Design Inspiration:

It is an even greater Celebration this year as I honor my Dad’s service in the U.S. Air Force with the addition of an Air Force C-17 flying above Charleston. It being the 48th running for the Bridge Run has great significance to me because it reminds me of the 48th Air Tactical Squadron at Lakenheath, England that my Dad commanded just before his retirement.

In my design for CRBR for 2025, I wanted to create a Festive Mood by showing excitement, vibrant colors, and the unique world attractions that only Charleston and the Copper River Bridge manifest.

Emphasis as the “Holy City” is shown by two churches on both sides of the bridge. The Meeting and Broad street signs and the image of the Market are added as some of the top tourist attractions in Charleston. I added the sweetgrass basket to show the artistic heritage of Charleston and to finalize the design at the bottom.

After seeing the incredible talents that entered the design competition for next years running, I am totally honored and humbled that my design was chosen to represent the 2025 Cooper River Bridge Run.

I retired from the corporate world on December 31st, 2023 and live in Greer, SC where I have my art studio and produce portraits of families and pets, in addition to some business consulting. Between my art and reconditioning vintage bikes, my wife Kim and I enjoy being with our four grandchildren.

You can see my work at:

https://www.cjgraphicdesigns.com/

Linkedin Profile:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuck-jones-3959327/

Melanie is an aspiring graphic designer based out of Charleston, South Carolina. Her affinity and talent for artwork appeared at a very young age, quickly progressing each year. She took a long hiatus from artwork while getting her B.S. at Appalachian State University. In 2012, Melanie moved to Charleston and began integrating herself in the food and beverage community, waitressing and bartending at multiple restaurants in the area. These jobs not only helped her network in the area but allowed her to freely travel the world and gain inspiration from different cultures. After several years, she decided it was time to get back to her first love- art. She enrolled in Trident Technical College and graduated in December 2022 with an Associate’s Degree in Graphic Design.

Melanie’s strengths have always lied in creating hyper-realistic illustrations with the use of pencil, charcoal, pen, and frequently with acrylic paint. She is now trying to perfect her own style as a graphic designer that combines illustration with graphic design to create a unique story. She likes to use bright and vivid colors as it is a reminder of the inspiration that drew her back to creating. This poster design reflects just that; she encapsulated a vibrant color scheme that captured the awe-inspiring sunset that Charleston is so famed for.

Melanie dreams to soon begin working with local restaurants and breweries, creating menus, logos, labels, and murals. She would like to continue to work and create with the community that helped shape who she has become.

Design fanatic, font geek, color enthusiast, mind reader. These attributes come in handy for graphic designer Netta Radice.

For more than three decades, Netta has created award-winning logos and marketing materials for clients in an array of industries, from education to healthcare, technology to retail, food service to finance. She has designed creative beverage packaging for breweries and distilleries and has three times designed the team uniforms for the U.S. National Dragonboat Team.

A 1987 graduate of the University of Delaware, Netta worked as a graphic designer/art director at ad agencies, travel magazines, and design studios in New Jersey, South Carolina, Iowa and Florida. In 2000, she started her own studio, Netta Radice Design, Inc., located in Wesley Chapel, Florida.

When the opportunity arose to design the poster for the 45th Annual Cooper River Bridge Run, Netta dove in with a passion. After all, Charleston is a very special place to her. Over 30 years ago, she began her career and her marriage in Charleston — crossing the old Cooper River bridges daily while working downtown and exploring the city with her naval officer husband, Mike.

CRBR Race Director Irv Batten and artist Tate Nation suggested creating a race poster that reflected Charleston’s history while simultaneously displaying the city’s modern transformation — via the new and old bridges. Inspired by this collaborative concept, Netta incorporated some of her favorite Charlestonian elements and memories into the design. 

When not at her desk, Netta loves traveling and relaxing with her husband and their fluffy cat, Theo. She also enjoys competitive sports, having been a proud paddling member of Team USA at IDBF Dragonboat World Championships in 2013 (Szeged, Hungary) and 2015 (Welland, Canada).

To see additional design work by Netta Radice, please visit www.nettaradicedesign.com.

Joseph Wilhite, the first person in forty-four years of the Bridge Run Design Contest to achieve the unthinkable, being a two—time winner two years in a row. After winning the 2020 Design Contest he was slightly discouraged when the race had to be cancelled due to Covid-19; but understood that it was out of his hands.  Fortunately, the t-shirts and posters were already printed with his design and got distributed to thousands of registrants throughout the country.  He was also affected by the pandemic in other ways, such as being furloughed from his place of employment.  He never gave up and focused on the positive with his eternal strength and drive.  With this downtime, he was able to start his freelance career and was inspired to create another work of art to help inspire others. He used this inspiration and created a symbolic piece for the 2021 Bridge Run Design Contest. It conveys a sense of hope and a new beginning.  Joseph is really looking forward to his own new beginning when he begins his teaching career in the early spring at Trident Technical College. “This has been a dream of mine since I went back to school. My amazing teachers inspired and pushed me to be the artist I am today. I want to follow in their paths and leave a legacy to inspire others in their artistic endeavors through teaching”, said Joseph.

