The Seattle Seahawks host their division rival, the San Francisco 49ers, in a highly anticipated Week 15 Thursday Night Football matchup. In order to exhibit the diverse artistic talent in the Seattle area, the Seattle Seahawks Gameday Poster Series allows local artists to showcase their imagination and artwork for everyone to enjoy and admire. This week's poster will be presented and illustrated by Stevie Shao.
This is the fourth year where the Seahawks Gameday Poster Series have established a partnership with two brilliant artists, Barry Ament and Coby Schultz, also referred to as the Ames Bros. The proceeds from the purchase of these limited gameday edition posters are designed to benefit a local organization each week. The Week 15 beneficiary is The Black Future Co-Op Fund, Washington's first cooperative philanthropy created by and for Black people to ignite Black generational wealth, health, and well-being statewide. The Fund is intended to connect Black communities for collective power, promote a truthful Black narrative, and uplift Black-led solutions that foster Black prosperity over generations.
Stevie Shao, The Artist
For this week's gameday poster, we are featuring Stevie Shao, a Seattle native illustrator and muralist who has been a part of the art industry her entire life. Her love for art started young where she grew that passion through countless hours of painting and drawing and her deep appreciation of her surroundings. When the world faced a rough stretch during COVID, Stevie was laid off from her job, but took advantage of this time to develop new tastes, and uncover new talents that has led to the creation of her designs today. The inspirations of her work range endlessly from her Chinese heritage, to her adoration for the animals and plants of the Pacific Northwest, and to historic folktales. Additionally, Stevie looks up to many illustrators in this industry for motivation such as Stacey Rozich, a local illustrator and muralist from Seattle, who integrates artwork from her heritage and utilizes storytelling as a way to display her piece. Stevie has a knack for bringing her artwork to life, but when she is not busy perfecting her craft and devising new illustrative pieces and designs, you can find her running, and walking, and admiring the fish, seals, and birds at Ballard Locks.
Stevie's freelancing career started during her undergraduate studies where she has worked for various clients that include small businesses in Seattle, REI, Outdoor Research, Sub Pop Records, and large scaled companies like Google and Nordstrom. However, if you find yourself strolling through the University District, you can see her beautiful wall mural displayed on the Crossroads Trading Building and other artwork portrayed in the neighborhoods of Capitol Hill and Ballard and at the Monorail Espresso in Seattle. Stevie is always seeking ways to take her artwork to the next level and to not remain complacent. She recently painted in a mural festival this past summer that left her the impressions of being "fulfilling and awesome." She wants to emerge herself more in this environment where she can surround herself with other veteran artists to absorb their knowledge and techniques. Stevie would like to thank her illustration professor in college, Rachell Sumpter, for helping her make cold calls to local Seattle businesses to help jumpstart her freelancing career. Stevie's successful career so far was obtained through hard work, dedication, and overcoming the adversity she faced two years ago during COVID. For the new illustrators and designers in the industry, she wants to remind them "to keep going, be visible, stay busy, and most importantly, be a good person."
The Artwork
Stevie has been following the Seahawks Gameday Poster Series for quite some time and heard about it through other illustrators and designers in the local area. "She has always admired the project and was super stoked to participate." Stevie grew up a Seahawks fan and remembered when they first won the Super Bowl back in 2014 and was debating if she should skip school or not to attend the Super Bowl parade in downtown Seattle. Now that she was given the opportunity to create a poster for the football team she grew up cheering for as a kid, this became a full circle moment for her. Her poster incorporates a mixture of blues and greens to display the Seahawks colors, and she utilized the Seahawk as her main subject that was inspired by "folk-art imagery and being Chinese." To be selected to work on this project for the Seattle Seahawks is very significant for her personally, and professionally, and it allows her to show her "hometown pride," and be a part of an elite group that she looks up to in the industry.
The Seattle Seahawks take on the San Francisco 49ers for Week 15 of the 2022 season. Take a look back at some of their previous matchups.
