by Hanna Singh
A talented local artist has designed the poster for the 75th Annual Louisiana Peach Festival. Incorporating different aspects of the beloved festival and the culture of Ruston, Erik Martinez Rodriguez created a design that perfectly represents the Peach Festival’s Diamond Jubilee.
Rodriguez, who studied graphic design at Louisiana Tech University, developed a passion for creating visual art that captures the essence of his hometown. This is the second time his artwork has been chosen for the festival’s official poster. After earning his bachelor’s degree, he decided to stay in Ruston to pursue a master’s in business administration. He now works at Rapid Signs in Ruston, where he puts his graphic design skills to use, though he enjoys working on personal projects outside of his job.
Rodriguez described why he decided to enter the poster contest in the first place.
“I’ve always kind of liked contests like these because they give me full creative control in a way’s Rodrigues said. “It’s a nice break from where at work everything is given to me, to fulfill graphic needs for others. It gives me a chance to express myself in my own artistic style.”
Rodriguez’s poster was selected to represent the festival by a selection committee that judged each poster and carefully chose a winner. The artists’ names were taken off of the submissions and the designs were judged based on creativity, originality, and theme reflection.
For this year’s poster, Rodriguez wanted to incorporate elements of both Ruston and the Peach Festival while emphasizing the “Diamond Jubilee” theme. To give it a regal look, he designed it to resemble a combination of an old-fashioned whiskey bottle label and a vintage postcard. He included peaches and peach blossoms without making the poster overly orange and added a sparkling shine as a nod to the Diamond Jubilee. The design was created using a combination of Procreate, Adobe Illustrator, and Photoshop.
Ruston Convention and Visitor Bureau Director of Marketing and Communication, Tori Davis, described what made the poster a great representation of the Peach festival.
“It was a perfect blend of tradition and history with the old stamp style, the font choices, and the peach and peach blossoms worked into the design. But it also showcased this year’s theme of “diamond jubilee” with the cool holographic effect he added over the design,” Davis said. “Personally, I love that this design is different from posters of the past. Peach Fest posters are usually really colorful and I think this one’s more monochromatic look really sets it apart for the 75th anniversary poster.”
The Louisiana Peach Festival, a time-honored tradition in Ruston and Lincoln Parish, features live music, food vendors, arts and crafts booths, a car show, a peach hunt, and more. Each year, members of the community have the opportunity to design the festival’s official poster and showcase their creativity.
Rodriguez reflected on what the festival and Ruston mean to him.
“Having lived here in Ruston for so long, it has always been the place I called home. Seeing something that brings so much joy to people and brings people together is so great,” Rodriguez said. “I have volunteered a couple of times at the festival and seeing how much work goes into it really makes me appreciate it. Ruston needs the peach festival, because it gives us so much to celebrate and enjoy.”
The 75th Annual Louisiana Peach Festival will be on Saturday, June 7. More information can be found at rustonlincoln.com
