Apple River Fort looking for the artist in you

ELIZABETH, IL - The Apple River Fort Historic Foundation wants to bring out the artist in you with contests to design a new tourism logo and a wine label.

The "Best of Jo Daviess County" Logo Design Contest is a new marketing initiative which will gather and promote great guest experiences in Jo Daviess County, while the wine label design contest will create a new look for the Massbach Ridge Winery's "Elizabeth" wine.

"We believe the best of everything can be found right here in Jo Daviess County," said Apple River Fort Historic Foundation Board President Skip Schwerdtfeger. "We want our visitors to share their great experiences. We all know that ‘word of mouth' is the most successful marketing tool. Now, with online access, the opinions of other travelers have gained even greater influence on those researching their vacations."

All interested persons are invited to submit a "Best of Jo Daviess County" logo design by June 1, 2008. The winning logo will appear on the Best of Jo Daviess County website, and in printed materials sponsored by the Apple River Fort Foundation. Credit will be given to the winning artist on all materials and a direct link to the artist's website will be featured on www.bestofjodaviesscounty.org. Winners will also receive a $50 award. Entries should print ready or camera ready color original or digital art, and all artwork will be returned.

The label design contest is intended to grace a new white wine that honors several of Jo Daviess County's pioneering women. More than 175 years ago a handful of fearless women were critical in the successful defense of a tiny fort against a formidable warrior by the name of Black Hawk. Three of these women were named Elizabeth, and the town by that name is now home to Apple River Fort State Historic Site. Massbach Ridge Winery introduced the "Elizabeth" white wine last spring, with a portion of the sale proceeds donated to the Foundation for educational programming at the restored Apple River Fort. Massbach and the Foundation need a label that captures the essence of these pioneering women who forged a new frontier in Jo Daviess County.

Interested persons are invited to submit a wine label design by June 1, 2008. The color entries should be a proportional size - the label is 4 by 5 inches, so the art should be 8 by 10 or 12 by 15 inches, for instance. All media, from watercolor to computer illustration to photography, may be submitted. Print ready or camera ready art, either original or digital, may be submitted, and the artwork will be returned. The winning label and the artist's contact information will grace hundreds of bottles of Elizabeth wine and the artist will be featured on www.appleriverfort.org. with a direct link to the artist's website. Winners will also receive a $100 award.

Designs for both contests can be mailed to Apple River Fort Historic Foundation, P.O. Box 206, 311 E. Myrtle, Elizabeth, IL 61028. They can also be emailed to info@appleriverfort.org. For more information, contact Susan Gordy at (815) 858-2028.

The Apple River Fort State Historic Site, administered by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, is a reconstruction of the 1830s civilian fort that was the site of a battle between Black Hawk's Sauk warriors and Apple River settlers during the Black Hawk War. It is located along U.S. Route 20 in Elizabeth, Illinois, and is open Wednesday through Sunday for free public tours.