This was a traveling art exhibit that focused on teen driver awareness, distracted driving, and drunk driving. The exhibit included past winners.

In an art show such as this with a specific theme, it seems that a successful piece is one that combines creativity, messaging, and artistic talent.

Images looking through a windshield at cars and car crashes were a common subject matter. There were several that use a comic book type of layout to communicate the message. There was artist talent on display, for sure, some more accomplished than others. There were some that really succeeded in combining all three creative qualities for a dynamic visual message.

Here are a few:

“Don’t Be a Monster” by Leora Doyle, with its dark appearance of a small highlight of a bottle in the driver’s hand lent itself to a dangerous theme. Two lights in the upper right could be the eyes of the driver or the taillights of a car added to the uncertainty that comes with drunk driving.

“She Didn’t Have Time to Move” by Allison Beecher had a very effective presentation and message. A close-up of an approaching car in panicked eyes tells the moment of realization of impending disaster. It’s rendered with an accomplished drawing technique that makes it a quick read.

For me, the piece that succeeded the most was “The Telephone Can Wait” by Logan Bru. An instant horror image, it combined a direct imagined image, with an effective message delivered with a bold use of typography. This piece has a strong appearance in its rendering technique of the demon driver and limited color pallette. It would seem to be able to hit the mark with anyone, not just teenagers.