Lawmaker by day, winning artist by night, JP Pomnichowski for Legislature

In the midst of a pretty tough week at the Montana Legislature, I received really good news!

I’m the winner of a poster contest by Intermountain Opera Bozeman for their May production of Romeo and Juliet!

In December, before the start of the legislative session, I began working on a few different designs. I wanted to focus on the story of Romeo and Juliet, and also wanted to produce something eye-catching, geared toward a new and younger audience for opera, and to venture into ground that’s not typically what comes to mind around opera. (We think of elaborate stages and costumes, powerful singing, and tragic stories around opera, and I hope a more modern perspective in this poster evokes some interest for Intermountain Opera Bozeman!)

I got the news in an email:

Our judges just finished going over the opera poster submissions and you are the winner! Congratulations.

And from the press release:

Congratulations to the winner of the 2013 Poster Contest, JP Pomnichowski! Her artwork will be utilized in publicity for our May 2013 performance of Gounods Romo et Juliette and she will be awarded the prize of $1,000.00.

And this past week in the legislature, I presented House Bill 10, for eight computer and information technology projects (price tag: $20 million) and also two bills in the House Business and Labor committee: to allow wine tastings in wine shops, and to allow port wine (fortified wine) to be sold in wine shops. The hearings were Wednesday, and they went really well. But on Friday, the committee voted against port wine sales. Next week, they’ll consider the wine tasting bill. Keep your fingers crossed: this bill could be a wonderful business-building vehicle for wine shops.

More to come, soon. Thanks, everyone.