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Territorial Dispatch

And The Winner Is…

Jul 10, 2024 10:40AM ● By Angela Underwood

Pictured here is the new Yuba City Welcome sign design front that encourages visitors to enjoy the town. Photo courtesy of Yuba City


YUBA CITY, CA (MPG) - Entering and exiting here has some new flare.

Winning artist Raveena Sroya's decorative Yuba City welcome sign display transforms the present banner from disrepair into a symbolic hello and goodbye. The winner of the community-wide competition's use of color, wildlife, and agricultural references perfectly depicts Yuba. 

After creating the committee in March, the City Welcome Sign Ad Committee, which included Councilmen Wade Kirchner and Michael Pasquale, narrowed down 10 artists to three in May. The committee evaluated each entry on creativity, alignment with city branding, aesthetic appeal, community relevance, implementation feasibility, and overall impression.

"A Welcome Sign Design Competition was initiated to engage the creativity and talents of our residents, inviting them to contribute to a lasting symbol of our community's identity," Mayor Shon Harris said. "The competition received submissions from individuals of all ages and backgrounds, demonstrating the diverse artistic talent and civic pride present in our city."

City Manager Diana Langley said entrance signs make an impression on those traveling through a city.

"With the need to replace the previous signs, the City Council and staff saw an opportunity to engage with the community and solicit design concepts for new signs," Langley said. "It was exciting to receive ten design concept submissions, all reflecting different aspects of our community."

Langley said that Yuba City's development liaison Ashley Potocnik "did a fantastic job coordinating the Call for Artists, convening an Ad Hoc Group to review the design concept submissions and select the top three and then bringing the top three designs to the entire City Council for selection of a winner.

"Ashley's enthusiasm for this project reflects the dedication and professionalism that she applies to assist anyone interested in developing in Yuba City," Langley said.

Langley cited Sroya's description of the winning sign that details Yuba City in each feature:

"The design uses the existing masonry base. The central feature of the design is the Sutter Buttes carved out of the top of a circle. The words Yuba City would be mounted to this background using the City's primary color, 'Drake.'

"Circles are a symbol of unity which is important with a diverse community such as we have in Yuba City, so I've added a ring around the sign using one of the City's accent colors to show this. Smaller details include orchard trees and birds to highlight the city's agricultural community and wildlife. The birds and lettering are taken from the City's logo for consistency with the city brand."

The notable artist received an oversized check for $200 from the Yuba City City Council, complemented by praise and a proclamation for her creative contribution to the community.

Raveena Sroya Shon Harris Yuba City City Council

 Winning artist Raveena Sroya stands with Mayor Shon Harris and the Yuba City City Council with a $200 check and the honor of having her design chosen among nine others for the new city welcome sign. Photo courtesy of Yuba City


"The winning design will not only serve as a gateway to our city but also as a source of pride for our residents and an inviting symbol for visitors," Harris said.

The mayor acknowledged, and thanked the nine other artists, whose "submission has added value to this initiative and highlighted the artistic spirit of our community."

Yuba City

 Here is the new Yuba City welcome sign design back that thanks visitors for coming into town. Photo courtesy of Yuba City