Promote The Vote: Banner Projects

The Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County (AHCMC) invites current students and alumni of Montgomery College to submit designs for Promote the Vote 2024, a banner design contest aimed at encouraging young and first-time voters to register and participate in the 2024 election.

Read the full artist call HERE.

Concept 

  • Applicants will be paid by AHCMC to design and create banners.
  • Banners may only include one word, VOTE. 
    • VOTE may be translated into any language representative of the community, and may appear multiple times, but no other text is allowable.
  • No partisanship messaging or imagery allowed.
  • Only applicants capable of producing imagery that can be translated to a temporary banner should apply – painting, graphic design, drawing, illustration, and similar media are welcome.
  • A selection committee will review all submissions and select one design.
  • The selected designs will be reproduced and printed as vinyl banners and installed at designated sites.
  • AHCMC will cover all expenses related to reproduction and printing.
  • AHCMC and Montgomery College will publicize the selected poster.

      Artist Eligibility 

      Montgomery college students and alumni between the ages of 18-25 years of age and based in Montgomery County, MD are eligible to submit. 

      • Applicants may submit up to (3) “Promote the Vote” designs. Designs must be completed within a square orientation. (all banners will be printed at dimensions of 10′ x 10′)
      • The first 100 students/designers submitting concept proposals will be paid a flat $50 stipend for any/all design concepts.

      Artist Fee

      The selected artist will receive a payment of $1,500 upon acceptance of final banner design.

      Schedule 

      • August 14 – Call to Students Issued 
      • September 13 at 5:00PM – Submission Deadline 
      • Week of September 16 – Submissions Reviewed and Winners Notified 
      • Week of September 30 – Banners Installed

      Application Materials

      Applications should include all of the following:

      • 1-3 proposed design(s)/renderings(s)/drawing(s).
      • Narrative/description for each concept. (150 word limit each)
      • Contact Information
        • Applicant’s Full Name
        • Applicant’s Phone Number
        • Applicant’s Email Address
        • Applicant’s Current Mailing Address
        • Applicant’s Date of Birth
        • Applicant’s Enrollment Status at Montgomery College (e.g. currently enrolled, alumni)
      • A completed W9 Form.
      • BIPOC and ALAANA Artists (African, Latinx, Asian, Arab, and Native American) are highly encouraged to apply. 

      Equity & Inclusion

      With the acknowledgement and understanding that access to resources has been historically limited for certain groups of people, AHCMC is committed to cultural equity within all funding activities and to serving communities that have been traditionally underrepresented in mainstream funding, discourse, leadership, and resource allocation including, but not limited to, Black, Indigenous, Native American, Latinx, Chicanx, Arab, MENASA (Middle Eastern, North African, South Asian), Asian, Pacific Islander, and other communities of color, socio-economically disadvantaged communities, differently abled individuals and/or people with disabilities, and Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual constituents. Artists in these communities are highly encouraged to apply.

      How to Submit

      ** Please read the entire artist call before applying. **

      • Use the downloadable application form template located in the artist call to submit contact information and narrative description(s).
        • Use the link to download and complete the application form template.
        • Save your completed application form using the following naming convention: [First Name][Last Name]_Application Form. Example: JonesJane_Application Form.doc or JonesJane_Application Form.pdf. 
        • Save design submission files as individual JPEGS using the following naming convention: [First Name][Last Name]_[Design #]. Example: JonesJane_Design1.jpg 
      • Upload the completed application form, design files and completed W9 form via the DropBox link located in the artist call. You do not need to create a DropBox account to upload your files. 

            Please send all questions and inquiries to publicart@creativemoco.com

            Read the full artist call HERE.