Photo credit: Stephen Pingry, Tulsa World
Rogers State University graphic designer Randy Riggs was recently named the winner of Tulsa’s Art in Transit competition in which area artists vied to have their design featured on Tulsa’s public transit.
Riggs’ design featured Oklahoma native son Woody Guthrie along with lyrics from “This Land is Your Land,” Guthrie’s most well-known song.
The bus and its design were unveiled earlier this month, including a story on Channel 8’s “Good Day Tulsa”. His design will be on the bus throughout 2014 and is expected to provide more than 4 million impressions during the year.
A 2004 RSU graduate, Riggs was unanimously selected for his winning design among the nearly 100 entries for the contest. The Art in Transit competition was sponsored by Tulsa Transit and advertising agency AcrobatAnt to spotlight creativity and boost ridership on Tulsa’s public transit system. The goal was to put art in unexpected places, like buses, to beautify Tulsa’s landscape and display the region’s artistic heritage.
“Oklahoma has a rich past told through the blood, sweat and tears of real American heroes and villains,” Riggs said. “My hope is that these works will inspire Tulsa residents as they travel through the city, see its historical destinations and experience the weight of their ever-present influence. If we all take more ownership of our community, we can work together to make it a better place.”
Riggs earned an associate degree in graphic technology and a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts, both from RSU. He has worked in the RSU public relations office since 2004 and has won numerous state, regional and national awards for his work.