A mixture of Silicon Valley high-tech and the area’s
agricultural heritage helped in the creation of the winning design
for the Gilroy Garlic Festival’s winning poster announced last
week.
GILROY – A mixture of Silicon Valley high-tech and the area’s agricultural heritage helped in the creation of the winning design for the Gilroy Garlic Festival’s winning poster announced last week.
Winning artist Jim Serfass, 48, of San Francisco, used a computer in creating his sentimental look at Gilroy’s agricultural heritage in his poster. His love for commercial sign painting as well as “crate art,” the artistry that in by-gone years appeared on fruit and vegetable crate labels, motivated him to create the nostalgic poster for the festival’s quarter-century anniversary, he said.
“The overall look of it is inspired by old fruit crate art,” he said.
Serfass won $750 in the competition.
Marina resident Steve Zmack won $400 as the second-place winner. Gilroy resident Cheryl Cathers won $200 for her third-place entry.
Serfass is a two-time festival poster winner, taking the first-place prize several years ago. For the 2003 entry, he began by sketching the design of garlic fields and South Valley mountains with a pen and ink. He then scanned the concept into a computer and manipulated the image to create the outcome he sought. He used various software programs to color the poster design.
Serfass works in San Francisco as a graphic designer, creating commercial illustrations and designing computer trade-show booth layouts for companies. Some of his illustrations have appeared as computer magazine covers as well as in “TV Guide” magazine, he said.
To see Serfass’ illustrations on the Internet, go to his Web site at members.ispwest.com/srfr.
Serfass’ Garlic Festival entry was one 26 this year – many more than in previous years, said Connie Sanchez, chair of the retail committee that organized the competition.
Graced with South Valley farm fields and mountains, his poster connects the 25th anniversary to the original festival that was held in a large field just south of town next to U.S. 101, she said.
“I do like crate art,” she said. “I also liked the fact that it portrayed the very first year that the festival was held at the ranch. … The colors of Serfass’ poster were nice and bright and they tied in with the colors we are going with this year for the festival.”
The official colors of the festival this year are red white and blue, she said.
A committee panel looked at all of the entered posters and considered them for specified dimensions as well as artistic content and quality, she said. The judges had no idea who the artists were while making their choices. Selection was intense as some posters were weeded out, then brought back into the running again, she said.
“It usually takes about three tries,” she said.
Three posters were selected and ranked in order of preference by the panel. These three were brought to the festival board which made the final selection.
Serfass’ poster illustration will be displayed on retail merchandise at the festival such as tea towels, coffee cups and key chains.
Serfass’ winning poster will also be on sale for $10 each, and Serfass is scheduled to sign his works on July 26 and 27 at the festival.
