Excitement and anticipation filled the room as community members gathered for this year’s Logo Premier, an event that has become a cherished tradition and a kickoff to the festival season.
The evening hosted at The Landing Restaurant brought together longtime supporters, festival leadership, artists, students, and residents to unveil the winning logo for the festival’s milestone 60th anniversary.
“We get together every year, and it’s always a little bit of brilliant chaos,” Sue Stevens, manager at The Landing, said with a laugh. “You plan it, you set everything up, and then everybody just comes in — and it works.” The Landing also donated 15% of the night’s profits to the Festival of Arts.
This year’s contest drew many logo submissions, which were reviewed by a three-person judging panel before being narrowed to semifinalists and finalists.
Judge Wayne George explained that while creativity is essential, practicality also plays a major role. “Some of these logos are great pieces of art,” he said, “but they’re not going to go on a hat, they’re not going to work on a T-shirt, or reproduce well. That’s part of what we look at.”
When the winning logo was finally revealed, applause filled the room. The design — a striking blue lobster — was created by freshman Brayden Coe, who said the inspiration came naturally.
“I enjoy lobstering, and I like being on the ocean,” he explained. “The blue lobster represents rarity, and I feel like this community is even rarer than that.”
He added that the festival itself played a role in shaping the idea. “Everyone’s art here is so unique,” he said. “The blue lobster shows how different everyone is, and how special that makes it.”
Coe created the logo using Adobe Illustrator, a process he described as hands-on and creative. “You use a pen tool and shading tools to really make it what you want,” he said. “I never really thought of myself as a graphic designer before, so winning was pretty shocking.”
He said he might consider graphic design as a profession now.
Marblehead High School graphic design teacher, Leah Bordieri, has led multiple students to success in the festival logo contest.
“I thank Miss. B for everything she does. She helps us with graphic design whenever we need it, like fixing anything, and she spot checks all of our stuff and makes sure that everything’s good,” Coe said.
Festival President Cynda Rohmer spoke about the organization’s future and the need for continued community involvement. “This isn’t a four-day event anymore — it’s a 12-month event,” she said. “We’re trying to do something fun every month, and we can’t do that without volunteers.”
She added, “This being the 60th year, we’d love to see everyone get involved — and bring a friend.”
As the event wrapped up, attendees lingered to admire the logo submissions, share stories, and celebrate the blend of tradition and new talent. With a new logo unveiled and the anniversary year ahead, one thing was clear: the festival continues to thrive because, as one organizer put it, “People just keep showing up.”
