STURGIS, S.D. — Morgan Bauer, a 23-year-old first-grade teacher from North Dakota, has won the City of Sturgis Motorcycle Rally Logo Contest for the 84th Rally.
Bauer, who teaches at Kidder County School in Steele, ND, grew up in Bismarck and graduated from Century High School in 2019. She earned her teaching degree from the University of Mary in Bismarck.
In the fall of 2022, the city of Sturgis invited artists to design a special logo for the 84th City of Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in 2024, with a top prize of $5,000. The design needed to incorporate the existing City Brand Marks and elements highlighting the rally.
Bauer’s winning design features a motorcycle tire track encircling Bear Butte and the City of Sturgis Motorcycle Rally mark, reflecting the event’s tagline, “The Ride. The Roar. The Rally.” Bauer was thrilled to learn she had won. “I was smiling from ear to ear,” she said.
Bauer attended the rally for the first time in 2022 with her brother and was inspired by the creativity of the bike owners. “Sturgis is a unique experience like no other,” she remarked.
Though Bauer has limited experience in commercial drawing, she has created logos for her parents’ business and friends. The contest attracted over 100 entries, which were narrowed down to five finalists. The public then voted online to select the winner.
Bauer’s design will be used in advertisements, digital media, news releases, points of sale, products, and merchandise sold online and in Sturgis locations and across the nation. City officials expressed satisfaction with the number and quality of entries, which came from Black Hills artists and others nationwide.
