Brooklyn artist wins Yonkers poster contest

June 19, 2017 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Stephanie Becker, an artist from Brooklyn, created this wining entry in the Cross County Shopping Center’s SummerFest Poster Contest. Photo courtesy of SummerFest

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The talents of Brooklyn-based artists are becoming known far and wide. The latest example is Stephanie Becker, whose work will grace posters used to promote a summer festival in Yonkers.

Becker was recently named the first-place winner of the Cross County Shopping Center’s SummerFest Poster Contest. She will receive a check for $1,500 and her winning design will be used to promote the popular summer series that attracts thousands of visitors to the Yonkers shopping center.

SummerFest is summer-long celebration that includes outdoor concerts, fireworks, outdoor fitness classes, kid’s DJ dance parties and foodie events at the Cross County Shopping Center.

Another Brooklyn resident, Jen Ferguson, took third-place honors in the poster contest.

Becker’s design will be used to promote the SummerFest season on the center’s shopping website, on promotional posters, flyers and on some of the campaign’s printed and digital materials. It will also be reproduced as a limited-edition poster, signed and numbered by Becker, to be sold and distributed at Cross County Shopping Center’s fireworks event on Friday, June 30.

In her watercolor illustrations, which are influenced by Beatrix Potter, Quentin Blake and Ludwig Bemelmans, Becker seeks to portray the humor and sweetness of everyday life.

“For my design, I wanted to evoke the energy and excitement of an outdoor summer festival. The festival creates a space for people to come together and create a community. I hope my design encourages people to get outside and experience all that SummerFest has to offer,” Becker said in a statement.

But Becker added that she hopes her prize-winning artwork serves a larger purpose.

“In an era of online shopping and internet isolation, I believe it is important for diverse groups of people to come together to celebrate and learn from each other. SummerFest provides the opportunity for people to celebrate summer and participate in new activities,” she said.

In April, Cross County Shopping Center issued a call to professional, student and amateur artists to submit original artwork that exemplified the shopping center’s SummerFest events

New Rochelle resident Maristella Margutti won second place for her design called “Dancing Away,” which focused on music and fireworks. Originally from Brazil, Margutti has lived in the U.S. for six years and is a former art teacher. She will receive a check for $750.

Ferguson won third place for her design that depicted animal characters celebrating the various aspects of the summer series. She will receive a check for $500 for her work.

“My idea for the poster was to represent the spirit of summer and community fun into my composition, using a bright, warm color palette to echo summer,” Ferguson said. “I wanted to show the variety of events SummerFest has planned, and how they bring everyone together for a positive, community-based experience.”

For more information about Cross County Shopping Center and SummerFest, visit crosscountycenter.com/Events/Details/446731.