Seattle Seahawks fullback Dan Doornink (33) runs upfield during an NFL game against the San Francisco 49ers in San Francisco, Oct. 7, 1979. The Seahawks defeated the 49ers 35-24. (AP Photo/Al Messerschmidt)
San Francisco quarterback Joe Montana (16) passes during an NFL football game against Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Nov. 25, 1985, in San Francisco. The 49ers won the game, 19-6. (AP Photo/Greg Trott)
San Francisco 49ers Ronnie Lott pulls down Seattle Seahawks receiver Steve Largent (80) for a short gain in the first quarter at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, Aug. 29, 1986. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
Jerry Rice (80) of the San Francisco 49ers dives into the endzone for a touchdown after catching a 30-yard pass from Joe Montana during the second quarter on Friday, Sept. 1, 1989 in Seattle, against the Seahawks. Unable to make the play for the Seahawks in Dwayne Harper (29). (AP Photo/Bill Chan)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Dave Krieg gives the number one sign as he lines up behind Seahawks tackle Andy Heck (66) during the second quarter at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, Sept. 1, 1990. The Seahawks beat the 49ers 30-10. (AP Photo/John Mabanglo)
Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Sam Adams (98) fights his way through the blocking of 49ers offensive guard Derrick Deese (63) during a 9 to 13 Seattle Seahawks preseason loss to the San Francisco 49ers on August 26, 1994 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California. (AP Photo/Paul Spinelli)
Seattle Seahawks running back Ricky Watters (32) evades San Francisco 49ers' Monty Montgomery on a first-quarter run Saturday, Aug. 19, 2000, in Seattle. Watters made a first down on the play. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander (37) makes touchdown on Saturday, August 25, 2001, in San Francisco, California. The Seahawks defeated the 49ers 28-18 in a preseason game. (AP Photo/Al Golub)
Seattle Seahawks defensive back Reggie Tongue (25) moves in to finish off tackle on San Francisco 49ers wide receiver Tai Streets (89) on Sunday, December 1, 2002, in San Francisco, California. The 49ers defeated the Seahawks 31-24. (AP Photo/Al Golub)
Seattle Seahawks' Antonio Cochran (78) celebrates a fumble recovery by teammate safety Ken Hamlin on the first play after the 2-minute warning in the fourth quarter against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2003, in Seattle. The Seahawks won 20-19. At left is 49ers' Ron Stone. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks' Ken Lucas (21) grabs San Francisco 49ers Jamal Robertson on a run in the fourth quarter Sunday, Sept. 26, 2004, in Seattle. Robertson was held to no gain on the play, and the Seahawks won, 34-0. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
San Francisco 49ers' Shawntae Spencer, left, pushes Seattle Seahawks' Joe Jurevicius out of bounds on a first quarter pass reception, Sunday, Dec. 11, 2005, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander, front left, is brought down by San Francisco 49ers linebacker Manny Lawson, back, and linebacker Brandon Moore, right, in the second half of an NFL football game in San Francisco, Sunday, Nov. 19, 2006. San Francisco won 20-14. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck (8) smiles after greeting former teammate and San Francisco 49ers back-up quarterback Trent Dilfer after an NFL football game Monday, Nov. 12, 2007, in Seattle. The Seahawks won 24-0. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks running back Justin Forsett (30) is tackled by San Francisco 49ers running back Michael Robinson (24) during an NFL football game in San Francisco, Sunday, Oct. 26, 2008. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck (8) passes under pressure by San Francisco 49ers' Takeo Spikes in the fourth quarter during an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009, in Seattle, Wash. Hasselbeck completed the pass to T.J. Houshmandzadeh. The Seahawks won 20-17. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Seattle Seahawks running back Michael Robinson #26 during an NFL football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers December 12, 2010 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco Ca. The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Seattle Seahawks 40 - 21 in regular season week fourteen action. (Ap Photo/ Bill Nichols)
San Francisco 49ers defensive lineman Justin Smith (94) bull rushes the quarterback during an NFL game against Seattle Seahawks offensive lineman Robert Gallery (72) on Saturday, Dec. 24, 2011, in Seattle. The 49ers won the game, 19-17. (AP Photo/Greg Trott)
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Doug Baldwin (89) catches a pass in front of San Francisco 49ers cornerback Chris Culliver (29) during the second quarter of an NFL football game in San Francisco, Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
NFL Football: NFC Conference Playoff: San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks Game Action CenturyLink Field/Seattle, WA, USA 1/19/2014 X157457 TK1 Credit: Rod Mar
FILE - In this Jan. 26, 2014, file photo, Seattle Seahawks' Richard Sherman (25) tips a pass in the endzone intended for San Francisco 49ers' Michael Crabtree (15) in the final minute of the second half of the NFC championship NFL football game in Seattle. Seattle's Malcolm Smith intercepted the tipped pass. Sherman was fined $7,875 for unsportsmanlike conduct/taunting after he made a choking gesture after the play toward the San Francisco bench that he said was directed at quarterback Colin Kaepernick. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)
Seattle Seahawks running back Thomas Rawls (34) scores a touchdown between San Francisco 49ers middle linebacker Gerald Hodges (51), strong safety Jaquiski Tartt (29) and linebacker Michael Wilhoite (57) during the first half of an NFL football game in Santa Clara, Calif., Sunday, Jan. 1, 2017. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner intercepts a 49ers pass near the goal line and heads upfield.
