The Downtown Bozeman Association Presents -
The 43rd Annual Christmas Stroll Poster Contest Winner!
The Christmas Stroll has been one of the longest-standing Bozeman community traditions! For the second year in a row, the Downtown Bozeman Association put out a “Call for Art” for the official Christmas Stroll Poster design. In addition to the notoriety of having their artwork featured, a $200 cash prize will be issued to the winning artist!
This year brought a whole array of festive and wonderfully creative designs! The winning poster stood out with its retro take on a Christmas in Bozeman.
Meet the 43rd Annual Christmas Stroll Poster Contest Winner, Sam Fry!
“My name is Sam Fry, I am 22 years old, and I have spent every one of them here in the great state of Montana. I have lived most of my life just over the hill in Livingston. I grew up on the Yellowstone, going to elementary school in Paradise Valley and eventually graduating from Park High, in town.
Winter has been my favorite season for my whole life, hopping on my first set of skis practically as soon as I could walk. As far as I am concerned, Bridger Bowl has been the place to be every year since, eventually earning me the title of “Certified Bridger Rat” by a Certified Bridger Rat.
In the fall of 2019, I moved to Bozeman to attend Montana State University for Architecture. After my first semester I realized, like many do, that it wasn’t for me. From there, my advisor mentioned the graphic design program, and that is where I found my true passion.
I don’t think it would be fair to take all the credit for this poster, I have to give a massive thank you to all of my peers and instructors at MSU who have helped me to learn and improve over the last few years.
As for designing this poster, I felt it was only right to pay homage to one of the many things that make Montana great. I am, of course, talking about rodeos. Montana has been the dream of many cowboys in the past, and in recent years the popularity of rodeos has exploded in the greater Bozeman area. I thought it would be cool to reference sort of a vintage rodeo poster look, while also tying in some iconic Christmas flair. All things considered, I think the two elements blended nicely into a nice harmony of bold and eye-catching but also warm and cozy. Most importantly though, I just think that the idea of a cowboy Santa Clause riding a Rudolph the bucking reindeer is just so cool.”
Check out more of Sam’s work on Instagram @sfry.design!
The winning design showcases a Bozeman Christmas through a vintage, old west lens mixed with a town staple, the Baxter Hotel. We call it, “Yee-ho-ho-ho”.
The 2023 Christmas Stroll poster design by Fry will adorn all businesses in Downtown Bozeman and will be featured on all event collateral @DowntownBozeman and www.downtownbozeman.org.