43rd Festival Publicity Artwork Contest

The Hiawatha Traditional Music Festival has a rich tradition in its publicity artwork.  Take a look at the Poster Gallery on this website - it's a feast for the eyes!  Every year, we invite the interest of skilled artists to submit their work to our Publicity Artwork Contest, and through a jury process, a winner is chosen whose image will represent the Festival on posters, T-Shirts, the program cover, and in other publicity and advertising for the Festival.  The creator of the chosen design also wins $100.00.  The time is NOW for creating your submission!

Information regarding the 2023 Festival Publicity Artwork Contest can be found below.  Submissions will be due December 5th, 2022, at 5 p.m.     

Image should include: the year, dates and location of the Festival.

For the 2023 contest: 43rd Annual, July 21-23, 2023 at Marquette Tourist Park.

We are looking for an image that represents the Hiawatha Experience and is colorful and graphically appealing. Image should relate to Hiawatha, music, dance and/or the surroundings, and should reflect a family oriented, traditional music event.  Please see our Festival Poster and T-Shirt Art Archive page for past winning artwork.

We are looking for an image that will work well printed on a poster, silkscreened on a T-shirt, and that can be simplified to a line drawing for use printed on a mug.

All artwork must be original - this means absolutely no clip art, or elements that look like clip art! The selection committee encourages and will give special consideration to workable hand drawn artwork.

A maximum of four colors may be used in the design, this Includes Black and White.

Lettering must be correct, and easy to read.

Pencil drawings and blended or gradient colors do not reproduce well. Line drawing with solid or drop in color is best. Fine line detail is often lost or will not show/reproduce well for our purposes.

Regarding Electronic Submissions - You may create your entry electronically and submit it to us electronically, but you must also send a physical copyWe will only consider entries that comply with this requirement.

Please understand that some of the vintage publicity artwork was created using techniques that we can no longer accept. Please be sure your design follows the guidelines above. Thank you!

All submitted entries, images and artwork become exclusive property of the Hiawatha Music Non-Profit Corporation.

All entries are recorded and numbered by someone not involved in the selection. The Hiawatha Festival Committee and Music Co-op Board of Directors do not see the entrant’s name until after the final selection is made.

Hiawatha reserves the right to reject any and all entries; to reconsider entries from previous years; and to request reasonable minor design modifications from the proposed winner.

Please review the contract that the winner must agree to and sign should their artwork be selected.

General Contract

Please contact the Hiawatha office if you have questions. 906-226-8575, 11-4 pm, Tuesdays and Wednesdays,  info@hiawathamusic.org   

Please send your artwork to:

Hiawatha Music Co-op
PO Box 414
Marquette, MI 49855

OR bring it to: 

Hiawatha Music Co-op
1015 N. Third St ( Village Shopping Center)
Marquette 

Recent Festival Poster and T-Shirt Art Winners

  • David McAnulty, Michigan, 2020, used for 2022
  • Brian Forosisky, Texas, 2019
  • David McAnulty, Michigan, 2020, used for 2022
  • Mark Rizzardi, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2018
  • Ruby Troxell, Escanaba, Michigan 2017
  • Michael Brunet, London, England, 2016
  • Abby Lane, Rochester Hills, Michigan, 2015
  • Niikah Hatfield, Marquette, Michigan, 2014
  • Rick Crowley, Marquette, Michigan, 2013
  • Katie Webber, Marquette, Michigan, 2012
  • Joanna Otremba, Torun, Poland, 2011
  • Mary Beil, Fort Shaw, Montana, 2010
  • Mary Beil, Fort Shaw, Montana, 2009
  • Melissa Miron, Northern Michigan University, 2008
  • Mark Rizzardi, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2007
  • Pam Metiver, Sault Ste Marie, Michigan, 2006
  • Mark Nowicki, Marquette Michigan, 2005
  • Mark Rizzardi, Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2004
  • Mark Nowicki, Marquette, Michigan, 2003
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