Cheerful: the word for 1998 poster

By JENNIFER BRUMMETT
Staff Writer

LEXINGTON - For artist Pat Gerhard, orange can be a neutral. We're not talking peach, or pumpkin or melon. We're talking ORANGE.

Gerhard, who owns Third Street Stuff in Lexington, does a lot of art for the Jimmy Buffett stores, and has done a CD cover or two for him. You see hints of a tropical paradise in the light-hearted, playful colors of the 1998 Great American Brass Band Festival poster, mugs, enamel pins and T-shirts.

``It was a blast,'' said Gerhard of her work for the GABBF. ``I was going with that tropical flavor.

``I wasn't sure (the GABBF committee) was committed to tropical when I made my first design for the poster. It had red, white and blue. I didn't want to scare them with a poster that was orange, yellow, lime green and pink. But they were disappointed with the red, white and blue - they wanted a more tropical look.''

This year's posters are jazzy, fun-loving and most certainly colorful. In fact, they're a lot like the merry stuff she sells - handmade products and custom work such as the wooden postcards she makes for Centre College.

``George (Foreman, festival organizer) is very into the historical part of the festival and I don't know what made him go totally different,'' Gerhard mused. ``He called and said, `Do what you do. Don't do what we do.'

``I think tropical is good for a June event. The other posters have been a little more serious.''

The poster features a gazebo-like park bandstand and musicians. ``I had a lot of trouble with the little musicians,'' Gerhard said. ``Little people are difficult. I had to paint double size and reduce it.''

And across the bottom of the poster: The Great American Brass Band Festival in big, bright letters.

The price for pins are $5 and posters are $10. Shirts are $14 for adults sizes S-XL; $16 for 2XL and $17 for 3XL. Kids' shirts are $12.