HOLLAND, MI (WHTC-AM/FM, Feb. 23, 2024) – For the first time in a while, a man won the Tulip Time Festival First Bloem poster contest.
On Thursday night, organizers of Holland’s annual signature event announced that Dutch Delivery, described as a classic oil on canvas painting by John Cowden, was selected as the official image of the festival. The creation features several local iconic images, including the DeZwaan Windmill with tulip fields in the foreground, the flag of the Netherlands, and in keeping with the theme of this year’s festival, an orange bicycle. All competitors were asked to incorporate a two-wheeler into their work.
The Nashville-born Cowden, who had two entries among the 20 finalists for this honor, said that he used a photograph he had taken at Windmill Island Gardens last year as a base for his creation.
“The Tulip Time Festival is a wonderful event and I always look forward to taking as many photos as I can. I use the best of these photos to create works of art on canvas.” – John Cowden
The festival will start selling copies of Dutch Delivery, as well as merchandise adorning that image, through its office (42 W. 8th St.) and online. The other 19 finalists will now be put into a viewers choice competition in which attendees can vote for their favorite through the festival’s 95th annual run from May 4th through the 12th.
In addition to announcing the poster contest winner on Thursday night, festival officials also pushed for public support in Gannett’s USA Today 10 Best Reader’s Choice Travel Awards competition, with votes collected in the Best Flower Festival category through March 29th. Tulip Time captured this honor in 2016.
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