Sweet Pea Festival of the Arts Announces 2023 Contest Winners

Sweet Pea Festival of the Arts is pleased to announce the 2023 winners of their annual poster, adult, and children's t-shirt design contest. 

The poster winner for 2023 is the mother and son duo Joyce Folgert and Jere Folgert. Joyce Folgert is a rare combination of scholar, watercolor artist, and respected teacher of adults and children. She has been honored with awards for her work in both the arts and teaching. Soon after earning her Doctorate Degree at Montana State University in Bozeman, she retired from teaching at Rocky Mountain College in Billings, MT. At 85 years old, she passionately enjoys teaching watercolor classes, gardening, writing children's books, and spending time with her eight grandchildren. 

Jere Folgert is a proud dad of identical twin boys, a garlic farmer, an army veteran, an award-winning wildlife filmmaker, and an award-winning GIS expert. Jere's education experience includes a Master of Science degree from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, and an undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His passion is spending time with his twin boys in nature, exploring and experiencing the wonders of the natural world. 

The adult t-shirt design winner is Andrea Oshinsky. Andrea said, "I have been a graphic designer professionally for the past eight years, after having studied it in college. I've had a passion for design since I first became interested in it in high school, and I feel fortunate that I get to do what I love every day. While I spend most of my time doing digital graphic design, recently I've enjoyed exploring other art forms, like block printing and pottery. My husband and I moved to Bozeman last year from Chicago. In my free time, I love hiking, reading, and going on walks through town."

The winner of the children's t-shirt design is Clara Michael. Clara said, "My name is Clara Michael. I am seven years old and I go to Whittier. My favorite subject in school is Writing. I have lived in Bozeman my whole life, and I have a very nice brother and parents. I love to do art with my friends, and I love to swim."

For more information, or to order this year's poster or t-shirts, please contact the Sweet Pea Festival office at 406-586-4003, or visit the Festival website at https://sweetpeafestival.org. Posters, postcards, and t-shirts will be available online beginning July 1, and at the Festival August 4-6. 

The Sweet Pea Festival is a three-day festival of the arts held in Bozeman, MT since 1978. Festival dates are always the first full weekend in August, with other events such as "Chalk on the Walk" starting off the festivities of Sweet Pea Week. The Festival includes everything from music, theatre, and dance, to children's activities, and Artist Marketplace, with artists from Bozeman and around the country, and adult painting workshops. The Sweet Pea Festival is committed to its mission statement of "Promoting and cultivating the arts."

Hundreds of volunteers run and organize this annual event, a testament to the community's desire for its ongoing success. All monies raised above what is needed to operate the festival are given back to the community in the form of grants for the arts, art education, and special projects in the Bozeman area.