Seeking figurative artists and illustrators to portray local farmers fighting climate change
Application deadline: March 1, 2023
Vital Communities’ Climate Farmer Stories project seeks artists to portray innovative farmers in our region whose practices address climate change. Artwork will be reproduced in a marketing campaign and exhibition that will promote sustainable farms and educate the public on the value of ecological farming — capturing carbon, cooling the climate, and building food systems resilience to extreme weather.
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Ideal applicants are Vermont or New Hampshire residents with experience working in an illustrative or narrative visual mode. Digital artists, illustrators, printmakers, painters and other 2-D artists are encouraged to apply.
Artists will be asked to:
- Visit an Upper Valley area farm and familiarize themselves with how the farmer’s practices address climate issues.
- Create one or more concept sketches and incorporate feedback from the Art Director before creating the final artwork.
- Provide high resolution, high quality digital files of the artwork (including scanning or photographing non digital art), and deliver final physical artwork to White River Junction.
Application Submission & Review Process
Please provide 10 digital samples of your work that you consider representative of the approach you would take with your “portrait(s)” for this project. You may link to a portfolio site or website. A free portfolio site for this project can easily be created with Adobe. https://www.adobe.com/express/create/online-portfolio
Artist submissions will be reviewed first by a committee of Vital Communities staff and consultants. The committee will then forward a packet for farmer cohort members to review. Each farmer cohort member will review the array of artists and their materials, and will choose an artist whose work most appeals to them.
Timeline, and time commitment
- January 13: Opportunity released.
- March 1: Deadline for submissions.
- March 21: Receive notification of acceptance.
- April 5: Contracts signed.
- April 10: All artists meet with Vital Communities project team for a virtual kick-off meeting.
- April-May: Artists coordinate with farmers to visit farm and plan image focus
- June 30: Artists submit concept sketch(es) to Art Director and incorporate feedback. First payment with sketch approval.
- June/July date TBD: Twilight pizza social with farmers and artists (optional).
- August 15: Artist submit final digital art to Art Director and original art to Vital Communities (if applicable). Final payment.
- September 1: Physical artwork delivery deadline.
Criteria
- Artwork must be made to provided dimensions
- Artist must provide high-quality digitization of artwork for reproduction
Contract and Payments
- Artists will be compensated $1650 per farmer/farm portrait. Payment will be in two parts: $650 on approval of concept sketch, and $1000 on delivery of final digital art. Artists will need to provide a W-9.
- Usage: Artwork may be used in the following ways: Print advertising (circulation less than 125,000); On the Vital Communities website, social media pages and email list (list size 12,000+/-); in limited run posters, calendars, notecards, stickers, and promotional materials related to the project; and by the farmers for their own marketing purposes, as well as in the regionally traveling exhibition.
- Artists will retain copyright to their work and the right to use it for their own promotional purposes. They will also be credited in print reproductions of their work, and in the exhibition.
Questions
Where are the farms located? In Vermont and New Hampshire, with the bulk of farms within the Vital Communities service area. As of this writing, the farms are not confirmed.
Who is funding this project? The funder of this project is the USDA Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP).
Are any artists involved in the project committee? Yes. The Climate Farmer portraits are the brainchild of Cecily Anderson of Anagram. She is the consulting artist for the project and will be reviewing submissions, working with artists, and creating the portrait-based collateral.