Winner:
dug NAP

Runner-Up:
Matthew Thorsen

WATCH WORDS

No one says it stranger than Burlington artist dug nap — lower case intentional. And the way he illustrates his words ain’t exactly Hallmark, either. But the former punk-rocker certainly strikes a nerve with offbeat observations and exhortations, such as “Down with Underpants” “Life is Shor” and “I Need a Spank,” rendered in child-like lettering on hang-able signs. Nap’s entertaining cards, prints and paintings aren’t the only reason Seven Days readers picked him out of Vermont’s enormous community of visual artists. He’s a serious creator who never stops evolving. His newest “spoken word” work has put him back in the performing spotlight.

-Paula Routly