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NIC student’s poster design chosen to represent The Festival at Sandpoint

North Idaho College sophomore Gracie Duncan, a Timberlake High graduate, stands in front of her winning poster design for The Festival at Sandpoint. Her design will be featured on festival lineup posters, in advertisements, on a Toyota Tacoma wrap that will showcase the festival, the festival’s website and other marketing materials.

Gracie Duncan’s poster entry for The Festival at Sandpoint sailed to the top.

The North Idaho College sophomore’s “Alpenglow Sailing” featuring a sailboat gliding across Lake Pend Oreille during a postcard-perfect summer sunset with a mountain backdrop was chosen as the event’s 2025 Series Lineup Poster.

“The festival is a cool community event, so I was really excited when I won,” said Duncan, who is the latest student in NIC’s award-winning graphic design program to win the contest.

“Sailboats often get overlooked on the lake, and I wanted to do something different that hasn’t been done.”

Duncan won a $1,000 scholarship. Her design will be featured on lineup posters, in advertisements, on a Toyota Tacoma wrap that will showcase the festival, the festival’s website and other marketing materials. The truck will be parked at the front gate of the Summer Series at each performance and other places over the summer.

“Our selection panel was impressed by Gracie’s art piece’s use of color, artistic skill and originality,” said Cienna Roget, the festival’s marketing and communications manager.

Duncan, who graduated from Timberlake High School, spends time around Sandpoint during the summer enjoying hiking and boating, so having her creativity on display for the festival is especially rewarding.

“What I love about Sandpoint is that it’s an artsy town where both lumberjacks and hippies get along,” Duncan said.

NIC Associate Professor Philippe Valle said the uniqueness of Duncan’s design stood out.

“Research really matters because you want to make sure you don’t replicate what’s been done,” he said, adding that the contest is among the ways the program prepares students for careers.

Duncan said she chose graphic design as her major due to its flexibility.

“I like how graphic design is a large umbrella with many niches to go into,” she said. “I originally was interested in animation – more of an enthusiast than anything – but I loved all of the creative work that goes into graphic design and wanted a similar experience.”

The festival’s poster tradition dates back to the start of the organization in 1983. The contest is open to all ages, mediums and skill levels.

Sandpoint’s Perky Smith-Hagadone was named the 2025 Fine Arts Poster Contest winner with her “Wild Cantata” entry.

The Festival at Sandpoint, a nonprofit that strives to be a community catalyst for arts, culture and education, will hold its 2025 Summer Concert Series July 24 through Aug. 3. For more information, visit festivalatsandpoint.com/2025.