In contribution to this year’s NEON Festival, AIGA Hampton Roads is bringing back SPARK — a juried exhibition & silent auction of posters exploring the most pressing issues in our communities.

About SPARK 2017

Last year, we asked you to send us your interpretation of the ’New Energy of Norfolk’ (NEON) – how it currently is and your hopes for how it could be. Your responses were incredible.

This year, we’re hoping to get closer to the issues at the hearts of our communities. As the professional association for design, AIGA Hampton Roads advocates for critical thought & creative solutions to difficult problems. We’re reaching out to our creative community to ask: “What’s an issue in your community that’s meaningful to you?”

Design an 18”x24” poster in response, and spark change with your design.

Awards

We are also happy to announce the following available awards:

• Best in Show: Awarded by the jury to the entrant whose poster design demonstrates excellence in concept, execution, and the congruency between the work and the statement of intent.
• People’s Choice: Awarded the night of the exhibition.
• Emerging Designer: Awarded by the jury to a student entrant.
• Honorable Mentions: Awarded by the jury.

The Deadline

Sunday, October 1 at 11:59pm.

Submitting your poster

1. Your file should be set up to 18” x 24” with a .125” bleed and crop marks. We made Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign templates for you to download here: http://bit.do/spark-templates.
2. Name your file with your first and last name. Example: Firstname-Lastname.pdf
3. Write a statement explaining how you responded to the prompt with your poster design.
4. Have your statement & poster file ready, then submit your work via:
   1. This form if you have a Gmail account.
   2. This form if you have any other type of email account.

FAQs

Is there a submission fee?
All entrants have 1 free submission.

Can I submit more than one design?
Yes. Additional entries are $10 each – payable at http://aiga-spark2017.eventbrite.com. You can submit more than one design, though we may not exhibit more than one. You’ll have to submit an individual form for each design.

Can my submission be created in another medium?
Whatever your medium – we don’t mind. Make sure to send us a digital file at the correct size (18” x 24” with .125” bleed and crop marks) and we can print it for you.

How will the posters be printed?
Selected submissions will be printed digitally.

How will I know if my poster will be included in the show?
All artists whose posters are selected will be notified by email by Saturday, October 7.

Tell me more about the exhibition & silent auction.
Save the date! The exhibition & silent auction takes place on Friday, October 20 along Magazine Lane in Norfolk’s NEON District. Top submissions will be printed, displayed, and held for silent auction. The proceeds of the silent auction benefit AIGA Hampton Road’s annual programming.

How will the posters be auctioned?
By submitting artwork for this event, you are giving permission for us to print digital copies of your submission.

What’s an example of an “issue”?
Last year, we created an interactive poster asking people to write down the issues they felt were most pressing in their communities. People responded with the following, and perhaps these will spark something for you:

• Sea level rise
• Equal access to quality education
• Funding for public school teachers & programs
• Race relations & community division
• Gentrification
• Affordable housing & homelessness
• The gender pay gap

We recommend researching & designing for an issue that is meaningful to you.

More questions?
Contact Janice Pang at janice@hamptonroads.aiga.org.

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