Laketran Unveils Winning Design Of Student Bus Wrap Art Contest

Kaitlin Barninger won first prize for her entry, “Live Green, Live in Lake County.”

Laketran (Lake County, OH) has announced the winners of its 2023 Design a Bus Wrap art contest. Kaitlin Barninger, a senior at Mentor High School, won first prize for her design entry themed, “Live Green, Live in Lake County.” As the top winner, Barninger’s design will be displayed on one of Laketran’s propane-powered Dial-a-Ride buses for one year.

“When this contest first came out, I was interested in coming up with a design to enter. Later, I was even more excited when I found out that in my digital arts class at school, we would be creating designs to enter into the contest,” Barninger said. “I have always loved sunsets, so I knew I wanted to include that in my design. Sunsets are always better at the beach, which is why I included the lighthouse and Lake Erie. Also, I have enjoyed the many parks and bike paths in Lake County, which are also included in my design. This contest is a great opportunity, and I am happy that I entered it.”

In its third year, Laketran had 147 local high school and middle school students submit entries for the contest, nearly doubling the participation from last year.

Laketran CEO Ben Capelle stated, “We continued to be impressed with the artistic talent of our youth in Lake County, and were very excited to have received more than double the amount of entries compared to last year. It’s a great opportunity for students to showcase their abilities while tying in the importance of public transit and its impact on the environment and region.”

Area students were encouraged to design a bus wrap displaying the theme, “Building a Greener Lake County.” A panel consisting of transit employees, graphic art professionals, and community leaders served as judges.

Avery Dennison, a Lake County-based manufacturer and distributor of pressure-sensitive adhesive materials, sponsored the contest and donated the vinyl material used to wrap the vehicle.

Contest winners included:

• 1st Place – Kaitlin Barninger, Mentor High School
• 2nd Place – Drake Girard, Mentor High School
• 3rd Place – Ladi Cassidy, Mentor High School
• 3rd Place – Jovana Gordillo, Heritage Middle School

Winning designs can be viewed online at https://laketran.com/laketran-2023-art-contest-winners-announced/. The top 20 entries are also on display at Laketran’s Frank J. Polivka Transit Center.