Theme represents ‘Main Street America’ 

GABBF 

News release 

The Great American Brass Band Festival (GABBF) unveils the 2018 poster design celebrating “Main Street America” designed by Adam Brown from Shatterbox, a Kentucky-based design firm. 

In its 29th year, the GABBF is celebrating Main Street America with the 2018 poster offering an artistic interpretation combining Main Street with brass band music.

Brown, a native of Bowling Green and a 2007 graduate of Centre College, designed this year’s poster using a color pallet derived from the festival’s traditional color scheme.

“The poster pays homage to the early 20th Century,” Brown explained. “I wanted to represent the heyday of Main Street America and brass band music – when modernism began to emerge.”

To convey his vision, Brown combined the lone trumpet with the Main Street sign as the centerpiece of the design placing focus directly on brass music, while the textured and worn inks purposefully reflect the longevity of the event. 

Brown is a long-time enthusiast of the GABBF, which is held on part of Centre’s campus. His goal was to create a poster that truly exemplifies this great event, and its history in Danville. 

“In college, I studied and worked in the theater department surrounded by festival posters from years past in the Norton Center for the Arts greenroom,” Brown said. “Contributing to a three-decade legacy of art and music is an honor.”

Over the past 28 years, the collector’s poster has become the most anticipated and coveted memento of this longstanding event, reflecting a variety of styles and designs including playbills, works from local artists and scenery of Danville.

“With Main Street America being our theme, we wanted to focus on the music and traditions of our small-town community. We also wanted to take it one step further by focusing on the emotions that phrase evokes in all of us  — emotions of community, friendship, neighbors, happiness and hometown pride,” said Robin Cooper, executive director of the GABBF. “We are fortunate to have Adam and his team design this year’s poster. They have created something that is truly exceptional.”

About Great American Brass Band Festival: May 31-June 3  marks the 29th annual Great American Brass Band Festival. This nationally recognized music festival hosts a variety of brass bands and includes many special events, including the Great American Balloon Race, Bayou and Brass, Gallery Hop, Great American Picnic, Main Street Parade and much more. The festival offers activities for all ages, including the Kids Art Fest, the Kids Creation Station and the Wagons and Wheels Parade. For a full list of festival events or to volunteer, visit www.gabbf.org. More information about each band may be found at www.gabbf.org/performers/.

About Shatterbox: Shatterbox is an independent, multidisciplinary design firm in Lexington specializing in creative brand strategy, identity development, and award-winning interactive and print design. Shatterbox has won multiple Gold Awards for their design work at the American Advertising Awards — Lexington, including the Judge’s Choice Award in 2018 and the 2017 Public Service Award for their work on the 2016 Great American Brass Band Festival Poster.