For 2021, Joseph wanted to try a vector illustration to control the feel and inspire hope. Everything he illustrated had a purpose and was constructed with the intention of inspiring a sense of a new beginning. He chose the state flower, the yellow jasmine, to represent the state of South Carolina. He also included the beautiful Magnolia which is synonymous with the south.  Using a vibrant spring color theme helps bring life to the design and conveys a fresh start. The Monarch Butterfly represents the rebirth of the run after the trying year we have all shared. He placed the date in the concrete of the run path to emphasize the momentum with which we are moving forward together. Joseph added the iconic Charleston Sign “All America City” to symbolize the originality of the Cooper River Bridge Run and to represent the coming together of people from all over the country for 2021, hopefully the best year ever.

For more of Joe’s work visit Designsbyjoe.myportfolio.com

Joe Wilhite is a graphic designer and currently employed at Nelson Printing, located in Charleston, SC. He was born in Sarasota, Florida and moved to the Lowcountry after serving in the United States Marines. Joe was medically discharged in 2005. In 2015, the Veterans Affairs Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Department gave him the opportunity to go back to school. He attended and graduated from the Art Institute of Charleston in 2018, with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Graphic Design.   Joe currently lives in Goose Creek with his two-year-old Rottweiler, “Babygirl”. He is currently pursuing his Master’s degree online. When he completes his graduate studies, Joe aspires to be a part time teacher motivating others to follow their dreams.  This will allow him to stay current in the field while also passing along knowledge, skills and passion to others.

Joe’s intention with his winning Cooper River Bridge Run painting was to convey the excitement of the Cooper River Bridge Run while highlighting the beauty of the Lowcountry. To build his composition, Joe began with a collage of photos he then edited using only the lines of the bridge as guides. He then digitally hand painted the canvas using watercolor brushes.  The rising sun just over the horizon was intended to represent the luminous morning of the race. The sky filled with cotton candy like clouds brighten the canvas with shades of yellow and orange.  The bright white which highlights the Bridge, almost appears to come off the canvas. As your eyes move forward, the bridge begins to fade off into the distance. You notice the Cooper River surrounding the Ravenel Bridge with unblended tones of blue, lavender orange and yellow. His sharp fluidity skips off the brush mimicking the lapping surface of the river.  Each dab and stroke were executed with a specific purpose and are distinct in a brilliant way.
Joe’s artwork has become well-known in the Lowcountry for being chosen as the winning artist for the James Island Connector Run design in 2017.  He then went on to design the “Solar Eclipse” for Darkness to Light in 2017, “Lip Sync for Lungs” for the American Lung Association in 2018, and the designs for “Isle of Palms Marina Festival” and the 2019 “James Island Connector Run”.

For more of Joe’s work visit Designsbyjoe.myportfolio.com

Drawing inspiration from the great impressionist painters Monet, Cezanne and Matisse, D. Scott Stevenson recreates his world using a playful imagination, displaying bright colors and unique perspectives.

Stevenson is typically known for his realistic style paintings and illustrations.  These have been used for a variety of products endorsing exhibits at the Smithsonian Institution, Air and Space Museum, Metropolitan Opera and The National Zoo and Aquarium.

A graduate of The Art Institute of Pittsburgh, with a degree in photography, graphic design and illustration, Stevenson has created a variety of designs for L.L .Bean, REI, Major League Baseball, Princeton University, and UCLA among many other Colleges and Universities.

Born in Upstate NY, D. Scott has lived in many beautiful states, Maine, California, and North Carolina.  Stevenson now resides in the Lowcountry of South Carolina, with his family, and faithful Berner companions Maggie and Mustu.

Stevenson lives in Mount Pleasant SC.

You can see additional artwork by D. Scott on his website,  www.dscottstevenson.com

William Waitzman is a printmaker, painter and illustrator. His art for the Bridge Run poster is a silkscreen print. It was inspired by the view of the bridge from Shem Creek in Mount Pleasant and the pelicans that follow the shrimp boats as they return to the dock. Bill made the print by drawing 17 separate layers to make up his image (one drawing for each color), then transferred the drawings to screens, and printed the colors one at a time by pulling a squeegee across the screen, forcing ink onto the paper. It took a number of days over the course of a few weeks to complete the print. Bill finds screen printing appealing because it allows him to combine drawing and painting and he finds it satisfying to create multiple original prints of the same image. He admires the WPA silkscreen posters of the 1930s, which influenced the look of this poster. You can see Bill’s silkscreen prints, which are primarily landscapes, at williamwaitzmanprints.com.

