Festival at Sandpoint announces 2024 Poster Contest winners

By Reader Staff

Daniel Gill has been selected as the Festival at Sandpoint’s 2024 Fine Arts Poster Contest winner — the latest in a tradition that dates back to the start of the organization in 1983. 

What began as an advertisement and fundraising opportunity for the Festival has become a way to showcase the talented community artists and publicize their work.

Since 2022, the Festival has chosen the winning submission in an open competition, evaluated on criteria including: originality, creativity, execution, quality, demonstrated skill, and how well the art embodies the spirit of the Festival and the Sandpoint region in a creative or innovative way.

Gill is a Sandpoint designer and illustrator who studied graphic design at Southern Utah University and earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2010. Since then, he has worked primarily as a graphic designer specializing in brand development, visual identity and creative storytelling.

His mediums vary from traditional drawing and painting to digital illustration to photography and video.

“My love of drawing and painting goes back to boyhood,” Gill stated in an announcement from the Festival. “While I now spend more time with a mouse and keyboard, a pencil and brush will always be my first love.”

The winning art piece will be revealed on July 9, following the Festival’s Sponsor Appreciation event.

“As an artist, it’s always tempting to try something complicated and painstakingly detailed, but for this piece, I thought I should try a simple approach that would need little explanation,” Gill stated. “I wanted to see what kind of an image I could get working with just simple shapes and flat colors.

“I hope that anyone who sees the piece will find it to be a tribute to the natural beauty of the region and the summer days that make one want to relax and enjoy the view,” he added.

The artist’s donation of this original piece is not only a tradition but a fundraiser for the nonprofit organization’s mission. The original art is auctioned, with bidding beginning on July 9 and concluding at the Grand Finale performance on Aug. 4.

Visit danielgilldesign.com to see more of his work.

In addition, this year’s poster contest was expanded to include a Series Lineup winner. Magdalena Idzikowska, a college student pursuing a degree in graphic and web design from North Idaho College, was selected as the 2024 Series Lineup Poster Artist and scholarship winner.

Idzikowska is originally from Poland, and her passion for travel inspires both her art and her life.

From studying at Liverpool Hope University in England to now attending North Idaho College in Coeur d’Alene, she has worked to merge her creative side with her love for exploration.

“As someone who deeply appreciates nature, I was inspired to create my poster, titled, ‘A Mountain Goat’s Melodic Journey,’” Idzikowska stated. “Upon learning about the presence of mountain goats around Lake Pend Oreille in Sandpoint, I felt compelled to showcase their beauty and significance through my artwork.”

Find more of Idzikowska’s art on Instagram or her online portfolio at wilddesigndev.com.

To learn more about the Festival at Sandpoint’s Poster Contest or browse posters from throughout the Festival’s 41-year history, visit festivalatsandpoint.com/posters.