Agnes Wong's Poster Design Chosen as 80TH Royal's Commemorative Poster

Source :  Royal Winter Fair

2002 marks the 80th Anniversary of the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair and to celebrate, a Royal tradition was revived with a new twist. Students from the Ontario College of Art & Design (OCAD) competed to design the official poster for the 2002 Royal. The Royal is pleased to announce that third year OCAD student Agnes Wong’s poster design has been chosen to be the Commemorative Poster for the 2002 Royal.

“It was a hard decision to make as all the submissions were great,” states Don Rickard, President of The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair. “But in the end, we all agreed that Agnes Wong’s design best characterized the history and tradition of the Royal.”

The winning poster design was unveiled by the Honourable James K. Bartleman, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario and the Honourable Helen Johns, Minister of Agriculture and Food. The unveiling took place during the Festival of Ontario in honour of Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh at the National Trade Centre in Toronto on Wednesday, October 9th.

Born in Hong Kong, Agnes moved to Toronto 4 years ago. Currently in her third year at OCAD, she is interested in typography. Agnes will receive a $1,000 bursary and her winning poster will be sold during the 2002 Royal. A $500 bursary will also be awarded to Valerie Lion and Nicole Kagan, the second and third place winners respectively.

In the past, The Royal has worked with a variety of artists on a commission basis to create a poster that becomes a keepsake for that particular year. With this, the 80th Royal, it seemed fitting to introduce a program that not only celebrates the Anniversary but also demonstrates the Royal’s commitment to youth and education.

This year, twelve students from The Ontario College of Art & Design (OCAD) participated in the poster design competition. The students were given the following design criteria: the design was to reflect the variety of the Royal and was to incorporate the following elements: Equestrian sport, Agriculture (farm animals, field crops), and Dogs. The design had to convey the tradition and heritage associated with the 80th Anniversary of the Royal.

Celebrate the 80th Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, the world's largest indoor combined agricultural, horticultural, canine and equestrian event, for 10-days of country sights and sounds from November 8 to 17, 2002, National Trade Centre, Exhibition Place. A Canadian tradition since 1922, the Royal is a showcase of the very best in agriculture, horticulture and equestrian sport and a rare opportunity for urbanites to experience a taste of rural life.