WINSTON-SALEM — The Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County has announced the winners of its 2019 ArtPop Street Gallery competition and released photographs of the art that will appear on billboards in the region this year. ArtPop fosters collaborations between arts organizations, such as The Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County, and the private sector to promote the work of local artists on available media space — on billboards, on the sides of buses, across news racks and in airport terminals. The visibility they receive boosts their careers.

Lamar Outdoor Advertising is donating unused space on five billboards over a 12-county region (Forsyth, Guilford, Montgomery, Stokes, Davidson, Surry, Davie, Yadkin, Alamance, Randolph, Rockingham, and Caswell). Billboard locations can be anywhere in the region for any length of time during the year. This is the third ArtPop collaborative since 2016 between the billboard industry and The Arts Council of Winston-Salem & Forsyth County. Artists from the 12 counties were asked to submit billboard art for consideration. The winning artwork is now posted on billboards in the region. 

 

The five winners:

 

Recent West Forsyth High School graduate Sarah Frisbie won with her acrylic reclining portrait titled “Kiera.” Frisbie will attend the University of North  Carolina at Chapel Hill in the fall to study art and is receiving a $500 scholarship. 

 

Jurors selected digital art tiled  “Flight of Fancy” by Raman Bhrdwaj of Greensboro. Bhrdwaj is a multi-disciplinary freelance artist. His website is www.artistraman.com.  

 

Winston-Salem visual storyteller, Trena McNabb, won with her acrylic titled “The Four Seasons.” Each piece McNabb creates weaves together a story. Her website is www.tmcnabb.com. 

 

High Point photographer C.S. Young, Jr., was selected for  his piece, “Sunflower and Bumble Bee Composition.”  Young is a photographer who explores multiple genres including natural landscapes, urban landscapes and street photography, as well as architectural abstracts and abandonment. His website is www.csyjr.wordpress.com. 

 

Artist Cara Bevan, who lives on her family’s farm and animal rescue facility in Trinity in Randolph County, has been creating art her entire life. Her piece, “Celeste the Cosmic Turtle,” was chosen. Bevan creates whimsical animals from gourds, wire and epoxy. Her website is www.carabevan.com.

 

“This is the third ArtPop collaborative between the billboard industry and our Arts Council,” said Randy Eaddy, president and CEO of the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County. “They always create excitement. The first was in 2016, and each has prompted a lot of conversation among motorists and others in our area. We welcome an opportunity to again feature the work of five regional artists and raise their profiles in such a creative way.” 

 

All works submitted for the ArtPop competition are original works of art and fit a prescribed billboard format. There are no guarantees on billboard locations, as they could be anywhere in the 12-county region for any length of time depending upon availability in the market. It is more than $300,000 in advertising for these artists.

 

ArtPop Street Gallery was founded in 2015. “Artist + Public Outdoor Project = ArtPOP” Street Gallery, which promotes local artists’ original works through the use of donated outdoor advertising space. For more information on ArtPop Triad, go to www.intothearts.org/artpop. See all of the ArtPop winners across the country at www.ArtPopStreetGallery.com.