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First Night art symbolizes era
By GUY D’ASTOLFO
YOUNGSTOWN
There is more to the winning First Night Youngstown button art than meets the eye.
The art, created by Richard Tauro of Niles, is a depiction of the Youngstown Parking Garage building, on the corner of West Boardman and Phelps streets.
Every year, FNY selects a downtown building that is noted for its architecture as the theme of the contest. The winning art is then used on the admission button for the New Year’s Eve entertainment event.
Tauro’s winning piece, which was unveiled Thursday, uses symbolism and typography to make its point. Instead of drawing the entire building, he zoomed in on the structure’s three defining characteristics: its yellow terra-cotta block facade, archway and winged tire sculptures.
Tauro also uses two typefaces — Raconteur and Party at Gatsby’s — associated with the art deco architecture of the 1926 building.
But that’s not all. Tauro placed a stylized winged tire underneath what he calls “the tiara” — the archway, which he put in a different color to make it pop off the page.
He also used 20 purple bars at the base of the columns and 14 yellow blocks as a subtle salute to the new year 2014.
The exploding fireworks symbols in the sky above each have 24 arms, one for each hour of the day.
Tauro works in instructional media and graphic design at Scribblers Media, where he serves as president. His company designs and develops training material, lesson plans and visuals to help information workers understand and use digital media.
In addition to bragging rights, Tauro, who bested five other entries, receives a small stipend for his winning art, said Elayne Bozick, FNY marketing director.
A total of 1,750 buttons will now be manufactured, said Elise Skolnick, FNY coordinator. The buttons will cost $10 ($5 for seniors, military and students age 13 through college), and grant the wearer admission to all First Night events. They will be available in advance at firstnightyoungstownoh.com; FNY headquarters at 25 E. Boardman St., suite 405; and all venues the night of the event.