Black Swamp Arts Fest honored for poster

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The 21st annual Black Swamp Arts Festival continues to rake in the awards.
After being named "Best Art Festival in Ohio" by Ohio Magazine in January, this month Sunshine
Artist Magazine will award the 2013 BSAF Poster Most Creative Concept in its 18th annual Show Poster
Contest. This is the second year in a row the poster has won this award.
The poster beat out 61 other posters from 24 states, a contest record. This is the third award for The
Black Swamp Arts Festival, which won this category last year and the 2010 Sunshine Artist’s Most
Whimsical Poster.
The contest judges wrote: "Given that the show’s poster has taken our Most Creative Concept award
for two years running, it’s probably safe to say that the Black Swamp Arts Festival knows a thing or two
about creative designs – and our judges certainty agree."
Every year, art festivals from across the country submit their festival posters in hopes of winning
awards and accolades for their show’s signature art. Based in Orlando, Florida, Sunshine Artist Magazine
covers America’s outdoor art and craft festival industry. The Sunshine Artist poster contest was started
as a way to recognize the efforts of shows to market themselves using original artwork. Posters are an
opportunity for the sponsoring festival to make a statement about the importance of art in their
community.
The poster was created by Amy and Matt Karlovec, who have been volunteer members of the festival for more
than 16 years. Both BFA graduates from Bowling Green State University Amy Karlovec is the Creative
Services Manager at Owens Community College and Matt Karlovec is a video producer and art director at
Hart Associates in Maumee.
The festival poster was a collaboration piece between Sentinel-Tribune photographer J.D. Pooley,
woodworker Michael Kreischer and the BGSU Herpetology lab, run by Dr. Eileen Underwood.
The poster was created using a single carved wood piece of the Black Swamp Arts Festival Logo/Crest in
which they placed individual reptiles on the carved wood piece and photographed them. The wide variety
of reptiles were then composited in Photoshop to create the poster and the wood color of the carving was
then altered as well. While none of the reptiles on the poster are native to Northwest Ohio’s Great
Black Swamp, they all do reside in Bowling Green at the BGSU Herpetology lab.
Matt Karlovec said: "Each year we have tried to create a poster that is different from the previous
past years’ and reflects the festival’s diversity in artists, musicians and activities. Past printing
have included a range of printing methods including double sided, color your own, metallic and die-cut.
Posters have also used a variety of illustration styles and photography. Our goal is to have fun with
the poster and create something that our community will enjoy."
"Last year’s poster is one of my favorites," said Dan Stutzman, who chairs the festivals
marketing and public relations committee. "It really shows what the Black Swamp Arts Festival is
all about – bringing together a community to do something spectacular."
The 2014 poster is being designed by artist Will Santino, a Bowling Green native now living in Madison,
Wisconsin.

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