The annual Bay Ridge 5th Avenue Business Improvement District Community Banner Contest is a competition so nice, Adrian Stupica decided to win it twice. Well, BID officials actually decided to name him the victor, but you get the gist — the man has skills. Stupica, a 2004 Mentor High School gradua te, also won the contest last year with his design titled “Bay Ridge is Everything,” transforming his love for art into creations seen by thousands daily in the South Brooklyn neighborhood. In addition to having his 2025 “The Heart of Bay Ridge” banner displayed along Fifth Avenue on light poles stretching roughly 15 blocks until September 2026, the 39-year-old was also awarded a $500 prize from the Bay Ridge Fifth Avenue BID. The design depicts local businesses as heart icons, such as a bike chain heart for the bicycle shop, a popcorn heart for the movie theater, a pepperoni pizza heart for pizzerias, and a heart-shaped balloon for the party supply store, among others. Adrian Stupica's 2025 winning banner design titled, “The Heart of Bay Ridge.” (Submitted) “The business district is the beating heart of any community, especially Bay Ridge, which is what inspired the heart icons,” Stupica said. “To win once is exciting, but winning twice is validating and proof that my designs resonate. As someone from Ohio and who has lived in Bay Ridge for the last six years, seeing my artwork on display makes me feel like I am earning my place in the community and making my mark on this place I now call home.” The public relations professional first saw the inaugural contest promoted on the BID’s Instagram account and decided to submit his designs “on a whim,” truly not thinking anything would come of his efforts. Time proved him wrong. “I figured I would try again this year and secured my second victory, which is a huge honor,” Stupica said. “Art has always been a passion of mine, but my educational background is in strategic communications and business. I strive to make art that delivers a message and has intention. I am inspired not only by my upbringing in Mentor and the amazing art educators who laid my foundation, but in the constant inspiration that New York City offers. “I am also a huge pop culture fanatic, so that plays a part in jumpstarting my creativity as well,” he added. “The contest only accepts original designs. Ironically, I was told that some of the submissions this year included AI-generated images, so the judging criteria needed to account for this, a sign of the times.” Stupica isn’t quite sure about “a threepeat” just yet, but noted that he’ll cross that bridge next year. “I am currently working on converting more of my apparel designs into digital format so that I can relaunch my website, which I have paused for the last few years,” he said. “I’m hoping to re-establish my apparel brand and continue to make art a larger part of my professional life. That dream of being a full-time, professional artist is something that still intrigues me.” As people noticed Stupica’s designs, he started receiving requests for commissions, which helped his career evolve. He ended up painting two murals in Manhattan — one for the Andaz Fifth Avenue hotel’s fifth anniversary, and one in First Street Green Park on the Lower East Side. He also collaborated on custom apparel for Beyoncé’s stylist, Ty Hunter, Olympic powerlifter Donovan Ford and “Project Runway” alum Valerie Mayen, among others. “As I navigated the New York City social scene, I noticed people were wearing similar styles of outfits that I would see at popular retailers,” Stupica said. “To differentiate myself and harness a new creative outlet, I started painting on apparel so that I could not only advertise my work, but it was also much easier to store in my apartment. “As time went on and my custom, hand-painted designs became difficult to replicate on a mass scale, I started to convert my designs into a digital format, which is the medium I used to create my design for the banner contest,” he added. Once the pandemic occurred, Stupica realized the need to establish a more consistent stream of revenue and decided to pursue public relations full-time, where he has been working with luxury brands since. Although he considers himself a New Yorker, his Northeast Ohio roots remain relevant. “I must shout out my family and friends who have been supportive of me….they are a huge motivation for me,” Stupica emphasized. “I also want to shout out my art educators from Mentor, like Mrs. Blazey, Ms. Connor, Mrs. Kane and Mr. Reichert, who I am still great friends with today. “They created a safe space for students to express themselves, and having that outlet was truly lifesaving for me.” Adrian Stupica at work on his Andaz Fifth Avenue mural. (Submitted) ...read more read less