Bill earned a BFA from Parsons School of Design. His work as an illustrator over the past 30+ years has included holiday cards for the Museum of Modern Art, book illustrations for numerous clients and editorial illustrations for many newspapers and magazines, including the New Yorker, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and Barron’s. His silkscreen prints have been in national and international juried exhibitions.

He lives in Mount Vernon, New York, where he was born and raised. He frequently visits Mount Pleasant, where his mother, brother and sister reside. Some of his favorite local places to walk and bike are the pier under the Ravenel Bridge, the Pitt Street Bridge, and the beach at Isle of Palms.

Armed with an unorthodox arsenal of knives, dry brushes and assorted unconventional implements, Tate Nation paints in multiple layers of acrylics on canvas-covered wood panels, creating vibrant paintings that are drenched in texture, and packed with energy and movement. Tate’s non-traditional paintings are a lively medley of bold compositions, festive themes, and a vivid color palette influenced by Caribbean art.

His works have been commissioned by the U.S. Postal Service, Coca-Cola, Delta and United Airlines, Canon USA, Time-Life, and Radisson Hotels Worldwide, among many others. Tate’s paintings and prints are held in private and public collections worldwide and have appeared in numerous national publications. A former freelance illustrator and featured artist for the 2000 and 2010 Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC, Tate has also illustrated more than a dozen books, served as Illustrator-in-Residence for the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, and has been awarded many honors for his fine art paintings and illustrations. Two of his original works have been exhibited in the Society of Illustrators’ Museum of American Illustration in New York City.

Tate’s paintings have previously been featured on t-shirts, posters, promotions and awards for the Charleston Marathon, Turkey Day Run, Old Village Harbor 5K, and the Charleston Sprint Triathlon Series.

Raised in Kentucky and upstate New York, Tate received his BFA from Western Kentucky University, where he was a collegiate swimmer.
Tate lives and paints in Charleston, SC.

To see more of his work, explore his online gallery: tatenation.com, or visit his gallery at 257 King Street in Charleston, by appointment.

I’m a professional graphic designer and illustrator as well as traditional fine artist.
It all started as a child because I was always drawing, sketching or doodling throughout the day. I would skip right through dinner and occasionally homework because I was so connected to my pencil (Crayons, markers, pens or whatever was available) and paper. That was my thing and I absolutely loved it! I was fascinated with comic book heroes and dinosaurs so they served as inspiration for many of my childhood drawings. Today, I work in mediums of digital/vector, Photoshop, watercolor, pen & ink, pencil & charcoal and acrylic.

Born and raised in Auburn, AL, I earned my BFA in Visual Communications from Auburn University in 1996. My 18 years of experience and lifelong passion for arts continues to drive me each and every day. I love my craft and practice it with respect and dignity, and I hope that reflects in every project I do, be it professionally, personally or pro bono.

I currently reside in Augusta, GA, which has been my home of 16 years now. I love to call Augusta home because I’ve developed a wonderful network of colleagues and friends, all which help keep me balanced and grounded. Though I love my hometown of Auburn, moving away to Augusta was one of the best decisions I made early in my career. It allowed me to really grow as a person and meet some fabulous people and organizations along the way.

I worked for myself as a freelance designer and illustrator for 4.5 years (March 2009 to September 2013) via my company, Marshall Arts (www.MarshallArts.biz). Having my own company was a personal goal of mine that I worked very hard to achieve. Though I don’t operate on a full-time basis anymore, I still continue to do freelance work in my personal time.

And, I love to search and find design contests that I can enter during those rare moments when I’m not at work, not freelancing, and not doing personal artwork. A friend and colleague of mine told me about the Cooper River Bridge Run Poster Contest and he recommended that I participate. This was a very fun project to work on and I’m so honored to be a part of the tradition. I feel very grateful and always humbled when it comes to receiving awards and recognitions. With that said, thank you very much to the entire community of Charleston, SC in regards to the Cooper River Bridge 10K Run and everyone that voted for my winning design.

Shea Tighe has called Charleston, SC his home for the past three years. Growing up, he would spend summers on nearby Seabrook Island with his family and knew there was no place he’s rather be than the Lowcountry.   Originally from Atlanta, GA, Shea graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Landscape Architecture and began his career with the international resort planning firm EDSA in Fort Lauderdale. two years later, Shea decided to make the move to Charleston. Not able to find work as a landscape architect, he got a job as the Marketing Coordinator for… wait for it… Seabrook Island. While there, he discovered a passion for graphic design and photography and focused his energy on those disciplines. After gaining experience as a freelance graphic designer and photographer with local agencies, he was given the opportunity to practice landscape architecture once again with Seamon Whiteside.   The entrepreneurial side of Shea led him to his current endeavor with STEM Premier, a technology start-up in that connects academic and technical STEM students with colleges and companies. He manages business development and educational partnerships for the Mt. Pleasant-based company. Shea is known to take on freelance photography and graphic design projects as well.   On his own time, Shea enjoys being active and outside. He loves paddle boarding, landscape photography and is an avid runner. If it’s raining, you will find him with a cup of coffee working on his next graphic design project.

