MBJ Airports to host International Reggae Poster Contest awards and exhibition
Sangster International Airport operator MBJ Airports is pleased to announce it will host an awards ceremony and exhibition for the annual International Reggae Poster Contest on 17 November 2017.
The exhibition will feature the top 100 posters from the fifth annual contest, selected from among 1,270 entries submitted by 748 graphic designers representing 75 nations. The winning submissions can be seen on the competition’s website, www.reggaepostercontest.com.
The first place winner, Russian national Julia Egorova, has won a trip to Jamaica sponsored by MBJ Airports and the Spanish Court Hotel to participate in the awards ceremony and spend a week exploring the island’s culture. Second place went to Cortney Benvenuto of the US, and third place to Simona Galizia, of Italy. Posters created by two Jamaican graphic designers, Andre Hutchinson and Phillip Taylor, were also selected for the exhibition.
The International Reggae Poster Contest invites sponsors to join MBJ Airports in supporting the awards ceremony and exhibition. The International Reggae Poster Contest will be held alongside a ceremony awarding winners of an artisan’s competition, whose crafts will be made available for sale in partnering retail outlets at the airport.
The brainchild of late Jamaican graphic designer Michael “Freestylee” Thompson, the International Reggae Poster Contest was launched in 2012 in collaboration with Greek graphic designer Maria Papaefstathiou. Jamaican cultural critic and retired University of the West Indies Professor Carolyn Cooper is an advisor and board member of the organization behind the competition. Exhibitions have been held across the world at Jamaican embassies, reggae festivals, in galleries, museums and universities. This is the first year the exhibition will be hosted by an airport.
As its primary objective, the contest engages reggae fans from across the globe by providing a platform for artistic expression that celebrates the universal appeal of and respect for Jamaican music. The outpouring of artistic talent in turn heightens Jamaica’s musical presence internationally, supporting the founders’ vision for a world class Reggae Hall of Fame in Kingston.
Secondly, the contest aims to raise awareness and funding through the sale of posters for the Alpha Boys’ School, a non-profit institute that provides vocational training and general education for 150 teens and young men from inner city communities. Alpha Boys’ School has nurtured several notable icons of Jamaican music and continues to make an important social and cultural contribution.
Notwithstanding its name, the Poster Contest welcomes submissions that celebrate all genres of Jamaican music, from mento to ska, rocksteady and dancehall. Two jury panels are comprised of 24 judges each, hailing from Jamaica, Canada, Greece, the US, Mexico, Cuba, Ghana, China, Japan, Bolivia, Italy, Israel and the UK.
About MBJ Airports:
MBJ Airports Limited, operator of Sangster International Airport, is a partnership between Mexico-based Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico (GAP) and Canada-based Vantage Airport Group Ltd. through a 30-year concession agreement with the Government of Jamaica that began in 2003. For more information about MBJ Airports, please visit www.mbjairport.com
Media Inquiries:
Catherine Carter, Corporate Coordinator
T: +1876 601 1102 | E: ccarter@mbjairport.com
The below winning poster images are available for download sized 15x20cm at 300dpi in CMYK at the following link: https://itsjustme.wetransfer.com/downloads/e3e3c5c6c3c79f10bedd05ce5f7ff79320170605162658/4f6414b1605f1bf222452de437ffd36120170605162658/dca2a8
