FVCC Student Wins Northwest Montana Fair Contest

Claire Nelson always had an interest in visual arts.  She took private art lessons throughout high school and even took European art classes.  Four years ago, she began dabbling in graphic design, and after she moved to the Flathead Valley from St. George, Utah, one year ago, she got a job at X-treme Graphics in Kalispell.  When FVCC launched its Graphic Arts Certificate of Applied Science program last fall, she decided to enroll.  But little did she know her fate would take a turn from art student to award-winning entrepreneur at the age of 19.
 
While enrolled in a digital portfolio class at FVCC this spring, her instructor Dawn Rauscher had assigned a project involving students entering their art work into various contests.  Nelson submitted a design in the 2008 Northwest Montana Fair art contest, and her design was selected as the winning entry out of approximately 20 submissions from her fellow classmates, Flathead High School students, professional graphic artists and grade school children.  Her design, composed of a pink pig and silhouettes of a cowboy, Ferris wheel and fair tents, represents the theme of this year’s fair, “A Squealin’ Good Time,” which reflects the fair’s newly added pig wrestling event.
 
Nelson’s award-winning design will be featured on ticket buyer brochures, six area billboards, 3,000 posters, the cover of 5,000 premium books as well as other promotional fair materials. It will also advance to a national competition, where it will compete with other award-winning fair poster designs from across the country for a national award.  In addition, Nelson won a family fun pack of four season event passes to the fair, providing her entry to the grounds and all events including concerts, the PRCA Rodeo and the Demolition Derby, valuing over $400.
 
According to Nelson, she was “blown out of the water,” when she learned of her winning entry.
 
“This has been a great experience for me,” she said.  “Working with the fair officials, the printers and the sponsors has helped me to learn the business side of it.”
 
Nelson attributes her experience with the fair to inspiring her to start her own freelance business that she named after herself, “Claire Elizabeth Nelson.”
 
“I was definitely surprised by how fast this has been moving along,” she said.  “It all started with the fair contest, and now all of these other doors have opened for me.”
 
The doors she is referring to are her new business and the clients she has lined up, including fair concert sponsor Kalispell Toyota.
 
As for her future plans, Nelson hopes to expand her clientele this summer and continue working on her Web site, www.clairesgraphics.com. She is exploring transferring to Montana State University and enrolling in the graphic design program.  In the long-term, she hopes to work as a graphic designer in the advertising industry, designing movie promotional posters and magazine advertisements.
 
“This career choice is nice because even if I relocate out of the Valley, I can still work for my clients,” she said.  “I know this is what I want to do.  I couldn’t imagine doing anything else.”