Newton, NC – The Catawba Valley Festival of the Arts is honored to announce the winner of the 2022 Poster Contest. Conover resident Ben Precup, winner of this year’s poster contest, submitted the winning design with his design concept for the area’s all-arts Festival:Catawba Valley Festival

“The idea behind my work is that I wanted to incorporate dance, music and art into one unified composition. The ballerina represents the dancing body in motion, full of life, passion and expression. The French horn represents music and is shown facing towards the head of the ballerina. Lastly, the spiral pinwheels represent art and creativity. Displayed in a specific formula, these swirls create a beautiful, symmetrical pattern of color. I feel that art without structure/rules is merely chaos.”

Deluxe Printing’s Chad East remarks, “Ben’s poster resonated with those of us on the judging committee. The design is elegant, strong and yet fluid. That’s how we see the burgeoning Festival for the region. Deluxe Printing is honored to help select this year’s poster design, and we are equally proud to be the official print sponsor for this year’s event.”

During the Festival on April 22, 23 and 24, a signed and framed print of the 2022 CVFA poster will be raffled off. Copies of the poster will also be offered for sale. These monies will offset costs of the Festival and will be allocated for the 2023 Festival. The poster will also available in Spanish.

CVFA Planning Team Chair and Catawba Farms owner Twyla Deese shares, “This year’s Festival will build upon last year’s inaugural event with more organizations participating and more artists sharing the stage. We are engaging more with our diverse and underserved communities by featuring artists with international and cross-cultural appeal. This year, the Festival will include a drum-circle lead by a renowned percussionist Manolo Badrena of Weather Report fame. It’s so exciting getting artists to come out after Covid-19 has put a damper on their ability to perform live for the public. We are most grateful for the support of the United Arts Council of Catawba County to help us reach underserved audiences.”

The 3-day Festival is anchored by academic institutions Catawba Valley Community College and Lenoir-Rhyne University who serve as vanguards of the arts for the region. CVFA events begin Friday evening, April 22, 2022 on the grounds of the 34-acre venue of Catawba Farms in Newton, NC and continue through Sunday, April 24th in a hub and spoke pattern at various venues throughout Catawba County. The CVFA exposes the works of artists, performers, educators, and creative stewards and encourages participation from diverse organizations.

For more information on the event including the schedule, visit the website at cv-fa.org. For inquiries on sponsorship opportunities contact: Twyla Deese at [email protected]