The School of Visual Concept’s annual Steamroller Smackdown is returning to the SLU Block Party. The artistic competition will be full steamroller ahead on Friday, August 11. Representatives from 20 local companies around the Northwest, including Amazon, Facebook, Tableau, Paper Hammer, and more, will create oversized posters that are printed with a 5-ton steamroller rather than a printing press.

This year’s non-profit partner is KEXP, and so the theme, Where the Music Matters, is quite fitting. Cutting the linoleum is incredibly time consuming, so teams work on developing and cutting their designs months leading up to the competition. The day of the event, the competition runs in five one-hour heats of four teams each with the steamroller. There are three criteria for judging: the creative interpretation of the theme, aesthetic merit, and team spirit.

Visit SVC’s website for more information.