2024 Poster Contest
First Place
First Place goes to Margarita Lu-McClure for their captivating design that embodies the festival’s theme! This winning design will be featured across our promotional materials and displayed at the upcoming festival.
Margarita Lu-McClure
I’m half Chinese (so only half good at math) and half Filipino (I don’t sing!), I was born and raised in the Philippines, and speak 3.5 languages. Knoxville’s become my home since 2001, where I’ve juggled raising 4 little ones and running businesses with my husband, with the most current one being Kooky Cookies. I’ve been highly creative for as long as I can remember existing and taught myself how to use Photoshop and Illustrator in my previous business where I designed fabrics for baby cloth diapers for 19 years. This is the first time I’m attending and participating in the Knoxville Asian Festival. To say I’m excited to create and share treats I’ve grown up with is a huge understatement. Being Asian, feeding people is my love language. So I look forward to meeting and feeding lots of you this September!
Second Place
Second Place goes to Thitinun Thuekhun for a unique interpretation of Asian culture and tradition!
Thitinun Thuekhun
Hello! My name is Thitinun, but you can call me ‘Kat’. I’m a Thai girl who loves Asian food and culture. I’ve lived in Knoxville for 2 years and have attended the 9th and 10th Knox Asian Festivals. I’m glad that this festival is held in my area because it reminds me of home and friends in Asian countries.
I designed this poster to represent the Asian culture that I love and to capture the vibe of the festival that I felt when I joined the last two times. It’s my first time entering a poster contest, and it is an honor to be a part of this significant festival in Knoxville.
Third Place
Third Place goes to Savannah Jackson for an imaginative and visually striking poster design!
Savannah Jackson
My name is Savannah Jackson and I’m an 8th grade student at Holston Middle School! Art has always been my passion and each year I’m thrilled to watch my talents improve and grow! This year I was voted the most artistic superlative at school. I currently have art on display until 2025 at Wonderworks in pigeon Forge and making its way to our public libraries as well! I’ve also won the Dogwood Arts Synergy award. I’m always looking for new ways to push my skills and get my art out into the world! Asian culture is one of my favorite ways to express my art and when I’m not drawing you can even find me crafting dragon hand puppets in my free time!
Judging Process
Our panel of judges consisted of experts in art, design, and culture, as well as community representatives. The judging process involved several key steps:
1. Review of Entries: Each submission was carefully evaluated to ensure it met the contest guidelines, including format, resolution, and adherence to the festival’s theme.
2. Criteria-Based Scoring: Judges scored each poster based on creativity, relevance to the theme, visual impact, technical quality, and adaptability for different promotional formats.
3. Panel Discussion: Judges convened to discuss the top-scoring entries, considering both objective scores and subjective feedback. The final decisions were made through group consensus.
4. Community Feedback was taken into account through the voting process.
Kory Flatford
I was born and raised in Knoxville, TN. From a young age, I was captivated by the arts and have pursued them throughout my life in any form I can. I spent the entirety of grade school in the Knox County school system and graduated a Halls High School Red Devil in 2016, when I had the honor of giving a graduation speech to my class. I went on to Pellissippi State Community College and acquired a certificate in graphic design and an Associates of Applied Sciences Degree in Communications Graphics Technology. Since then, I’ve spent the last 5 years as a professional graphic designer.
Shaylin Chi
My name is Shaylin, from China, a local restaurant owner who live in Knoxville for more than 15 years 🙂
Amaria Blevins
I’m 15 and from Scott county Tennessee I love Asian culture last year was my first year at the Knox Asian festival I have a new respect and understanding of the cultures and i will definitely be going every year from now on
Wesley Newport
Hello, I’m Wesley. I’m an American who loves Asian food. I attended the 10th Knox Asian Festival with my wife, who is an Asian woman. I didn’t know much about Asian culture before, but she showed me around, and I loved it. I hope you like my poster; it’s my first time creating one. Don’t forget to join us for the 11th Knox Asian Festival!
Jessica Yan
I’m Jessica Yan, a 5th grader from Farragut Intermediate School. I was born in Knoxville and I have always loved arts. I also enjoy making crafts, swimming, and snuggling with my dog. In my artwork, the 3 kids in the globe who are holding hands represent children from all over the world. Also, the “A” in the phrase Asian Festival has been designed to look like mountains, representing the Smoky Mountains. Finally, the 2024 has a dragon head and a dragon tail representing this is the year of the dragon.
Calby Ng
Heyo! I recently moved to the Knoxville area; and I’m having a great time so far. As for my experience, I’m self taught in photoshop. I use to be a photographer for a newspaper and currently I create Youtube content about credits cards and travel; which is where I’ve obtained most of my photoshop knowledge. My poster was inspired by Torii gates and Asian kitchen utensils.
Sierra Stanley
I am a 24 year old graphic designer, I graduated from ETSU in 2022 and I am currently working as a content creator for a local shop in Knoxville! I have been passionate about art from a very young age and it only grows with every year. In this poster I represent Knoxville in a comic style to show off our community and complement the black clothing on the ninja figure.
Tony Nguyen
Hey, I’m Tony, and I’m a Computer Science and Design Communications student at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. Ever since I was little, I loved drawing and creating art, and I found it to be my number one method of expressing myself even to this very day. Growing up, I had always wanted to be a video game designer and developer, but I never had to truly went through with learning programming properly until I entered college and took up Computer Science as my main major. Now that I’ve been able to really learn and experience what Computer Science has to offer, I can start doing what I’ve always wanted to do. I’m happy to have been able to take part in this contest, and I hope to use it as a way to continue growing as a person.
SUBHASIS CHAKRABORTY
Hello am self learning graphic designer who needs to go more to know about designing and am participating in competition like this which helps me to push my effort in art more and more also got motivation when successful, having experience of 1 + year in drawing and am also love to do wildlife saving work in future if got opportunity to do so.
Wilhelmina Hill-Bearhs
I’m Wil, a 29 year old Graphic Designer and Illustrator who graduated from Memphis College of Art in 2017, summa cum laude. I have a freelance illustration business in Knoxville, Tennessee, and a passion for Renaissance and Baroque period art, and modern comic illustrations. My piece is very Hokusai-inspired, but includes elements from other Asian cultures. I live in Knoxville with my husband and gaggle of pets.
