And The Winner Is…

Makayla Counselman!!!!!

This is a very proud moment for Project Create. After 1 month, 3 rounds, 19 submissions, and nearly 500 votes, we have finally found our official logo. AND IT IS PERFECT!!!!!!!!!!

To be honest, I lost a lot of sleep over choosing between the top two. Both were incredibly on point and completely unique. Actually, many of the designs were incredible and everyone who participated deserves a round of applause and our admiration for being so creative!!!

Unfortunately, however, Project Create can only have one logo. The decision was made based on the total number of votes for the top 2 designs (which were less than 15 apart) and bearing in mind the audience Project Create is targeting. Makayla’s design was exactly what Project Create had in mind (except we needed someone amazing like Makayla to tell us what is was that we actually had in mind…). It has the perfect combination of creativity and professionalism, and most importantly, it is approachable by all ages. Honestly, the design is better than anything I had imagined when I started this contest. Even Dolly Parton would love this design!

We not only want you to see her work but know who she is as an artist. Here is a brief bio about our winner:

Makayla M. Counselman is a visual artist and advocate for the arts. Art has always been an innate part of her being and an integral aspect of her life. Although she studied studio art and art history in college, she is self-taught in the field of graphic design. Her prior art works have been shown in shows across the United States, and her design work has been sought out by individuals and organizations from a variety of fields.

In January of 2010, Makayla moved from Madison, Wisconsin to New Orleans to work with a nonprofit organization. Because of her background in art and eye for design, she soon became the organization’s in-house designer, in addition to the original job duties. Her design work caught the eye of other organizations, and Makayla promptly began doing freelance design work around the city.

Makayla stumbled across Project Create’s logo competition with less than a week to complete a piece to submit to the contest. The image of a brush stroke was the first idea that came to her mind. This design was the third and final variation on the original brush stroke idea. The brush strokes and the paintbrush are hand illustrated.

Makayla continues to pursue her passion in the arts through seizing every opportunity presented. She is incredibly honored to have her work represent Project Create, and hopes that other artists will be as eager to seek ways to enhance their skills and to create artwork with true dedication, as she continues to be.

Please join me in congratulating Makayla, and let us know what you think of our design in the comments section. Also, stay tuned to find out what other activities Project Create has been up to lately, including taking huge steps towards forming a fiscal sponsorship!!! (In case you haven’t noticed, Project Create loves exclamation points and Dolly Parton)