Common Ground Country Fair Poster Competition

Each year the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association holds a design contest to select the image for the Common Ground Country Fair poster. Maine residents and MOFGA members (regardless of residence) are eligible to participate.

The 2011 Common Ground Country Fair poster features a colorful depiction of fresh and freshly canned veggies by Maine artist, Dacia Klinkerch. Klinkerch grew and canned the produce depicted. She used the crops for a still life oil painting and later adapted her painting to create the more graphic style that MOFGA’s poster contest requires.

“I had done an oil painting of Mason jars and vegetables we had been canning,” says Klinkerch. “I thought it was an appropriate design for the Fair poster, so I translated it a bit for the MOFGA contest, following the guidelines (posted at www.mofga.org). With the oil painting, there were a lot of subtle shadows and grading of colors. I had to make it much more graphic – nothing too blended."

MOGFA are excited to announce that the contest for the 2012 poster is open. The winning design will be featured on the 2012 Fair poster, website, t-shirt and promotional literature. The artist will be featured in MOFGA's newspaper, The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener, plus, the winning artist will receive $1,000.

Artists may submit two entries. All entries must arrive in the MOFGA office by 4 p.m. on Friday, August 5, 2011. For complete guidelines, including technical specifications, please visit the Poster link on the Fair page at www.mofga.org or contact the Fair office at commonground@mofga.org or 207-568-4142.

You can view the 33-year history of the poster competition on the MOFGA website.