She designed the very first Federal Way Farmers Market poster and several in between. On Saturday, she will present the latest installment to the city.
JoAnn Hawkins, lifelong artist and Federal Way resident for 35 years, has created several of the market’s annual posters. Today, May 8, marks the beginning of the Federal Way Farmers Market’s seventh year, and Hawkins recalls doing four or five of the posters.
In the first year of the market, co-founder Rose Ehl asked Hawkins if she would be interested in doing the promotional poster, which she did.
For that very first one, Ehl and co-founder Karla Kolibab sat down with Hawkins and explained what they wanted, including a little wagon. Kolibab and Ehl had thought for a time to use small wagons for shoppers before deciding against it, Hawkins said.
Hawkins said her talent for art was discovered when she was a young girl. She went to school for it, and now is one of two remaining middle school art teachers left in the Federal Way School District. Sacajawea Middle School, where she teaches, still has an art program. Other schools have had their art program cut due to budget constraints.
“I am a painter on the side. I make my living as an art teacher,” she said.
As part of her painting on the side, she does take commissions for work.
“I would love to do paintings for people,” she said. “I would love people to recognize there is an artist in Federal Way and I’m available.”
Examples of her work can be seen in business buildings in Federal Way, Hawkins said. The Federal Way Chamber of Commerce has also taken a Northwest watercolor of hers to Japan as a gift to their sister city Hachinohe.
For most of her artwork, Hawkins uses the Pacific Northwest as inspiration, including the water, the rhododendrons and even another farmers market, Pike Place Market. Another large inspiration is her husband’s family farm.
“The inspiration for this year is actually the farm that my husband lived on,” Hawkins explained. “His mother’s garden and some of what I remember from the family farm in Missouri, and then the Puget Sound.”
In all her posters, Hawkins said the main idea is the joy of fresh produce.
“Whenever you go to the farmers market, you think of crafts and the produce,” Hawkins said. “That’s the essence of a farmers market.”
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