Officials have tallied the votes, judges have made their decision, and the powers-that-be have unveiled the 2020 Cooper River Bridge Run poster. It’s a good choice. Hopefully you got in on the public voting, as I covered in this blog, and had a hand in the selection. There was a solid group to choose from this year. Race officials announced the winner yesterday, and it happens to have a pretty cool backstory to boot.
Here’s the official scoop on the Bridge Run poster by organizers:
Joe Wilhite is a graphic designer and currently employed at Nelson Printing, located in Charleston, SC. He was born in Sarasota, Florida and moved to the Lowcountry after serving in the United States Marines. Joe was medically discharged in 2005. In 2015, the Veterans Affairs Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Department gave him the opportunity to go back to school. He attended and graduated from the Art Institute of Charleston in 2018, with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Graphic Design. Joe currently lives in Goose Creek with his two-year-old Rottweiler, “Babygirl”. He is currently pursuing his Master’s degree online. When he completes his graduate studies, Joe aspires to be a part time teacher motivating others to follow their dreams. This will allow him to stay current in the field while also passing along knowledge, skills and passion to others.
Joe’s artwork has become well-known in the Lowcountry for being chosen as the winning artist for the James Island Connector Run design in 2017. He then went on to design the “Solar Eclipse” for Darkness to Light in 2017, “Lip Sync for Lungs” for the American Lung Association in 2018, and the designs for “Isle of Palms Marina Festival” and the 2019 “James Island Connector Run”.
For more of Joe’s work visit Designsbyjoe.myportfolio.com
Here is the artist Joe Wilhite’s explanation of his poster design:
To build my composition, I began with a collage of photos that I edited using only the lines of the bridge as guides. I then digitally hand painted the canvas using watercolor brushes. The rising sun just over the horizon was intended to represent the luminous morning of the race. The sky filled with cotton candy-like clouds brighten the canvas with shades of yellow and orange. The bright white which highlights the bridge, almost appears to come off the canvas. As your eyes move forward, the bridge begins to fade off into the distance. You notice the Cooper River surrounding the Ravenel Bridge with unblended tones of blue, lavender, orange and yellow. The sharp fluidity skips off the brush mimicking the lapping surface of the river. I executed each dab and stroke with a specific purpose and in a distinct way.
This will be the 43rd running of the race. Watch the story from Live 5 News.
Sign up ASAP for the Bridge Run
Now’s a good time to sign up for the Bridge Run, scheduled for April 4, 2020. The longer you wait, the higher the entrance fee. From August 1st through September 30th, registration costs $45. The fee will continue to rise in $5 increments as follows:
- October 1st through November 30th: $50
- December 1st through January 31st: $55
- February 1st until sell out: $60
Read more from ABC News 4.... or, you can go straight to the Bridge Run’s official website and register there. It’s also not too early to book a luxury house on Isle of Palms for the Bridge Run. After all, it’s one of the busiest weekends of the year. Be sure to call EP as soon as you can to snag the perfect one. All best, Lowcountry Lisa your Isle of Palms vacation blogger
Photo credit: WCSC