"These posters seem to touch people and capture the essence of Northwest Indiana."
Stephen McShane, archivist and curator of the Calumet Region Archives at Indiana University Northwest
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PHOTOS BY TRACY ALBANO / THE TIMES
Artist Bruce Cegur signs copies Wednesday at the Hammond South Shore train station of the South Shore Line poster he designed. The poster, "Windsurfing on Wolf Lake," depicts two-windsurfers on the lake that splits Hammond and Chicago's Hegewisch neighborhood. The original poster campaign was conceived In the 1920s.
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"This painting is a bit of a departure from my usual work," Cegur said. "I usually do florals and figures rather than scenic paintings. But this is fun, I love it and am really having a good time doing something different."
The popularity of the paintings, posters and a coffee table book, "Moonlight in Duneland," has surprised everyone involved.
"When the forum launched this campaign, we never expected the response we have had Davies said. "Posters are being sold, books are flying off the shelf and almost all of the 50 original paintings have sponsors."
The book, which features the new posters, along with 38 of the originals, is now in its second printing. The 6,000 copies of the first printing sold out within 10 weeks, according to co-author Stephen McShane, archivist and curator of the Calumet Region Archives at Indiana University Northwest. Ron Cohen worked with McShane on the project.
"These posters seem to touch people and capture the essence of Northwest Indiana," McShane said. "They are a celebration of where we live."
A second printing by Indiana University Press arrived at bookstores last week, and two thirds of that shipment already is gone.
Businesses and organizations will commission the 50 new paintings, at a cost of $6,000 each. The subject matter will reflect industry, recreation, education and a variety of regional interests. The sponsor then receives 500 posters of the paintings, which can be bought for $20 each. For "Windsurfing on Wolf Lake," the proceeds will be used by the Hammond marketing committee to promote business and residential opportunities within the city.
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As latest installment is shown, series creators Say new effort to promote the region is a success.
BY SHARON PORTA
Times Correspondent
HAMMOND -Whether it is nostalgia about the original campaign or enthusiasm for the new posters, there is something about the South Shore poster marketing campaign that is causing those involved to already pronounce it a success.
In the 1920s, the South Shore railroad used a series of posters to promote ridership. From 1925 to 1929, the railroad issued a new poster every month, for a total of about 50 posters that highlight the dunes and the steel mills.
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The Northwest Indiana Forum decided to bring back that idea and is commissioning new paintings and posters as part of a $1 million advertising campaign. "It was a great idea then, and it's a great idea now," said John Davies, the forum's vice president of marketing. "This is a marketing campaign to show people within the region and outside the attributes of this area. A picture is worth 1,000 words."
Despite the snowy weather, dozens of people crowded into the Hammond South Shore station Wednesday evening to view the latest painting in the series, "Windsurfing on Wolf Lake," by Bruce Cegur, a Hammond artist. The oil painting uses the lake's island as a focal point and shows two windsurfers in the foreground, portrayed in colorful hues of purple, blue and pink.
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