HOLLAND, Michigan — It may be October, but organizers are already preparing for next year's Tulip Time Festival! The top 20 artists in the 13th annual First Bloem poster contest were announced Wednesday.
Every year, the First Bloem contest selects a poster design to be displayed and sold throughout the festival. Dozens of artists submit their work months in advance. It is then narrowed down to the top 20 by a juror, and the winner is announced before the festival begins. The winning piece will become the poster design for that year's Tulip Time.
This year, Professor Margaret Vega chose the top pieces out of nearly 100 submissions. Vega teaches painting at Kendall College of Art and Design. She said the submissions this year were all unique in style and execution.
“I was interested in the variety of materials, from photography to cut paper, used to express the beauty and emotion of tulips," she said. "I was attracted to several pieces immediately for their balance and unique approach to the guidelines.”
Artists are asked to encapsulate the spirit of Tulip Time and Holland's Dutch heritage through their work.
The winner of the contest will be announced on Feb. 23, when the top 20 is displayed for festival sponsors at the First Bloem Reveal.
The following artists and their pieces make up the top 20:
- “All are Welkom” by Cidy Bender
- “Ready to Reign” by Betsy Buurma-Morton
- “Grand Perfection” by John Cowden
- “Tulips, Windmills and Mondrain” by Charles Cusack
- “Talk of the Town” by Kristin Doversberger
- "Tulip Patch" by Patricia Flynn
- “Hollandia” by Thea Grigsby
- “On a Spring Day” by Carol Hall
- “Spring Blooms” by Karen Johnson
- “Never Too Many” by Karen Johnson
- “It’s Tulip Time!” by Steve Leary
- “Tulip Daydream” by Andrea Rich
- “Twee Landen, een Geest” by Lori Rivera
- "Tulip Treasures" by Anne Rivers
- "Evening Tulips” by Conni Schaftenaar
- "Tulip Maze" by Michael Stewert
- “Blended Colors of Spring” by Carolyn Stitch
- “In the Round” by Sandy Swartzentruber
- “Time to Celebrate” by Dian Taylor
- "Let’s Dance" by Sally Yugovich
During the festival, the top 20 will be displayed for visitors to vote on. The artist that takes home the most votes will receive the People's Choice Award.
The Tulip Time Festival will be celebrating its 94th year from May 6-14. For more information on First Bloem or the festival, click here.
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