Marcus is a resident of Charlotte, North Carolina where he has lived for the past 19 years.  He is married to his lovely wife Tonya and has two children, John (10) and Amelia (born 8/2/13).

Marcus was born and raised in a military family. His father, William Terry is a retired Marine Corps officer who spent a total of 20 years in the service.  Marcus was born on the Naval Base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba in 1976 and grew up in Northern Virginia and Okinawa, Japan.  Upon his father’s retirement from the Marine Corps in 1991, the family moved to Chapel Hill, NC where Marcus finished High School before attending college at The University of North Carolina at Charlotte where he received his degree in Architecture in 1998.

Marcus now practices architecture in Charlotte with RPA Design. His focus for much of his career has been on environments for the aging population.  He has designed many nursing homes around the Carolina’s and has worked with The Department of Veteran’s Affairs on the design of many VA Living Centers and Veteran’s Homes.

Marcus enjoys doing graphic design projects as a hobby among other things.  He also loves fishing, golf and is learning tennis from his wife who is a solid amateur tennis player.  He hopes to be able to beat her at some point in his life.  She refused to play him while she was 9 months pregnant when he felt he had his best chance.

Marcus was inspired to create this design while he was participating in the 2009 Bridge Run.  The design portrays a perspective from on the bridge itself.  When running on the bridge and approaching the pylons, the stay cables seem to stretch past you in all directions creating a fascinating visual pattern that draw your eye straight through the bridge itself, motivating you to power through!  The colors selected were meant to reflect the bright and vibrant character of the City of Charleston and it’s residents who open their arms to us year after year.  Marcus is looking forward to seeing the bridge again from this rare vantage point again in April 2014.

Peyton was born September 10, 2003, in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, to Jennifer and Noah Moore.  He was a 4th grade student at Mount Pleasant Academy and formerly at The O’Quinn School in Mount Pleasant. He loved sports and being outdoors and was a member of The Mount Pleasant Track Club, the Charleston Running Club, Charleston Runs, and USA Track and Field.  Peyton ran the Cooper River Bridge Kids run from 2005 to 2012 and then ran the Cooper River Bridge 10K in 2013. Always wanting to encourage others, he was a supporter of the Injured Marines Semper Fi Fund, and when running, wanted to recognize those who were supporting any event. Peyton loved chess, drawing and playing piano.

Not one to sit around, Peyton was also a member of the International Juggler’s Association, the Cub Scouts, and was a strong athlete. He was a member of the Mount Pleasant Redskins Championship Football Team, qualified and competed in the USA Track & Field2012 National Junior Olympic Championship, and was the number one Javelin Thrower in the State of South Carolina for 9 and 10 year olds. And, even at his young age, he was an inspiration by serving as a running coach for adults in Couch to 5k groups, tutored other students, and was the leading scorer on his basketball team this past year. Even with all of Peyton’s love of sports from kayaking to swimming, boating to football, he also loved school and his teachers, making straight A’s and holding perfect attendance. He was recognized for the Principle’s Honor Roll each year. Peyton’s family, however, was number one! He loved to be with his grandparents on their boat, swim off their dock, run with his dad, and camping and spending hours talking with his mama about life and love.

A 1990 graduate of the Citadel.  Following graduation, he was commissioned in the U.S. Navy.  Went to flight school and flew both SH-60B Seahawk helicopters and T-34C trainers as an instructor.  Completed two long cruise deployments to Europe and the Middle East (plus the Suez and Panama Canals).
Kevin separated from Naval Service in Jan, 2001 to pursue a career in commercial aviation.  After serving as a First Officer at Atlantic Coast Airlines/Independence Air for 5 years (Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet), Kevin was furloughed as the airline enacted a RIF to remain financially solvent.  Choosing not to remain in the airline industry, Kevin became a certified personal trainer for two years, and then entered the teaching arena, becoming a middle school math teacher at a North Charleston Title I. school from 2008-2011.  He is proud to have accepted an opportunity to return to his alma  mater to work with a new generation of Cadets and future leaders of the community and the country.  He is currently serving the Corps as F Co. Tactical Officer.
Kevin enjoys spending his free time painting, traveling and serving his community through local organizations including “Run Buddies”, Louie’s Kids, Pet Helpers, Charleston Animal Society and the American Red Cross.

Kevin also enjoys training for endurance events including marathons, triathlons, and cycling races.  He has two adopted daughters, Luna and Comet, who provide him canine levity and random acts of kindness.