50SS 2019 Theme Revealed!

It's almost 2019, and we are happy to announce that the location for the fourth edition of #50SS will be Anchorage, Alaska! This shouldn't come as too much of a surprise, but hey - Fairbanks and Juneau were valid possibilities, too! The port city of Anchorage is the most populous city in Alaska, with nearly half of the entire state's population living here. The city is located on the northern shores of the south-central area of Alaska, bordering the Gulf of Alaska, just north of the Kodiak Peninsula. Aside from being a business center and tourist destination, it is also a center of culture - the City of Lights and Flowers. It serves as a hub for mid-Pacific travel, and has a spectacular view of the Chugach Mountain Range. Further north of Anchorage is Denali, the tallest mountain in North America. The contest's theme centers around the totem pole - a type of carved monument that combines multiple designs into a single story. They derive from the Haida, Tlingit, and Tsimshian communities in Southeast Alaska. According to cultural researchers, totem poles symbolize the characters and events in mythology, or convey the experiences of recent ancestors and living people. A totem pole's story is read from the bottom of the pole to the top. In the above postcard, the totem pole tells the story of our journey through this year's 50 States of Song. Starting from the bottom of the pole, we see an introduction to Alaska and its culture (the five stripes and the Alaskan stars from its flag, which resemble the Big Dipper and the North Star); the bear playing a piano (mascot for the 1st Semifinal); the man singing with a microphone (mascot for the 2nd semifinal); and the owl taking flight (the mascot for the Final Round and winning song). You will see variants of this totem pole as we progress through this year's contest, and variants of the postcard to represent each of the 51 entries. The colors for contest will be derived from the text and totem pole designs... there's a lot going on!

What do you think? Let us know in the comments below. As the weeks progress we will incorporate more of the theme and related designs into our website and social media.

Cheers!