orientation and must be submitted by March 14th. A detailed description of the 2015 theme, as well as examples of art from the above periods will be available to all artists interested in submitting work for the contest. Artists are encouraged to use creative freedom to craft a visual representation of how art transformed during the 20th century.

As with the 2014 contest, entries will be judged by the PBA PR & Marketing committee and will be included in a silent auction during one of the monthly First Fridays events. Art lovers will have a chance to purchase reproductions of the winning poster, with proceeds of the auction and poster sales to benefit the First Fridays committee. 

As the cover artwork for the First Fridays program, the winning poster will introduce a new look to the go-to-guide for the 2015 season. The program is the perfect companion to assist visitors to the monthly First Fridays events. For those unfamiliar with First Fridays, the program gives a brief history of the annual event, as well as an overview of what to expect for the upcoming season.  Each First Fridays has something new to do and see, and the program gives a fantastic sneak peek of monthly entertainment, community art projects, and vendors. As well, the program previews events hosted by such downtown galleries as: Arts & Framing and the Sochor Art Gallery, The Empty Spaces Project: Gallery on Main Street, Flying Carpet Studio, Sawmill Pottery, Silver Circle Gallery, and The Stomping Ground. Each season, the program has grown thanks to the generosity of local sponsors who recognize the positive impact First Fridays has on the community.