Past Contests

Cover Design Contest

Deadline for submissions: Jan. 31, 2009

This year, the journal committee is inviting artists and designers to submit full-colour original art for the cover in an open competition! It’s a fantastic opportunity to broaden your artist’s or designer’s resume. Any form of art or design that can be reproduced on the cover in full-colour is acceptable: painting, drawing, graphic design, or photography (including photography of dimensional art pieces such as sculptures).

There will be a text logo for The Future of History placed over your artwork on the cover, as well as the date and issue number, but no other text. The art must be reproducable on our cover size, which measures 5.5″ x 8.5″ (digest size). Depending on the nature of the
art, we will either frame it in a simple border, or bleed it off the page.

Please submit .jpg images of no more than two pieces or sketches, along with a brief bio and, if you wish, a description of the piece(s) you are submitting. Please e-mail submissions to: hsajournal@gmail.com.

PAST CONTESTS:

Broken Pencil’s Indie Writers Deathmatch
Deadline is Dec. 31

Enter now to win…the world’s most dangerous short story contest!

Welcome to the Second Annual Indie Writers Deathmatch!

Last year’s Deathmatch drew hundreds of thousands of hits to Broken Pencil’s Online Arena. Fans from all across the planet voted for their favourite story in the culture’s bloodiest fiction contest. This year’s battle should prove to be just as violent – and you don’t want to be left out! Sharpen those quills and enter now to secure your spot.

What is an indie writer death match?

Well, it’s the most innovative and interactive fiction contest in North America. Eight stories are selected from all entries to compete, and then they go head-to-head, one-on-one, in our Online Arena where Broken Pencil readers get to vote on which story they like the best, adding their own comments and communicating with the writers themselves on their exclusive blogs.

What’s in it for me?

Your $20 entry fee gets your story in the front door of the competition, and snags you a one-year subscription to Broken Pencil. The winner of the Deathmatch receives $300 and has their story published in the magazine. Second, third and fourth prize winners also have their stories published and receive $100 each.

What happened in last year’s contest?

Controversy! A couple of the writers got touchy when it became obvious that their stories weren’t going to get enough votes to win in their rounds, and publicly released screeds of damnation against the contest itself, their fellow competing writers, and Broken Pencil. Which, it should be noted, didn’t win them any additional votes. Then there was some site-hacking at the tail-end of the contest, which we had to step in and correct with a SUDDEN DEATH BONUS ROUND. It was all a very entertaining spectacle to witness. Check it out here.

I’m convinced. How do I enter?

Just head over to brokenpencil.com/deathmatch for full contest details, and to submit your kick-ass story. Deadline for entries is Dec. 31, 2008.

Indie Writers Deathmatch is an annual event organized by Broken Pencil, the Magazine of Zine Culture and the Independent Arts.

Broken Pencil
PO Box 203, Station P
Toronto, ON
M5S 2S7 Canada

Untapped Emerging Artist Competition
Deadline Jan. 12

The Artist Project Toronto invites submissions from emerging artists for the Untapped Emerging Artist Competition. Untapped is a juried competition in which 14 of the best up-and-coming young artists will be awarded a free space in The Artist Project Toronto 2009 show (March 5-8 at the Liberty Grand). This is an excellent opportunity to participate in a professional level art fair and showcase your work to gallerists, collectors and art enthusiasts.

The winners will receive a free space in the Open Gallery section of the show (approximately 10 linear feet), promotion on The Artist Project Toronto website, press releases, highlighted listings in the TAP Show Guide and other promotional materials.

NEW! The 14 Untapped winners will be eligible for the Canadian Art People’s Choice Award and the winner will receive a free 5×10 booth in the 2010 show!

Who Can Apply?
Current students and recent graduates (no more than three years removed from post-secondary or graduate level education).
Self taught artists who have been practicing their art for less than four years.

All work submitted in the application and displayed at the show must be original and made by the artist. Winning artists must be able to travel and be personally present for the duration of the show (March 5-8, 2009).

Applications are due Jan. 12, 2009

Visit www.theartistprojecttoronto.com for applications & information.

CONTACT:

Kim Selman
kim@mmpicanada.com
416-960-4527

The Artist Project Toronto is a four-day exhibition of sale of contemporary and fine art featuring over 150 juried independent artists. The Artist Project Toronto will take place at the historic Liberty Grand and will run from March 5-8, 2009.

