Call for Summer 2024 Poster Artist: Submissions are now closed.
Submissions are under review. We are not accepting new submissions at this time.
Clarion West is searching for an artist to create artwork for our 2024 summer programming! Please share this call with the artists you know that might be a great fit, and see below for details.
What we’re looking for
Every summer, we want to commission a piece of art that inspires us and our writers to create and explore with bravery and freedom. The art needs to represent the genres of science fiction, fantasy, and/or horror in some way, while also supporting our core values of diversity, inclusion, and supporting emerging writers. (You can see the work of our 2023 poster artist, Charis Loke, here as just one example.)
The right artwork will incorporate our 40th Anniversary and be used throughout 2024 to promote the anniversary, the Write-a-thon, and the summer reading series. The artwork will not be used beyond 2024, unless agreed upon between the artist and Clarion West.
In addition to serving as our poster image, the artwork (or elements of it) will appear in much of Clarion West’s summer programming and 40th Anniversary materials and promotions, which will likely include the Write-a-thon website, social media banners and posts, event banners and posts, YouTube banner and slides, the cover of student notebooks, thank-you cards, etc.
Clarion West is also interested in pursuing merchandising of the artwork, with royalty percentage to be negotiated with the artist.
Additional details
Since the poster art will be overlaid with text by Clarion West staff, the artist will need to make sure to incorporate open space into the poster design. (Again, see our 2023 poster for reference.) The poster will be physically printed for distribution around Seattle for advertising the summer readings, distributed amongst students, instructors, and donors, and will also appear in digital formats.
As described in the prior section, Clarion West would like to use individual elements of the overall artwork to create unique graphics for social media and promotional materials throughout the year. “Cutting out” individual elements from the artwork may either be done by Clarion West staff or the artist themselves (at an additional fee) depending on availability, preference, and cost. (See here for an example of how Clarion West may use individual elements of the artwork.)
The artist retains all rights not described here, and is free to include the work in their portfolio once it has appeared with Clarion West.
Compensation will depend on experience, starting at $950.
Timeline
Artist applications due: January 15, 2023
Artist selected: January 29, 2024 (with contract signed shortly thereafter)
Concept sketch(es) due: February 23, 2024
Final art due: April 12, 2024
Payment rendered: Promptly upon receipt of final art
To apply
To be considered as our summer artist, please submit your application here by Monday, January 15, at 11:59pm Pacific Time.
BIPOC, PGM (People of the Global Majority), and LGBTQIA+ artists encouraged to apply.