Palmer student’s design chosen for artistic license plate

The Alaska State Council on the Arts and the office of Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins announced this week that one original design has been selected by public vote as Alaska’s new “Artistic License Plate”.

According to a news release, the winner is an aurora-inspired design by Anita Laulainen, a UAA graphic design student from Palmer. Laulainen’s original design was one of 142 submissions from Alaskans of all ages and geographic locations around the state.

"Congratulations to Ms. Laulainen and thank you to the celebrity jury and every Alaskan who voted,” Kreiss-Tomkins said in the release. “I'm excited that Alaska’s hundreds of thousands of license plates have the potential to transform into miniature six inch by twelve inch canvases of beautiful aurora borealis-inspired art."

ASCA Chairman Benjamin Brown added, “As the State of Alaska launches the ArtPlate program, we are excited to see such a wide array of impressive submissions and a robust competition. It is great to see emerging Alaska artist Anita Laulainen create her classic and inspiring winning design. The Alaska ArtPlate process affirms the potential for Alaskans to pursue careers in artistic fields that are both economically and creatively rewarding.”

More than 17,000 Alaskans weighed in on their favorite of five designs that were narrowed down by a panel of celebrity judges. The panel reviewed all entries based on quality of design submission, readability for law enforcement and imagery that celebrates aspects of our unique Alaskan identity. The spirit of the “Artistic License Plate” competition encourages creativity, invites Alaskans to capture what we love about Alaska, and highlights the importance of the arts in our daily lives.

The winning ArtPlate will be produced by DMV for the next four years, until the Alaska State Council on the Arts holds the next competition. The plates will be available for Alaskans to purchase in early summer 2018. The proceeds will be reinvested into artistic and cultural programs by ASCA in a continuing effort to diversify revenue and advance Alaska’s creative industry.