Vermont and New Hampshire Artists
Create Farmer Portraits that Help Change the Story about
Farms and Climate Change
Application deadline: May 31, 2022
Vital Communities’ Climate Farmer Stories project seeks professional artists to portray our region’s leading climate farmers in original portraits. 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 resilient food systems in the face of climate change.
The image on this page is art from a related pilot project run by Vital Communities and Vermont Organic Farmers in 2021.
We are seeking 2-D artists and illustrators who are sympathetic to local farming and climate change concerns, and whose primary residence is in Vermont or New Hampshire. We particularly invite BIPOC and LGBTQI+ artists to consider submitting work.
Submission review process
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
- April 25: Opportunity released
- May 31: Deadline for submissions
- June 24: Receive notification of acceptance.
- July 1: Contracts signed
- July 13: All artists meet with Vital Communities project team for a kick-off meeting. Artists choose a date to visit their farm subject(s)
- August date TBD: Twilight pizza social with farmers and artists (optional)
- August 30: Artists submit concept sketch(es) to Vital Communities. Second payment.
- September 30: Artist submit final portrait(s) to Vital Communities. Final payment.
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 $1500 per farmer/farm portrait. Payment will be in two parts: $400 on approval of concept sketch, and $1100 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 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.