For a second year, in the spirit of bringing together creative expression and love for nature, the KNPS Board sponsored a Wildflower Weekend 2025 Logo Design Contest. This was an open design contest to come up with a logo for Wildflower Weekend 2025 (April 11-13 at Carter Caves SRP). The logo will be used on t-shirts, hoodies, and coffee cups, as well as on all publicity about the event. The submitted designs will be presented to the KNPS membership for voting and the winner will be awarded $200 and be recognized on the KNPS website.
Wildflower Weekend 2025 will be held at Carter Caves SRP in Carter County. The county is a hot spot of Viola diversity in Kentucky, with 13 species of Viola found in the county. One species of violet was selected to be the species around which the logo design would focus, the three-parted yellow violet (Viola tripartita). It is native to Eastern North America, being primarily found in the Southern Appalachian Mountains. The species is rare throughout its range, especially so in Kentucky where it has only been reported from Carter County.
We put out a call to artists and graphic designers who were members of the Kentucky Native Plant Society in early December. The submitted designs were then presented to the KNPS membership for voting during the month of January. The membership of KNPS responded, with 130 members casting a vote. The beautiful logo featured above came out on top as the winning entry. The design, featuring the three-parted yellow violet, two other species of violet found in Carter county, and a background of Carter Caves, was submitted by Cheryll Frank of Scott Co., KY.
Cheryll Frank, Winner
Cheryll Frank has been an artist and amateur naturalist from an early age, and is currently enrolled in the 2025 KY Master Naturalist cohort. She has a BS in Sustainable Agriculture from the University of Kentucky and lives on 10 acres in Scott County with her husband Bruce (also an artist) and a four-legged population. She is a member of Wild Ones Lexington, Sierra Club Kentucky, National Wildlife Federation and the Central Kentucky Bonsai Society.
Her most recent DIY project is replacing a 250 square foot conventional front garden with native pollinator-friendly plants. An earlier project—the planting of a small Miyawaki style ‘forest’ of native trees and shrubs in a hedgerow—has boosted the local bird population. Phase two of ‘the forest’ will include the addition of ground covers and ephemerals.
Another Wildflower Weekend 2025 Logo Submission
Besides the winning design, there was a second submission that was equally lovely. The second design, by Anne Proffitt of Louisville showed the three-parted violet as an herbarium specimen. KNPS extends our thanks and appreciation to both Cheryll and Anne for submitting their beautiful and creative visions.
Anne Proffitt
My name is Anne H. Proffitt, a 6th generation Kentuckian living in Louisville. I’ve enjoyed a lifetime of wildflowers, birds and natural beauty from our state and share my joy through my artwork. I paint and draw free hand, focusing on the wildflowers and birds of Kentucky! When I’m not painting or at work, I appreciate the great outdoors in all-weather. One of my favorite places to be is Bernheim Forest in Nelson County. I am a Volunteer Naturalist there, helping our visitors connect more deeply with nature.