Me to We Style Contest
Submissions due Nov. 24

Me to We organizes an eco-friendly T-shirt design contest to give socially-conscious people a chance to be T-shirt designers.

Choose a subject that shows you care about things that matter: people, kindness, community, freedom, eco-friendliness. This is the core of our philosophy at Me to We Style, where we promote fashion apparel but not at the cost of the environment or by using cheap labour.

The winner’s T-shirt will be sold online at www.metowestyle.com and will receive a gift card worth $200! The two runners up get gift cards worth $100 each!

Winners will be chosen by anyone who goes online and votes. Prizes for voters, too!

HOW TO APPLY:
Send your design to contest@metowestyle.com in EPS and AI vectorized graphics before Nov. 1.

Website: www.metowestyle.com

Youth Challenge International’s Creative Competition
Submissions due Nov. 21
Open to youth ages 15 to 24

Submit a creative expression demonstrating what this statement means to you: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” – Martin Luther King Jr.

All pieces will be showcased in an art exhibit at the Whipper Snapper Art Gallery (www.whippersnapper.com) in Toronto in 2009. The winning artist will receive a $1,000 scholarship to a leadership and development course of their choosing.

HOW TO APPLY:
Submit all creative pieces by Nov. 21 by email to creative.ylat@gmail.com or by mail to:

Youth Challenge International
20 Maud St., Suite 305
Toronto, ON
M5V 2M5

CONTACT:
Email: creative.ylat@gmail.com
Phone: 416-898-2432
Website: creativeylat.bravehost.com

One of a Kind Awards for Excellence
Submissions due 5 p.m., Nov. 30

For over 30 years, the One of a Kind Show has been helping artists and craftspeople from across the country to make a living out of their passion. We know it can be a challenging thing to do, especially in the early stages of a career. And we want to do more to help!
The One of a Kind Show is excited to introduce a brand new awards program to help develop the careers of emerging artists and craftspeople. The awards are presented in partnership with the Crafts Association of British Columbia (CABC), the Gardiner Museum of Ceramics, the Harbourfront Centre Craft Department, the Ontario Crafts Council (OCC) and the Textile Museum of Canada.

There are five awards: The One of a Kind Award for Excellence in Craft (Eastern Canada), presented by the Ontario Crafts Council; the One of a Kind Award for Excellence in Craft (Western Canada), presented by the Crafts Association of British Columbia; the One of a Kind Award for Excellence in Ceramics, presented by the Gardiner Museum; the One of a Kind Award for Excellence in Glass, presented by the Harbourfront Centre Craft Department; and the One of a Kind Award for Excellence in Textiles, presented by the Textile Museum of Canada

PRIZES:
- $1000 cash prize
- A free 5 x 10 booth to exhibit your work at ANY ONE of the 2009 One of a Kind Shows (Toronto - Spring or Christmas; or Vancouver). For the Christmas 2009 show in Toronto, the award winner’s 5 x 10 booth will be in either the 5 or 6 day section of the show.
- Promotion on the One of a Kind Show website and the website of the administering institution, in press releases prior to the show, and highlighted listings in the One of a Kind show programs
- For the CABC and OCC awards only - one year’s free membership in the craft council administering the award

ELIGIBILITY:
The One of a Kind Awards are for high-quality emerging artists and craftspeople, who have been practicing their art/craft for less than 5 years. The award winner must be a graduate of a post-secondary education in their chosen field, have participated in at least one show with their own work (collective, school, group, gallery, craft, etc.), and create work of the highest quality, reflecting a truly unique “one of a kind” artistic vision.

AWARD SPECIFIC CRITERIA:
- OCC award: open to Eastern Canadian residents practicing in any media (provinces east of, and including, Ontario)
- CABC award: open to Western Canadian residents practicing any media (provinces west of, and including, Manitoba, and the territories)
- Gardiner Museum award: open to ceramic artists residing anywhere in Canada or the United States
- Harbourfront Centre award - open glass artists residing anywhere in Canada.
- Textile Museum award: open to textile artists residing anywhere in Canada or the United States.

Award winners will be announced Jan. 1, 2009.

For more details on the application process, go to www.oneofakindshow.com/awards

CONTACT:
Heather Read by email at heather@oneofakindshow.com or by phone at 416-960-4511.