Yeji Seo, a Student at University of Southern California, Takes Home $1500 Grand Prize; Peter Greenwood Is the Professional Artist Winner and Sofia Limena Wins Student Award
Click Here to View the Winning Designs and Finalists’ Submissions
PITTSBURGH, PA, September 10, 2025 – Congratulations to the winners of the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival’s (PIJF) First Annual Poster Competition, made possible with generous support from Duolingo. Yeji Seo, a senior at the University of Southern California, is the grand prize winner of $1500. United Kingdom freelance illustrator Peter Greenwood takes home the $500 Professional Artist award and Sofia Limena, a student at Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Mellon University, receives the $350 Student Artist prize.
“I’ve wanted to do a poster competition for about 10 years, and I’m so pleased that we are able to do it on our 15th anniversary,” said Janis Burley, CEO/President of the August Wilson African American Cultural Center and producer of PIJF. “Romare Bearden was influenced by jazz in his paintings, sculptor Thad Mosely has referenced jazz as a muse, channeling the improvisational methods in jazz as inspiration. I wanted to introduce a visual art complement to the presentation of music at the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival, and for our inaugural poster contest, the submissions from artists around the world exceeded our expectations. The creativity, variety of styles from minimal to highly detailed and colorful made judging an exhilarating challenge. A special thanks to Duolingo for their sponsorship, to Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield for making the festival possible and to Caleb Smith, AWAACC’s Curatorial Fellow, for coordinating the competition. We look forward to expanding this initiative next year.”
“Pittsburgh is home to one of the world’s great jazz festivals, and it’s also home to Duolingo. It’s inspiring to see artists from across the globe connect with our hometown community through this poster competition” said Kendra Ross, Head of Social Impact, Duolingo. “At Duolingo, we’re committed to removing barriers to access, whether through our app, which now includes dozens of language courses, as well as math, music, and even chess, or through partnerships that celebrate culture and creativity. Supporting the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival is a natural fit and a meaningful way to honor both our city and the global community.”
In addition to the three prize winners, Professional Artist Finalists are Patrick Everett, Jennifer Ancizar, Brian Bornes, Mayo Bous, Nigel Owen and Itxill Osoirio Gonsen. Student Artist Finalists Haleah Baumgardner, Phoenix Gruver, Nneamaka Esther Adebi, Mia Lee Moore, Sydney Noelle Mornet and Milton Gordon submitted outstanding entries as well.
The submissions of the winners and finalists can be viewed here.
The competition, which ended July 30, served as a stellar opportunity for student and professional artists to highlight their skills as it relates to their love of Jazz and Black American Music.
ABOUT THE PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL
The 15th edition of the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival co-presented by Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, produced by the August Wilson African American Cultural Center, takes place September 18 – 21, 2025 inside AWAACC with free concerts on Saturday and Sunday in front of the Center. In addition to the Jazz Train and ticketed events featuring a Salute to George Benson with Dan Wilson and Jonathan Butler and the Taste of Jazz Party, the weekend’s artists include Branford Marsalis, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Eric Benét, Bilal, Jazzmeia Horn, Etienne Charles & Creole Soul, Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, Tarbaby, Obed Calvaire, Keith David, Be’la Dona, Kandace Springs, Ella Bric, Nathan-Paul Davis, Michael Mayo, John Shannon, Ekep Nkwelle and more.
SPONSORS
The 2025 Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival is co-presented by Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, with generous support from the Mellon Foundation. Additional sponsors include The Wilson Group, UPMC and UPMC Health Plan, Xfinity, Ya Momz House, Inc., BMW of Pittsburgh, Visit Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, Rivers Casino, NRG Energy, and Duquesne University. Presenting Sponsor for the Libation Station Tent is Bacardi, with Arsenal Cider as a Supporting Libation Partner. Comcast NBC Universal is a Special Media Sponsor. Thank you to Duolingo for their generous support of the inaugural poster competition.
August Wilson African American Cultural Center’s presentation of the Jazzmeia Horn Quartet is supported through a Chamber Music America Presenter Consortium for Jazz grant in collaboration with Jazz House Kids and DC Jazz Festival. A component of the Doris Duke Jazz Ensembles Project, Presenter Consortium for Jazz is funded by the Doris Duke Foundation.
Major support for AWAACC’s operations is provided by Richard King Mellon Foundation, Henry L. Hillman Foundation, Heinz Endowments, and the Allegheny Regional Asset District (RAD).
AWAACC’s programming is made possible by generous support from its donors. For a complete list, visit awaacc.org.
ABOUT HIGHMARK INC.
An independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Highmark Inc., together with its Blue-branded affiliates, collectively comprise the fifth largest overall Blue Cross Blue Shield-affiliated organization in the country with approximately 7 million members in Pennsylvania, Delaware, West Virginia and western and northeastern New York. Its diversified businesses serve group customer and individual needs across the United States through dental insurance and other related businesses. For more information, visit www.highmark.com.
The Highmark Bright Blue Futures program’s goal is to ensure healthier, brighter, stronger futures for all, and it focuses on improving access to care, quality of life, and economic resilience in the communities the enterprise serves. For more information, visit Highmark Bright Blue Futures.
ABOUT DUOLINGO:
Duolingo is the most popular online learning platform. Its mission is to develop the best education in the world and make it universally available. Duolingo offers more than 248 total language courses for more than 40 distinct languages, from the world’s top five most spoken languages to less commonly taught languages such as Hawaiian, Navajo, and Scottish Gaelic.
ABOUT AUGUST WILSON AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER
The August Wilson African American Cultural Center is a nonprofit cultural organization located in Pittsburgh’s cultural district that generates artistic, educational, and community initiatives that advance the legacy of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright August Wilson. One of the largest cultural centers in the country focused exclusively on the African American experience and the celebration of Black culture and the African diaspora, the non-profit organization welcomes more than 100,000 visitors locally and nationally. Through year-round programming across multiple genres, such as the annual Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival, Black Bottom Film Festival, AWCommunity Days, TRUTHSayers speaker series, and rotating art exhibits in its galleries, the Center provides a platform for established and emerging artists of color whose work reflects the universal issues of identity that Wilson tackled, and which still resonate today.
For tickets and more information on the 15th Anniversary edition of the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival co-presented by Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, log on to https://pittsburghjazzfest.org.
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Media Contacts:
Carolyn McClair PR
(212) 721-3341 | CMcClair@awaacc.org
Khalil Waldron, Director
Marketing and Communications, AWAACC
(412) 742-4771 | Kwaldron@awaacc.org