For many years, the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce has held a contest for artistic individuals wanting to use their talents to create a commemorative Bridge Day poster, one of the most coveted souvenirs at each year’s event. After Bridge Day, copies of each year’s poster remain on display at the Chamber office. Designs have ranged in inspiration, style and aesthetic, from earth-toned scenic sketches of the bridge to bold, action-packed designs of jumpers, rappellers and rafters. 

The first Bridge Day poster was designed by Jamie Lester, and it bears his own winning submission for the WV State Commemorative Quarter. When coming up with the design for that piece, Lester, the son of a coal miner, said that even though he respected the work that his father did and many others in our state still do, he wanted to look towards the future and not the past. So, he started working on designs that showcased West Virginia’s scenic beauty. “I wanted to be an ambassador for the natural wonder of the Mountain State,” Lester said. He experimented with drawing a few different state gems, but they didn’t pan out the way that he wanted. 

“Then, I thought of the New River Gorge — that beautiful, ancient place. I thought of how rugged and difficult the terrain is there, how hard it was to traverse that part of the land, and how we created a massive bridge in order to make that journey practical. I realized that the bridge is a symbol for the people of West Virginia and how hard we have to work to make our land usable, arable and functional,” he said. “We live in a rugged, unforgiving land. A land that George Washington surveyed and found virtually valueless. But we have made it our own, through ingenuity, design, and creativity. That was the story I was trying to tell.” Lester said that he has long since sold those original poster drawings, but he does still have the one for the quarter design.

Fayetteville artist Ginger Danz, whose submission was selected in 2011, created a collage out of pieces of her own paintings and pages of the Fayetteville phone book. “I’m inspired by the New River Gorge Bridge every time I drive over or walk under it. It is such an amazing structure,” she said. “I was thrilled when it was chosen because it was truly art from my heart, celebrating a place I love. The original is owned by a Fayette County family and hangs in their home.” 

The 40th-anniversary poster was created by Josh Adams of Digital Relativity. Adams’ was influenced by “classic cinematic posters that often played with breaking the frame.” 

“Illustrators would highlight one or two key scenes that stood out on their own and made the feature feel like a memorable event,” he said. “Value and textures in the poster reference the bridge's shape and character it has gained over the years, and the limited palette worked within the Bridge Day 40th Anniversary logo colors.” 

2024 - You? 

Bridge Day 2024 Poster Contest: sponsored by lost appalachia 

Would you like to join these other artists as the designer of a Bridge Day poster? Then, it’s time to get your entry ready for the 2024 Bridge Day Poster Contest! Here’s how it works: 

1. Entries must be submitted via email to info@officialbridgeday.com by midnight on July 31, 2024. 

   1. Please include your name as the artist, the name of the piece of art and your website and/or social media links. 

   2. All entries must be an 11” wide x 17” tall vertical orientation. (Best quality: 3300x5100 px; Lowest quality: 1375x2125)

      1. If chosen, the original artwork will be sent to the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce and the Bridge Day Commission.

   3. Artists may use any type of medium they wish.

   4. Each poster must have the wording “Bridge Day 2024,” “New River Gorge” and “West Virginia” (or “WV”) on it.

2. Once all entries are received, a panel will choose the top three submissions. Those posters will then be voted on by the public. Voting will take place between August 12-19. The winner will be announced on August 23rd, 2024.

Other important information:

• Bridge Day is a registered trademark therefore all poster entries become the property of the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce. The winning poster will be sold on Bridge Day and only 100 posters will be available for purchase.

• The winning artist will be provided a booth, free of charge, at Bridge Day to market and sell their other items, excluding the Bridge Day poster image. We request that the artist sign posters.

• Lost Appalachia Trading Company will be sponsoring a $250 cash prize to the winner of the poster contest

Questions? Call 304-465-5617 or email info@officialbridgeday.com. 

We look forward to seeing your entries!