Artists sought for annual Harvest Dinner label

In the past, Yuma's produce was packed and shipped in wooden crates decorated with colorful labels identifying the brands as a marketing promotion.

Cardboard boxes have replaced the wooden crates, and those old labels have become historical pieces of art prized by collectors.

As the community celebrates its agriculture industry, the label has been brought back as new works of art to signify the role of farming in the area as celebrated during the Harvest Dinner.

For the second year, artists are being sought to enter the Harvest Dinner label art contest. The grand prize is $250 and recognition at the Harvest Dinner as well as two tickets to the event, a $200 value.

Entries are due Jan. 11.

The Harvest Dinner, put on in March by the Yuma Visitors Bureau, is a special event that celebrates the local agricultural industry as well as Yuma's many partnerships with other agriculture communities.

The event is a culmination of the Southwest Agriculture Summit, an agriculture industry show, and the kickoff of Yuma Lettuce Days, which attracts thousands each year.

The Harvest Dinner supports the Yuma County Ag Producers Scholarship Fund. Chefs create a “homegrown” approach with the menu consisting of fresh ingredients grown and/or raised in the desert Southwest.

This year's theme is the connection of the Colorado River and Yuma-area agriculture. Contest entries should carry out that theme, be a maximum size of 16 by 20 inches and be the original artwork in a frame.

By entering the art contest, artists are giving YVB the rights to reproduce the artwork for sale and other promotional purposes and waive the right to claim royalties or commissions from the sale or use.

The winning original artwork will be auctioned at the Harvest Dinner on March 7.

For more information, contact Kristan Sheppeard at 246-9108 or Kristan@limelightcreativegroup.com.

Gina Barrantes was the winner of the inaugural contest for the 2012 Harvest Dinner.

Joyce Lobeck can be reached at jlobeck@yumasun.com or 539-6853. Find her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/YSJoyceLobeck or on Twitter at @YSJoyceLobeck.