Deadline: Entries must be postmarked by June 12, 2009
The Johnny Cash Flower Pickin’ Festival “pardon committee” requests submissions for the 2009 poster design competition. Designs will be judged by a panel of artists and professionals. The poster will be distributed locally and regionally to promote the festival, and may be used for the design for festival T-shirts.

Artwork should include the following:

• A reference to Johnny Cash and Starkville, Mississippi
• Festival dates: October 16-18, 2009
• Pardonjohnnycash.com

The artist of the winning design will receive $300 and three posters signed by the event’s headliners. All submissions become property of the Johnny Cash Flower Pickin’ Festival. Multiple submissions are allowed.

Submission requirements:

• Submit a hard copy of artwork sized proportional 16” x 20”. Artwork should be full-color and in any medium.
• Submit a PDF of the artwork on a CD marked with the applicant’s name.
• Include contact information including an e-mail address, mailing address and phone number.
• Entry fee: Student fee: $5 per entry (must include a photocopy of current student ID to be accepted). Professional fee: $20 per entry.

You can view previous winning entries at the festival shop located at pardonjohnnycash.com.

Submission packet contents should be properly packaged and shipped to:
Johnny Cash Flower Pickin’ Festival
Poster Competition
PO Box 6284
Mississippi State, MS 39762

For more information, contact Robbie Ward at pardonjohnnycash@gmail.com.

Take a look at  a  newspaper article  published on the first  anniversary of Johnny Cash’s death in 2004. This piece planned seeds  for  Starkville to create the Johnny Cash Flower Pickin’ Festival.

When Robbie Ward,  executive director for the festival, interviewed “Smokey” about  having  a pair of Johnny Cash’s shoes, the longtime  Starkville resident said  he loved  Cash  and his music. He then  played a  record of Cash singing “Folsom Prison Blues. ”

Click on the article below to read the story.

Festival photographer and www.starkvilleeats.com producer Troy DeRego photographed the festival in 2007 and 2008. Click the following link to revisit our experiences at downtown Starkville and Mississippi State University’s campus:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/troyderego/collections/72157602944241843/

New York Times columnist Dan Barry and photojournalist Angel Franco visited Starkville for the 2008 festival and produced a thorough account of the weekend’s events and history behind everything.

Read Dan’s story here:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/20/us/20land.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=robbie%20ward%20&st=cse

View Angel’s photos here:  

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/10/20/us/20081020LAND_index.html