Penfield Poster 2024 winners announced

Continuing a long-standing collaboration between advertising agency Cramer-Krasselt and the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD), juniors in Illustration IV designed posters for the Annual Croquet Ball fundraiser at the Penfield Children’s Center.

The 2024 winners of the poster design contest are Riley Peters ’25 in first place, Kai Kilgore ’25 in second place and Bucky Blackburn ’25 in third place. All three winners will receive a cash prize, which will be presented at an awards ceremony on May 2.

The Penfield Children’s Center is a Milwaukee non-profit organization dedicated to early childhood development, especially for children with developmental delays or disabilities. Attendees of the Annual Croquet Ball fundraiser for the Penfield Children’s Center will have the opportunity to purchase the winning designs during the auction.

“I was surprised to be selected for the Penfield contest,” said Peters. “There were so many great designs this year. I loved seeing the different directions my classmates went in.”

“There was a lot of trial and error with my design process,” explains Blackburn. “I had originally planned on doing a celestial theme, but once we had our critique with the client, I leaned fully into an art nouveau-inspired style.”

Kilgore says, “I really admire the story and community surrounding these posters, and I’m glad MIAD is able to be a part of it … [T]here was a very positive energy among the students during the creation of these posters, and I think a big part of that comes from the importance that our own work plays in supporting a good cause.”

During the course of the semester, juniors in MIAD’s Illustration IV course create two poster design concepts during the semester, which the creative team at Cramer-Krasselt review and critique. With the help of individual feedback from these professional creatives, students refine their concepts and submit one final poster design for the competition. Winners are selected by Cramer-Krasselt.

“The process felt very collaborative because of the feedback received throughout the process from our professors, peers and Cramer-Krasselt,” continues Peters. “It was fun to work on something that represents a children’s charity but is for an adult audience. Finding the balance between children’s imagination and adult sophistication was challenging.”

Learn more about MIAD’s Illustration major!