Lewiston – Like a rock concert for tomorrow’s jukebox hero, this year’s Idaho Lottery Collegiate Scratch Ticket Design Contest winning entry from Lewis-Clark State College definitely has stars in his eyes. Trevor Nesbitt, a junior Graphic Arts and Printing Technology student at LCSC was the state’s top winner with his legends of rock-n-roll inspired design of “Amped on Cash”: the scratch ticket that jams.
“I wanted to create something unique, but followed in the trends of recent video games like Guitar Hero and Rock Star,” explained Nesbitt, a life-long resident of Lewiston who plays both electric and acoustic guitars as a hobby. “I blended my two loves: graphic arts and playing the guitar, to create my lottery design.”
Nesbitt’s custom illustration of a guitar player hooked up to an amplifier was drawn by hand and is a design he created with emotion. “It will blow you away,” described Nesbitt. “The ticket has some energy, the guy is playing solo, his eyes closed. He’s feelin’ it.”
The top prize for winning the 2008 design contest is a $1,000 scholarship which Nesbitt says he’ll put to good use starting his own design firm in the Lewiston area.
“This design contest is one more way the Idaho Lottery furthers their mission of benefiting public schools,” said Sherie Moody-St. Clair, the Lottery’s Advertising Manager. “It’s a great opportunity for collegiate graphic design students to utilize their education skills in a real-life, work scenario while adding to their creative portfolio.”
In addition to Nesbitt, the other top northern Idaho winner was Katie Anderson from the University of Idaho with her design “Fishin’ for Fortune” that won her a $500 second prize scholarship. “I know a lot of people who enjoying fishing and the outdoors in Idaho and I wanted to create a design they could relate to,” stated Anderson.
The third place winner, Kitty Weber from Idaho State University in Pocatello, won $200 for her film noir style ticket Coin Caper. Almost taken from the pages of a Marvel Comic, Coin Caper draws the player into a storyline to find a museum’s priceless coin collection that has been stolen and hidden somewhere in the city. “I had just gotten done watching The Shadow and I wanted to do a design in that genre.” elaborated Weber on the inspiration for her unique style of ticket.
This year’s contest saw 49 students submit a total of 61 entries from Idaho State University, the University of Idaho, Lewis-Clark State College, College of Southern Idaho and North Idaho College. The entries were scored by a select panel of graphics and scratch ticket experts who used design, play style, marketability, and creativity as the judging for all submissions.
