Graphic Design - The Robert McLaughlin Gallery

Our 2013 Juried Gig Poster show is now on in the E.P. Taylor Gallery!

Thank you to all who entered, supported, and participated in the Juried Gig Poster show. We had an overwhelming number of excellent entries and an incredible level of talent represented this year. We’re already excited for next year’s event, when we plan to add a People’s Choice prize!

Come in to see all of the finalists, the show closes Sunday 19 May.

Our winners, as voted by the jury (highlighted below):

Best in Show: The School of M.A.D Prize: Glenn Brody Retirement by Dani Crosby

Glenn Brody Retirement by Dani Crosby

2nd Overall: The Moustache Club Prize: Gentlemen Husbands by Wes Pratt

Gentlemen Husbands by Wes Pratt

3rd Overall: The Citrus Media Prize: No Joy by Jess Keefer

No Joy by Jess Keefer

We’d like to take a moment to thank our jury!

Luke Despatie: Despite being named one of the top ten young designers to watch by Design Edge Magazine, Luke has more than a decade of experience creating award-winning design for clients like Survivorman, The Northern Pikes, Random House, Harper Collins, PEN Canada, Yahoo! and Chatelaine, among others. A true design nerd, Luke is inspired by all things aesthetic – art, architecture, film, theatre, food, toys and comic books. Luke is owner of The Design Firm based in Port Hope and Toronto.

Vish Khanna: Vish Khanna is a Canadian musician, Radio Personality and Music Journalist. A resident of Guelph, Khanna was born in Kitchener, Ontario, and grew up in Cambridge, Ontario. Currently a Community Producer at CBC Music, Khanna has worn many hats. He has been a concert promoter in Guelph since 1997, an Assistant Editor at Exclaim! Magazine, and a radio co-host. He regularly contributes to Signal to Noise and Off the Shelf Magazines.

Dave Rosen: Dave Rosen is a cartoonist and illustrator with a lifelong passion for poster art. The former editorial cartoonist for Montreal alt weeklies Hour and The Mirror, Rosen’s art has appeared in newspapers and magazines across Canada, as well as many published collections, including four of his own books. He has also done time as a CBC broadcaster, standup comic and comedy writer. Now based in Alexandria, Ontario, he indulges his passion for graphic design as a seller of vintage paper through his online poster shop, Posteropolis.
The RMG Juried Gig Poster Show would like to thank its generous sponsors for their support.

Presenting Sponsor: The Moustache Club
Prize Sponsors:
School of M.A.D (Media, Art and Design) at Durham College
Citrus Media
Multitech Graphics
Staples
Murphy’s Pub (aka, The Hub)

By Kyle Kornic, RMG Public Relations Intern, Winter 2013

It is easy to miss a poster on a lamppost. With all the hustle and bustle of city life, it’s hard to stop and take in the beauty of something as simple as a piece of paper advertising a local concert. However, if the time is taken to stop and admire a simple poster, the average person can discover a work of art.

Welcome to the world of music-concert posters, or as it is more commonly known: “Gig Posters”. It all began in the 1950s and 60s when posters were the cheapest and most effective way to advertise upcoming concerts. To catch the public’s eye, the posters were designed by artists to be visually captivating and unique. When they began to disappear from the streets concert promoters quickly realized that there was a market for the posters and began to sell them at the concerts. In time this phenomenon grew and different styles of gig posters began to emerge in the music scene.

Fast-forward to present day, through the hardships that the music industry has faced, to the almost-complete digitizing of music through online stores such as iTunes, to the resurgence of vinyl records, one thing is certain; fans want something they can hold. A quick internet search reveals hundreds of artists with thousands of gig posters available to view or purchase, clearly the culture is still strong, if not stronger than ever. Bedrooms, apartments, and houses across the world have their walls adorned with priceless pieces of art created out of pure love for not only art, but also music.

The formats may change, the music might evolve, but passion never dies. Because of this, artists will continue to create visual masterpieces to adorn lampposts, bulletin boards, and the walls everywhere. To see some great examples of these posters visit www.gigposters.com or visit The Robert McLaughlin Gallery on Friday 3 May, 2013 for the 2^nd annual Juried Gig Poster Show.

Interested in submitting a poster? Click here to learn more.

Stay up to date on the event by connecting to the Facebook Event Page.

Gig poster by Michal Majewski, the artist who inspired the creation of this event series.

The Robert McLaughlin Gallery

2013 Juried Gig Poster Show Winners

The RMG’s Juried Gig Poster Show Coming May 2013