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ALEXANDRIA, Va. — A bold red poster crowded with Alexandria icons — George Washington's bust, Christ Church's steeple, a trolley, colorful row houses, sailboats on the Potomac and a tall ship — will represent the city at a national mayors conference this summer after Mayor Alyia Gaskins named it the winner of the America 250 City Art Poster Contest Wednesday night.
Matt Liptak, an Alexandria resident of about 15 years, took the top prize at a reception at the Torpedo Factory Art Center, where more than 200 entries from artists across the city covered the walls of a third-floor gallery. His poster, rendered in paint pen and dense with Alexandria street life — dog walkers, scooter riders, cyclists and shoppers weaving between landmarks — carries the words "extraordinary, inclusive, beautiful" above the city's name, and "historical, magical, revolutionary" below.
"These are all the things that, when I think of Alexandria, they're just the things that make our city so unique and so special," Liptak said. "I had a really fun time just grabbing my paint pens and sketching and doodling and putting it all together."
Gaskins said she was drawn to the poster's balance of reverence and energy. "I love this notion of historic on one side and revolutionary on the other," she said. "Something we've been talking about at Visit Alexandria is that we are a historic city, but we're not a static city."
Liptak's design will be displayed at the U.S. Conference of Mayors 94th Annual Meeting in Long Beach, Calif., June 4–7, where posters from participating cities will be exhibited. A national winner will then be selected to serve as the official poster for the conference.
The contest drew 218 total submissions. Gaskins said the city chose an open, community-wide format rather than commissioning a work or limiting participation — a decision she credited with producing an unusually wide and diverse field. Rec centers and senior centers across the city hosted workshops and provided free paper and art supplies.
"I thought the best way we could represent Virginia and the city of Alexandria is for Alexandrians of every age to have an opportunity to participate and to share their ideas," Gaskins said.
Two honorable mentions were also announced. Liz Santulli received recognition in the senior category for a richly layered mixed-media collage stitching together scenes of Alexandria buildings, trees, boats and the city's beloved parade from torn paper and fabric against a gold and star-spangled background. Gaskins noted that Santulli organized a group of fellow seniors at a local senior center to help assemble it. "I also love the fact that it was kind of a community submission," the mayor said.
Tessa Plunkett received the youth honorable mention for a crayon drawing centering the George Washington Masonic National Memorial decorated with a "Happy 250th Birthday America!" banner, stick figures gathered at its base and a sky full of stars and fireworks. Gaskins praised the entry for its youthful exuberance and its celebration of one of Alexandria's most recognizable landmarks.
All 218 submissions will be photographed and posted to the city's website so residents can browse the full collection. Gaskins said she plans to share updates from Long Beach as Alexandria's poster makes its way through the national competition.
Sails on the Potomac, the centerpiece of Alexandria's America 250 calendar, is scheduled for June 12–14 at Waterfront Park, featuring four historic tall ships and the 48th annual ALX Jazz Fest. More information is available at alexandriava.gov/america250.
