Signs of the Times - April 2014 - (Page 67)
2014 International
Sign Contest: A New
Breed of Classics
An eclectic, inspiring
mix of winners
By Steve Aust
S
ince 2001, I've handled ST's
sign competitions. The year after
I began, we consolidated our Electric
and Commercial contests into a
single gauntlet thrown down to
the entire industry (except for
vehicle graphics, which received
their own, no-holds-barred cage
match in 2007) with the International Sign Contest.
The most encouraging development - and least in the eyes of this
harried Contest Coordinator - was
the sheer increase in entries. This
year's field comprised 312 submissions, a 37% surge from last year's
227. Also, 67 shops participated, a
significant increase over 2013's 58.
The abundance of the field's
quality matched its quantity. From
an elaborate mural that transformed
a drab building wall into a captivating work of art, to a shop's whimsical, freestanding, self-promotional
sign built atop an imitation-tree
sculpture, to a rock-climbing gym's
neon-lit mountaineer traversing
a building wall, every winning
entry goes far beyond fulfilling its
duty to provide on-premise branding. Rather, they embellish their
surroundings, and can justifiably
be called commercial art.
As we did two years prior,
we ventured 100 miles south to
conduct the judging at Alltech's
corporate headquarters in Nicholasville, KY. Founded by Irish
natives Dr. Pierce and Dierdre
Lyons in 1980, Alltech's research
facilities use yeast fermentation,
enzyme technology and nutrigenomics to create nutritional
additives for plant, animal and
human food. And, in recent years,
Contest judges (left to right) David Jones, Dan Brown, Scott Cambron and Richelle
Bach evaluated the 2014 International Sign Contest field at Alltech's corporate
headquarters in Nicholasville, KY.
the company has opened the Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co.
(what a great application of yeastfermentation knowledge!). I fervently recommend their Kentucky
Bourbon Barrel Ale (which is aged in
freshly emptied bourbon barrels
for up to six weeks) and Bourbon
Barrel Stout (also barrel-aged, with
coffee). Keep browsing package
stores until you find them.
Anyway, back to the task at hand.
Our collection of judges - Ruggles
Sign (Versailles, KY) production
manager Scott Cambron, Lexington-based graphic artist Richelle
Bach, Alltech senior designer David
Jones, and Dan Brown, branch manager of Tubelite's Columbus office
- provided balanced perspectives,
and plenty of spirited dialogue
throughout the process.
Some familiar faces appeared
in the winners' circle: Portland's
Security Signs is a competition
mainstay; Dan Sawatzky, proprietor of Chilliwack, BC, Canada's
Sawatzky Imagination Corp.,
predictably earned accolades for
two entries; and ArtFX Signs
(Bloomfield, CT) upheld tradition
and delivered an award-winning
entry. Yet, we also had several new
victors. House of Signs (Frisco,
CO), which hasn't entered the
competition before, earned honors
for seven of its submissions, including two First Place designations.
We haven't kept such records, but
I suspect that sets a new high for
the most accolades for one shop in
a single competition.
Monroe, WA-based Amigo Arts
earned the Best of Show for its
comprehensive sign program for
Cal's Classic American Kitchen,
an upscale eatery in Kent, WA that
dresses up such traditional fare as
beef stroganoff, grilled cheese with
tomato soup, and chicken and
waffles. The project's combination
of interior and exterior neon signage,
arrows lit by incandescent bulbs
(what's more Americana?) and
lightboxes over tables and behind
the bar, swirl post-modern and
retro to redefine the American
diner's essence.
So, here we have it, the stately
and the quirky, the humorous and
the dignified - ladies and gentlemen,
the 2014 International Sign Contest!
SIGNS OF THE TIMES www.signweb.com 67
http://www.signweb.com
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Signs of the Times - April 2014
Signs of the Times - April 2014
Columns & Departments
Features
ST Update
Technology Update
ISA Sign Expo 2014 – Making the most of it
Vinyl Apps
Strictly Electric
LED Update
Software Update
Technology Review: Roland’s SOLJET Pro 4 XF-640 printer
Technology Review: EFI’s VUTEk GS2000/3250 digital-hybrid printers
Sign Museum News
New Products
The 2014 Intl. Sign Contest
2nd Annual Readers’ Choice Award
For the Record
ISA Expo Adds SEGD Component
Surprising Evidence about Neon’s History
Editorially speaking
Advertising index
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