M. Hopple & Co., Cincinnati’s premier fine paper goods retailer, is proud to announce our TENTH Annual CityArt Holiday Card Contest. In honor of the tenth anniversary of the CityArt contest, we’ve asked FIVE TIME winner Kate Cassidy to choose this year’s theme and charity. In addition, as a tribute to Kate, who has been a HUGE supporter of the contest, we will be selling commemorative packs of Kate’s winners over the years and she will be an honorary winner and judge.
Please keep in mind that judges award points based on the following criteria: artwork fits the chosen theme for the year, is appealing to the general population of Cincinnati, and will reproduce well as a greeting card.
A panel of judges will select up to four submissions from local artists. The winning designs will be printed as part of the 2016 CityArt Holiday Card Collection. The collection will be sold at M. Hopple & Co., with a portion of the proceeds going to SPCA of Cincinnati. First founded in 1873, SPCA Cincinnati is an animal shelter and humane society that continually strives to strengthen the human-animal bond and improve the welfare of animals by fostering the humane care and treatment of all animals. Through humane education and animal protection, they improve the quality of life in the Greater Cincinnati community. They have saved over 39,000 animals in the past five years, and the underlying work at SPCA Cincinnati is the philosophy that how a community treats its animals is a reflection of how its members treat each other. SPCA Cincinnati offers refuge, medical care, nourishment and a second chance for homeless animals; and they protect animals from cruelty, neglect, carelessness, ignorance and irresponsibility. SPCA Cincinnati also works to introduce animals into the lives of people in our community, including those in hospitals, nursing homes, children’s homes, and schools, and works with the victims of domestic violence to both provide shelter for their animals, and to help them rehabilitate.. Winning art from this competition has been featured on local morning news shows and in numerous newspapers and media outlets in our region. Since 2006, over 23,000 Holiday Cards have been sold.
“Outdoor Winter Memories: Past and Present” is the chosen theme for this year’s contest. The artwork must use a Cincinnati or surrounding area landmark– even if it is in the distance– so the area is recognizable to our community. Downtown scenes day or night, parks, zoos, favorite sledding hill, tree lightings, outdoor events, buildings, skylines, etc. Keep it memorable and use color, even if subtle so it will welcome the viewer and look great on the hearth over the holidays!
Original art should be no larger than 10” x 14.” The final cards will be 5” x 7” and printed in full color or black and white, as appropriate. For cropping purposes art is best when it is proportional to the final 5×7 size, either vertical or horizontal. Please be sure no important elements of your work appear within 1/4″ of all outside edges. To allow for full bleed printing, 1/4″ will be trimmed from all sides.
WARNING: IF YOUR ART IS NOT SET UP AS NOTED ABOVE, ELEMENTS COULD BE CROPPED OUT.
• Art should feature theme as described above. Because the winning submissions will be sold as greeting cards during the holiday season, submissions should be seasonal (avoid summer scenes, spring flowers, etc.)
• Media types can include photo, painting, drawing and collage. Artists should avoid glitter, three dimensional features or other techniques that will not reproduce effectively.
• Artists are asked to remove or obscure any features or objects that might be copyrighted, trademarked or otherwise are not part of the public domain, i.e. logos or signs, unless permission is granted in writing by the owner of the feature or object.
• The deadline for contest entries is SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3RD, 2016.
• A panel of judges will select 3-4 winning submissions, with one being an overall winner.
• Artists must agree not to compete with the Holiday Card Collection by reproducing their art in a similar fashion through January 1, 2017.
• Contest organizers have the right to adjust contest guidelines as necessary.
M. Hopple & Co.
Attn: 2016 CityArt Entries
7920 Hosbrook Road
Cincinnati, Ohio 45243