By WKTV Staff
joanne@wktv.org
Tulip Time Festival is pleased to announce the 2022 First Bloem Festival Artwork Competition through which a work of art is selected for the official Tulip Time poster. Each year, the Festival invites a juror to select the Top 20 pieces for First Bloem. Mary Sundstrom, Visual artist and Exhibitions Director of the Holland Area Arts Council, will be the 2022 juror.
Through 2010, posters were commissioned work from selected artists. Beginning in 2011, the Festival Artwork Competition began. Nine local artists have been awarded this honor:
- 2011 Beth Charles – “Drama Queens”
- 2012 Brittany Strabbing – “Beautiful Dream”
- 2013 Maggie Schultz – “Clothed in Splendor”
- 2014 Karin Nelson – “Resilience”
- 2015 Carolyn Stich – “Joy of Spring”
- 2016 Alla Dickson – “Spectacle”
- 2017 Michele Gort – “Playful Time”
- 2018 Cindy Awrey – “Together”
- 2019 Carolyn Stich – “Enduring Delft”
- 2020 Aron Lowe – “Dutch Dance”
In 2020, due to the pandemic restrictions, a competition was not possible. The Festival commissioned a piece from Aron Lowe, the 2020 winning artist, and Hear Ye, Hear Ye, Spring is Here became the 2021 Festival Artwork. Now, for 2022, we are pleased to be able to reintroduce the competition to all local West Michigan artists.
Artists in Ottawa, Allegan, Kent, Muskegon and Kalamazoo counties are invited to submit artwork. Submissions for the 2022 Festival Artwork Competition will be accepted Sept. 27 – 30. The artwork theme should represent Tulip Time’s mission to celebrate Holland’s tulips, Dutch heritage and community. The winner of the 2022 competition will be announced at the First Bloem Reveal, a special unveiling reception held in February.
To view the Prospectus, full entry requirements, and download a submission form, visit www.tuliptime.com/first-bloem-2022.
For additional details, artists are encouraged to contact Lorma Freestone at TTartwork@tuliptime.com.
