In September, JJ Bean announced its Christmas Window Design Contest - an opportunity for local artists and designers to create a holiday-themed window display for our café in the Woodward's District. The winner will get to have their work displayed in our window during the holiday season, in addition to some great prizes offered by the event's generous sponsors.
We are now proud to unveil the top three picks, out of the 18 entries we received. Here they are, in no particular order:
Dionne Horacsek: "Light" themed photos
Designer's comments: "This window design celebrates light. Instead of using traditional Christmas images, I chose to use images that represent the light and up-lifting spirit of the holidays without excluding anyone. The white lines you see in the mock up would hopefully be metallic or sparkly in an actual representation to continue the idea of light/reflection. All of the images would be hung at different depths of the display."
Jocelyne Chaput - Ugly Christmas sweaters with beautiful coffee stains
Designer's comments: "The main objects in the display are ugly Christmas sweaters that hang on a clothesline of braided Christmas lights. These classic garments are so dear to the holiday tradition for the warmth, cheer and humour they provide. In order to emphasize these qualities and celebrate the context in which they hang, each bears and epic coffee stain, the kind that suggests a brilliant idea, a jaw-dropping surprise, a hilarious miscalculation, an early-morning dance party... Whatever the backstory, the display embraces the simple but spectacular moments of joy and warmth that lie at the heart of the holidays."
Danielle Lindsay-Chung: "Love" Display
Designer's comments: "Love is a universal statement: it transcends religion, race, gender, class and incomes. For the JJ Bean window display, given its site specific nuances, the word “Love” encompasses the spirit of the holidays, while celebrating our cultural diversity and respecting the community of the Woodwards block. This concept references Robert Indiana’s iconic artwork (that was incidentally created for a Christmas card for the Museum of Modern Art in 1964) and adds a contemporary element through the use of interactive media (Twitter feed) intended to engage passers-by."
What do you think? We would love to hear your feedback about these window display ideas. Send your comments to window.contest@jjbeancoffee.com.
