GILROY
– The Gilroy Garlic Festival celebrates not just the art of good
eating but the art of good posters.
GILROY – The Gilroy Garlic Festival celebrates not just the art of good eating but the art of good posters.
Winners of the 2004 poster contest were announced Friday. First place belongs to Karen Hinds, of Brentwood, who beat out about 20 other entries for a prize of $750 and the honor of having her artwork printed on festival merchandise.
“I wanted to paint something that people would like to see in their houses,” Hinds said.
Her acrylic on canvas painting depicts garlic cloves in a warm kitchen setting. Hinds is a contest veteran, having submitted entries before, one that won a People’s Choice award a few years back.
“We look for something that we think will appeal to the public and that can also be used for merchandising,” said Chris Filice, one of the judges and office manager of the Gilroy Garlic Festival Association.
Second place went to Thaleia Widenmann, of Pacific Grove, while third went to Judith Clock, of Saratoga. They received $400 and $200, respectively.
Submissions had to follow size requirements, but otherwise artists had free reign to create a work that they felt would “best capture the spirit and essence of this premier food festival,” according to the contest rules.
Although in the past only the first place image was used for merchandising, this year the second-place image of a calamari flame-up will be used as well.
Freelance graphic designer Widenmann came up with the concept when she attended last year’s festival.
“I was very impressed with the Gourmet Alley,” she said, referring to the festival’s outdoor kitchen. “I thought the flames were fabulous. When I first saw them, I thought there was an accident in that area. I thought that firefighters must be there.”
For more information about the Garlic Festival, visit www.gilroygarlicfestival.com. For artist information, contact Karen Hinds at sn*****@**no.com and Thaleia Widenmann at (831)372-0985.
