2022OfficialPoster&Artist

2022 Official Poster Artist

Each year a committee of community volunteers selects a local artist to create an official poster for the Tulip Festival. While there are other tulip celebrations in the country, the selection of a poster artist is unique to the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. e artist is announced in November at the official poster unveiling celebration at Skagit Acres. Sponsored by Heritage Bank, the event is the first opportunity to see the new poster and products for the upcoming Tulip Festival. Local artists submit their applications and the featured artist is free to choose their medium and style so they can bring their vision of the Skagit Tulip Festival to life.

Congratulations to this year’s poster artist: Jack Gunter of Camano Island! Jack Gunter is a prominent Pacific Northwest writer, artist, and antique dealer specializing in twentieth century decorative arts. His experience as a science teacher led him to write and illustrate his first book, “ e Gunter Papers.” Searching for a more creative teaching environment, Jack ran the vocational education program in a little alternative school in central Massachusetts where he discovered that many of his students wanted to learn to paint. Not a trained painter, he taught himself to paint so he could teach the kids and discovered that he had a talent for painting in the process.

Gunter exhibited his large format works in several New England museums and was included in an Andrew Wyeth and Family show at the Sharon, N.H. Art Center in 1979. After a studio fire took all his paintings, Jack relocated to Washington State and settled on Camano Island. He has since painted over one thousand additional paintings, created three movies as a SAG indie filmmaker, and written six books.

For his Tulip Festival painting, Jack was inspired to catch the joy of the celebration using an ancient technique called egg tempera – his signature technique. Said Jack, “I’ve always hoped to get a chance to be one of the Tulip Festival artists. Being selected is one of highlights of my 40-year career as a working fine artist. I’ve lived at the edge of Skagit Valley since 1984. My sweetie and her family are lifelong valley residents and are thrilled that I was chosen.” Learn more about Jack on his website: https://jackgunterart.com/ Meet the artist:

Kevin Hartman of Westar Solutions worked with Gunter to transform his painting into the Tulip Festival poster. Hartman will also be designing official apparel and many other products using the poster art.

Purchase your festival poster online and pick it up at the Tulip Festival Office at 311 W Kincaid St., Mount Vernon. Jack will be available to sign your poster during special guest appearances at the office on April 13 and 27 between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m.

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