Unleash the artist within! New Mardi Gras is on the hunt for an artist to create the key artwork for next year’s Mardi Gras season.

The poster has been an integral part of Mardi Gras since 1978, and the series of 33 posters up to the present day provides a unique perspective on our community’s changing issues, passions and aspirations for the future and your masterpiece could become a poster 34!

Today the season artwork lives across many media types. As well as posters, the artwork is displayed on more than a hundred street banners through the city, bus shelters, the cover of NMG festival guide, t-shirts, web banners, flyers and at the Mardi Gras Gallery. This is an opportunity to be part of that history and to have a unique profile as an artist within the Mardi Gras Festival.

The Brief

Mardi Gras is after a piece of art or design that fits squarely with the organisation’s mission to raise the visibility of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, intersex and queer people and to create events of celebration, as well as promoting a broader message of diversity, pride and acceptance.

We have not chosen a theme for 2011, but will instead look to you to provide inspiration for next year’s Mardi Gras.

We are looking for a bold, eye-catching message that will resonate with and delight an audience of our community and beyond. A serious message would be wonderful. So would something witty or of great beauty. If you can bring all these elements together, then even better!

The artwork can be created in any media (painting, photography, crafts, video, installation) so long as it can be adapted for all the uses described above.

Stage One – You come up with an idea (deadline COB Fri 30th July).

Think of your concepts and play around with some ideas. Get inspired and get at least some very rough sketches or thoughts down on paper, or video, or canvas. At this stage, we aren’t looking for polished material – just inspiring concepts.

Stage Two – We review your ideas (Sat July 31st – Wed 11th Aug).

A Mardi Gras panel will review the submissions and shortlist a set of concepts to go to the next stage. If your submission is chosen you will be invited to meet the panel.

The panel will want to make sure they fully understand your concept and discuss the production timeframe and costs.

They will want to see a portfolio of previous related work or have other evidence of your ability to deliver on your concept.

Stage Three – We choose a winning concept (Announced 12th Aug). A decision will be made based upon a match with the brief, cost and timing and the winner will be contacted and engaged to produce the final artwork (due by mid-September).

PRIZE

The creator of the winning concept will win a prize of $2,000 plus the agreed cost of creating the finished artwork.

Please send your Stage One submissions to Jeff McBride by 5 pm Fri 30th July