Eastern Pennsylvania’s Artist Billboard Competition Returns to Showcase Works of Area Artists on Adams Billboards in 2020

‘The Creative Drive’ to Feature Seven Artists on Billboards for Entire Year

BETHLEHEM, PA—Eastern Pennsylvania’s popular artist billboard competition is evolving for its sixth year with a new name and a renewed focus on showcasing the region’s talented creative community. ‘The Creative Drive,’ inspired by the ArtPop competition, is a public art initiative that features the works of area artists on Adams Outdoor Advertising billboards for an entire year. Submissions for the 2020 program are now being accepted, with artists allowed to submit their works through Dec. 2.

Celebrating its inaugural year, The Creative Drive will continue the tradition of ArtPop as a public art initiative highlighting the work of area artists on Adams outdoor Advertising billboards located along major thoroughfares like U.S. Routes 22 and 309 and I-78. The program is made possible through a partnership between Adams Outdoor Advertising, Pocono Arts Council and ArtsQuest’s Banana Factory Arts Center, and is open to artists from suburban Philadelphia to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton region.

“Since its inception, the artist billboard competition has focused on highlighting the many benefits the arts have on our region,” says Adams Outdoor Advertising General Sales Manager Tony Cioffi. “Eastern Pennsylvania is home to so many talented artists who live, work and teach here, and we are thrilled to showcase just a handful of them through this program.

“Establishing the identity of ‘The Creative Drive’ reflects the essence of what fuels artists designers and all creatives, as well as reflects the positive effect these works of art have on the thousands of motorists who will pass by them every day.”

With the Creative Drive, artists are invited to submit works to be considered for one of seven Adams billboards throughout the region. Six artists, including one high school competition winner, will be selected by the official Creative Drive jurying committee, while the final winner, The People’s Choice Winner, will be chosen via a public vote. The 2020 Creative Drive competition is open to artists residing in Berks, Bucks, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Pike and Wayne counties in Pennsylvania.

The public vote for the People’s Choice winner will take place Dec. 9-15 at www.bananafactory.org/creativedrive. All winners will then be announced Jan. 13. In addition to having his or her work on an Adams billboard, the high school winner will also receive a $500 cash scholarship, as well as be eligible for a $2,500 Kutztown University scholarship if enrolling in a Kutztown University degree program.

Artists interested in participating in The Creative Drive should submit a digital image of their two- or three-dimensional work at www.bananafactory.org/creativedrive. Artists must provide their name, complete address, email address, title and mediums of the original work of art and a one-paragraph biography. Cost to enter the competition is $20 for adults and $10 for high school students; complete information on the dimensions and technical specifications are available on the website.

A free seminar on submitting your work for The Creative Drive will also take place Nov. 25, 6-9 p.m., at the Banana Factory Arts Center. Led by photographer Michael Barone, the hands-on demonstration will take place in the arts center’s Olympus Digital Imaging Center from 6:30-9 p.m.

The Creative Drive competition dates and deadlines are below; winners’ works will be installed on Adams billboards in late January:

Oct. 15: Submission process opens
Dec. 2: Deadline for artists to submit work
Dec. 9-15: Public vote for People’s Choice Winner
Jan. 13: The Creative Drive winners announced