September 25, 2014
Jeremy Piper, Communication Manager, Realize Bradenton
941-447-9494 § [email protected]
Realize Bradenton Announces the
2014 Bradenton Blues Festival Poster
The limited-edition 2014 festival poster is illustrated by Ringling College faculty member Don Brandes.
(Bradenton, FL) Don Brandes, a former Hallmark artist and current Ringling College faculty member, is the illustrator of the 2014 Bradenton Blues Festival poster. Brandes worked with graphic designer Paula Murray, principal of Artefact Design, on the finished design. The poster, which depicts a musician strumming a guitar in a river, is being printed by Manatee Printers. Proceeds from sales of the limited-edition poster and original artwork will benefit Realize Bradenton’s music and youth outreach programs, including “Blues in the Schools.” Starting the week of September 29, a limited number of posters will be available for $30 at Keeton’s Office and Art Supply, 817 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton and online at http://ManateeApparel.com/RealizeBradenton. The poster will also be available for purchase at the 2014 Bradenton Blues Festival on December 6. The original artwork will be auctioned at the festival before headliner Marcia Ball performs around 6:15 p.m. Proceeds from sales of the poster and original art benefit Realize Bradenton’s youth, art, and music programs. For more information about the 2014 Bradenton Blues Festival, visit www.BradentonBluesFestival.org.
Johnette Isham, executive director of Realize Bradenton, the organization that produces the annual Bradenton Blues Festival, says that the poster is a collaborative effort; the illustrator, graphic designer and printer all donated their services. “It’s a true artistic blues jam,” she says. “They all came together to work on this—capturing the spirit of festival perfectly.” She adds that each year’s striking poster “is iconic and becomes an instant classic. The last two posters were illustrated by Mary GrandPré, the celebrated illustrator best known for her illustrations for the American editions of the Harry Potter books, are coveted as collectors’ items. We have no doubt the same phenomenon will happen with this one created by Don Brandes.”
Brandes, who has been teaching in the illustration department at Ringling College of Art and Design since 1988, says that when he first began thinking about the illustration for the 2014 Bradenton Blues Festival poster, he envisioned “bright, tropical, cheerful colors.” He laughs and adds, “I realize that these are not the typical colors associated with the blues, but the Bradenton Blues Festival is held in a bright, tropical and cheerful place. I decided to put the musician sitting in a river just chilling with the water flowing around him. It might not a typical place to play a guitar—but I knew it would capture the atmosphere of this blues festival on the sunny Bradenton Riverwalk.” The artist has provided illustrations for dozens of businesses and organizations, including Northwest Airlines, Selby Foundation, The Ringling, and Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast.
Ron Pickelsimer, president of Manatee Printers, says that this is the third year his company has donated its services to the festival. “This is one of our region’s premier events and we’re thrilled to stand behind it,” he says. “Realize Bradenton is a non-profit organization, which means the proceeds it raises are directed back into the community. We’re all working together in transforming Bradenton into a vibrant place to live, work and visit.”
According to Isham, only 200 limited-edition copies of the 2014 poster, signed by the artist, will be available for sale for $30 at Keeton’s Office and Art Supply, 817 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton and online at http://ManateeApparel.com/RealizeBradenton. The poster will also be available for purchase at the 2014 Bradenton Blues Festival on December 6.
The 2014 Bradenton Blues Festival
The 2014 Bradenton Blues Festival returns for a third year to downtown Bradenton’s Riverwalk, December 6, 2014, with an all-star lineup that includes veteran singer and songwriter Marcia Ball, the double-edged guitar dynamics of Jimmy Thackery and the Drivers, the rollicking Lil’ Ed & the Blue Imperials, multiple Grammy nominee Billy Branch & The Sons of Blues, young whirlwind Samantha Fish, “Georgia Songbird” EG Kight, local stars Doug Deming and the Jewel Tones with harmonica virtuoso Dennis Gruenling; and refined finger-style blues guitarist Dave Muskett, who will entertain audiences between the major acts. Southern-inspired cuisine, craft and domestic beverages, and an array of vendors complement the live music to create a comfortable, family-friendly experience in the park-like setting along the Manatee River. Proceeds from the festival support Realize Bradenton’s free youth, art, and music outreach programs.
Tickets for the 2014 Bradenton Blues Festival are $30 in advance; $40 at the gate, cash only; $25 per person for groups of 10 or more; $20 for students; and $10 for children, ages 5-12. Children four and under will be admitted free. A limited number of reserved front-of-stage seats are available for $75 per person. Tickets are available online and at Keeton’s Office & Art Supply, 817 Manatee Ave. West, in Bradenton. For more information and to buy tickets online, visit www.BradentonBluesFestival.org.
About Realize Bradenton
Realize Bradenton is a non-profit organization that brings people together to create a vibrant and prosperous Bradenton area. For more information, visit: www.RealizeBradenton.com.
