By Brian HughesStaff WriterClyde Beaver is facing some pressure now that he's been declared the artist for the artists.The marketing consultant bested more than a dozen other artists who wanted to design the logo for First Fridays, the monthly downtown event where local jewelry makers, musicians and artists line the streets to show off and sell their work.
"Hopefully, all the artistic people involved won't sneer at it," he said, jokingly.Clyde's logo, which shows the flor de lis broken into pieces and set against four lightly-colored background panels, was unveiled at Downtown Florence Unlimited's Wednesday meeting.Beaver said he examined logos used by bigger cities for similar artistic events and merged that with his personal style - having created nearly 50 logos in his career - to come up with the final design.His first logo, in fact, was for Lewis Electric Supply Co. in Muscle Shoals when he was 16. Beaver recently relocated to Florence after working in Atlanta.The logo will be used on promotional materials for the event, and DFU members tossed around the idea of putting it on a banner.DFU President Van Morgan said the logo won because it "captured the whimsicality of the event."Despite being a relatively new gathering, First Fridays has already become a monthly must for some locals. At the initial event this month, hundreds attended and were treated to everything from belly dancers to twang music.This will not be an annual contest. Morgan said they will use the logo until "they get tired of it."And Beaver's wallet isn't any thicker for his efforts, as he won't be compensated for the work."It was an honor just to be considered," he said. "It never gets old - when you're able to match a logo with a vision."Brian Hughes can be reached at 740-5720 or brian.hughes@TimesDaily.com.