‘Inspire Vallejo’ prioritizes young designers – Times Herald Online

The Solano County Fairgrounds billboard will soon feature a design that has nothing to do with advertising.

Vallejo’s digital advertising space is dedicated to showcasing the winning design of the 2024 Inspire Vallejo Design Competition. Presented by Miles McNeal & Powell LLC, this youth-focused competition is open exclusively to Vallejo and Benicia residents ages 16-24.

Beginning July 7, participants are encouraged to submit unique and original Vallejo-centric graphic designs configured in three ways: social media, t-shirt graphics and digital billboard.

Seven finalists will be highlighted to showcase their designs at the October 26 presentation, with three finalists receiving prizes worth $18,000. The winning billboard is expected to debut in December.

The Vallejo portion of the competition echoes the success of the original San Francisco Bay Area campaign, the Inspire Oakland Design Challenge, now in its 15th year. For BRIDGEGOOD co-founder and executive director Shaun Tai, expanding the showcase to Vallejo was always on his mind, even if it wasn’t yet achievable.

“Vallejo is one of the cities that I’ve always thought of as very similar to Oakland, in that they have the most creativity but it’s rarely amplified,” Tai said.

In 2009, the serial entrepreneur came up with the idea of ​​organizing a youth-focused design exhibition to bridge the gap between diversity and technology. In addition to this exhibition, BRIDGEGOOD prides itself on its ongoing support and mentorship throughout the year, which takes place in its Oakland studio.

It’s this access to resources that, over time, will help them get jobs in tech, Tai said.

“One of the biggest challenges in tech is finding talent that is sorely lacking,” Tai said. “I want to see young creators, whoever ends up winning, have a career. I want to see them succeed more than I did.”

This free competition provides a platform for local talent to showcase their visions of inclusion and creativity, celebrate and contribute to their community, and inspire Bay Area residents and the arts community.

“Inspire Vallejo is more than a competition; it is a movement to empower our youth and uplift our community through the transformative power of art,” said R. Shay Miles, president of Miles McNeal & Powell LLC and a Vallejo native, in a press release. “We, along with our sponsors, believe in the potential of our young artists to inspire positive change and celebrate the beauty and diversity of Vallejo.”

In addition to BRIDGEGOOD, the Vallejo Inspire Design Challenge receives sponsorship from the City of Vallejo, the Hewlett Foundation, the Center for Cultural Innovation, Three Palms Group, the Vallejo Arts Fund and House of Acts.

Applications will open on July 7 and will remain open through September 7. The Inspire Vallejo Design Challenge Showcase will take place on October 26, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., in Vallejo, at the USA World Classics Event Center. To enter the competition and for more details, please visit: inspirevallejo.art

“I love hearing about the great work happening in Vallejo and, more importantly, partnering with them to help make a difference for the community,” Buck Kamphausen, owner of USA World Classics Event Center, said in a press release. “The Inspire Vallejo Design Challenge Showcase is a perfect fit with our vision of supporting local talent and fostering community growth.”

Esteemed Showcase judges include:

• Shaun Tai, Co-Founder and Executive Director of BRIDGEGOOD
• Jay King, music producer, radio host and president of the California Black Chamber of Commerce
• Sydney Allen, Miss Vallejo/Miss Tri-City
• Supervisor-elect Cassandra James, District 1, Solano County Board of Supervisors
• Vallejo Commission on Culture and the Arts Vice Chair Kat Cook
• Vice Chair, Commissioner Sheila Tennyson, Vallejo Beautification Commission
• Jameelah Hanif, Black Joy Parade icon and Founder and Chief Impact Officer of Watch Me Grow, Inc.
• Celeste Smeland, Executive Director of Arts Benicia
• And many other distinguished community leaders.