The Martha’s Vineyard Agricultural Society Livestock Show and Fair has been part of my family’s culture for generations. I grew up hearing old Fair stories from my grandfather and other elders, and remember sitting in my grandparent’s Music Street home, waiting for the church bells to chime – then I knew the Fair had begun.

The excitement I felt for the Fair when I was a kid has never really dwindled. As a graphic designer, creating a winning Fair poster was on my life to-do list. Since 2009 is the Chinese zodiac Year of the Ox, I had the perfect theme for my poster. My great-uncle Leonard Athearn raised oxen on his West Tisbury farm and was a regular participant in the Fair’s oxen demonstrations. I found an old photo of Leonard’s father, my great-grandfather, with a team of oxen and used it as my inspiration. Only after I was finished with the illustration did I discover that the cart in the photo now resides in the old barn out back at the Ag Hall.

I wanted to create a poster that had an old-fashioned feel, to celebrate the history of the Fair and my view as a child. My design adds a modern flair and a touch of the Western style I’ve acquired from my Wyoming born and raised husband.