ART ON THE SQUARE 50TH ANNIVERSARY LOGO CONTEST WINNER ANNOUNCED

50th Anniversary – Art On The Square – Oskaloosa, Iowa

A winning design has been selected from entries submitted to a logo contest created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Oskaloosa Main Street’s Art on the Square.

Swapnil Mathkar of Savannah, Georgia submitted the winning design. Mathkar describes himself as “growing up with a deep passion for art.” He graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) design department, and joined their graphic design faculty in Fall of 2007.

Before his time with SCAD, Mathkar worked as a graphic designer for Engineering Communications office at Purdue University.

“As a designer, I created and established a new look to the brand identity of the different engineering departments,” Mathkar shared. “I also worked on accomplishing articulate ideas and concepts, logo designs, high-quality creative materials that met all marketing objectives including environmental graphics, advertisements, catalogs, brochures, web banners, and motion graphics.”

Mathkar’s design incorporates Oskaloosa’s history and the historic metal bandstand.

“(The bandstand) has been playing a significant role in Oskaloosa’s communit events dating back to 1912. As this event is all about connecting artists with the local community, (the bandstand), plaque like shape, and the typography inside it consist of texture and brush strokes with edges to represent an art event,” Mathkar explained.

In all, sixteen entries were submitted to the logo contest. Entries were judged based on several criteria including design, theme, and composition. The winning design was selected by a blind vote of committee members, and chamber staff.

“We had so many great entries in this contest, it was difficult to choose one,” said Main Street director, Emily Brown. “This has been such a fun experience to see so many interpretations come to life. I can’t wait to share them all with the community.”

An exhibit featuring all sixteen entries will take place during the two day Art on the Square festival, June 8th and 9th. The event will also feature artist vendors, interactive art activities, live performances, and more. For more information visit www.oacdg.org/events/artonthesquare, or follow Oskaloosa Main Street on Facebook.