Will your artwork represent the Festival in 2025?

DEADLINE OCTOBER 11, 2024

April 9, 2024
Dear Artist,

Our contest is becoming popular. Please read the 2024 contest rules completely, especially RULES #4, #6 and #10. In an effort to depart from past designs, we’re specifically seeking non-bordered art. The judging committee seeks original, new, clever artistic renditions that appeal to both men and women. We debated our design parameters that remain important for future artists to consider when designing for this competition.

1. Ability to read everything even if printed on small and large products (mugs, 5" wide palm card, advertising, shirts).
2. Original and unique concept not reminiscent of other festival artwork in the world
3. Unisex appeal
4. Simple color scheme to accommodate 4 or 5 color discharge screen printing process. Art is art none-the-less, and we appreciate all of your efforts and spirit of playing the game.

You can't win unless you try.  These tips should help improve previous entrants make the bar in the next attempt, which the committee strongly encourages.

We look forward to displaying the top 10 entries at this year's Festival for all to see. Good luck and have fun! Get on the special mailing list to get contest updates, changes and reminders!

- Art Contest Committee

Official Contest Rules, Terms and Conditions

1. The 2024 NY State Sheep and Wool Festival Art Contest runs from July 1, 2024 to Oct. 11, 2024. The winning artwork will be used for the 2025 NY State Sheep and Wool Festival. This includes printing on promotional materials, merchandise, advertising and electronic transmissions. All entries are to be digitally submitted no later than 11:59pm EST on Oct. 11, 2024. The NY State Sheep and Wool Festival and Dutchess County Sheep and Wool Growers Association (DCSWGA) are considered the Contest Sponsors.
2. All contestants are required to agree to these Art Contest Official Rules in order to enter.
3. There is no fee to enter.
4. Submitted artwork must be your original creation!
   All artwork must show at least one sheep, and may refer to one or more of the following: Fiber-related animals, Fiber-related crafts, and/or Fiber-related equipment.
5. All artwork should be a complete design and include the words “New York State” and “Sheep & Wool Festival” and “2025” and “Est. 1980.”
6. ALL ARTWORK SHOULD BE DESIGNED WITHOUT A BORDER AROUND IT
7. Entries must be submitted using the guidelines stated on http://www.sheepandwool.com
8. Any work that is late or not in the form required will be disqualified with all rights remaining with the artist.
9. Contestants may submit a maximum of 2 entries.
10. Non-winning entries may be modified and re-entered into future art contests.
11. Dimensions for digital entries are minimum 8.5” wide x 11” tall and not to exceed 10” wide x 16” tall, and a minimum of 300 dpi resolution.
12. Acceptable file formats for digitized artwork: .jpg, .tiff, .tif, .psd, .pdf - minimum 300 dpi resolution.
13. Artistic collaborations are acceptable, for example: a painter and a graphic designer. For example, a talented painter who is not great at handwriting text could work with a graphic designer to add pretty fonts or graphical text to the submission. Only one award will be given.
14. All contestants must register for this contest by entering their name, email address, mailing address, and agreeing to the terms and conditions of the contest. Contestants will be notified by email or phone within one month after the deadline date as to if their entry has been accepted or declined.
15. The Art Contest will be judged by up to 3 members of the DCSWGA Board of Directors and the Festival Merchandise Chairman, Festival Chairman and Committee Representative. No juror or employee of the organization holding the competition is eligible to enter the competition.
16. Submissions will be judged, in part, on ability to be reproduced on garments using screen color printing. Full color artwork with many colors (eg. watercolor rainbows) is less likely to reproduce well. Hence we recommend using up to 5 colors maximum and refrain from many gradients.
17. By entering this Contest, each contestant consents to the use of his/her name, and/or artwork in any contest advertisements, educational materials or contest publicity carried out or produced by the NY State Sheep and Wool Festival/ DCSWGA and its advertising and promotional agencies without further notice or compensation. Non-winning or non-compensated artwork rights are still retained by the original artist.
18. The original artwork will be shown on the festival website, but for the purpose of merchandise requirements the Contest Sponsor reserves the right to reproduce, alter and otherwise change the original winning artwork for our best use. NY State Sheep and Wool Festival/DCSWGA can publish or decline to publish, or use or decline to use, any submitted artwork at its sole discretion. The winning artwork will become the property of the DCSWGA. 
19. The winning artist will be required to submit a signed release and a W9 tax form.
20. Contest Sponsor mailing address:
    DCSWGA
    NY State Sheep and Wool Festival
    PO Box 415
    Red Hook, NY 12571
    artcontest@sheepandwool.com
21. Digital submissions should be emailed as attachments to: artcontest@sheepandwool.com
22. Prizes
    • First Place Winner will receive $1,500 and see their winning art placed on the Art Contest winners web page with links to their personal, organization or professional website for the duration of their reign (until the subsequent contest's winner is announced).
    • The Second Place Contest winner will receive $200.00 and be acknowledged on the Festival website.
23. The Contest Sponsor's rulings are final and without appeal in all matters related to this Contest and the awarding of the Prizes. The Contest is subject to all applicable federal, provincial and municipal laws and regulations.
24. Contest Sponsor, its advertising and promotional agencies assume no responsibility for lost, stolen, delayed, damaged, illegible, incomplete, postage-due, garbled or misdirected entries or entries that have been submitted through illicit means, or do not conform to or satisfy the Contest Rules or for any problems or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer on-line systems, servers, access providers, computer equipment, software, failure of any entry to be received or traffic congestion on the internet or at any website, or any combination thereof including any injury or damage to an entrant's or any other person's computer related to or resulting from playing or downloading any material in the contest.
25. The Contest Sponsor collects your personal information for the purposes of registration, program evaluation and to keep you informed about The Contest. The Contest Sponsor may also contact you from time to time with information about other ways you can participate in Festival activities.
26. The Contest Sponsor will not share any personal data about entrants with any other party. The personal data collected for this Contest will not be used for any other purposes unless entrants provide explicit permission as indicated on the entry form.
27. By entering this Contest, entrants agree to release and hold harmless the Contest Sponsor and their respective volunteers, employees, officers, directors, agents, representatives, successors, assigns, advertising and promotional agencies from any liability for any loss or damage of any kind to the entrant or any other person in connection with this Contest or participation in any Contest related activities, including but not limited to the use or misuse of a prize or any portion of a prize including personal injury, death or property damage.
28. The Contest Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to modify, cancel or suspend this Contest should an external circumstance arise which is beyond the reasonable control of the Contest Sponsor. The Contest Sponsor is not responsible for any errors or omissions in printing or advertising this Contest. This Contest will run in accordance with these Contest Rules, subject to amendment by the Contest Sponsor. Contest Sponsor reserves the right to cancel, amend, modify or terminate this Contest or the Rules at any time in its sole discretion and without notice.
29. Entrants must comply with these rules, and will be deemed to have received and understood the rules if they participate in the Contest.
30. Visit www.sheepandwool.com to enter the NY State Sheep and Wool Festival Art Contest.

We look forward to your questions and receiving your entries! GOOD LUCK and spread the word! See previous winners.