Feeling artistic and can't wait until summer? Garden Walk Buffalo is looking for original artwork to appear on the posters, maps, and T-shirts for its 2010 event at the end of July.
Submissions must include flowers or some other garden-related scenery, and should represent plants that typically are in bloom in Buffalo during this time in the summer. The deadline for submissions is Friday, April 12th.
In order to make sure that submitted artwork is suitable, Garden Walk has provided a short list of guidelines to help guide would-be artists. Firstly, since the art will be reproduced on a variety of materials, submissions need to be simple and should not include any text over the design. Secondly, the art should not resemble work that Garden Walk has recently used to promote events. Finally, the work needs to be suitable for both genders to wear on T-shirts. Any art that represents gardening in Buffalo is welcome, according to Garden Walk Buffalo president Jim Charlier.
"We've gotten everything from watercolors to oils, and photos to photo-collages," he remarked. "In the past, some posters had architectural elements included, but that is neither a criteria nor something favored when choosing. The main criteria is an image with impact, memorable and colorful."
According to Charlier, Garden Walk is the largest garden tour in the United States and takes place annually during the last weekend in July. This year, it will be held on July 24 and July 25th, from 10am to 4pm, and over 340 residences and businesses in Buffalo's West Side will participate. Over 50,000 people are expected to be involved in the free event, which will allow gardeners to show off handiwork and discuss tips and tricks. The fact that the Garden Walk regularly draws visitors from all over the US and Canada has always made this a good opportunity for Buffalo gardeners that goes beyond simply being an informative event for gardeners.
"There is no other single event that gets people from out of town out into the neighborhoods and into private residential spaces where people can meet home and garden owners," Charlier said. "Neighborhoods that have embraced the walk improve the walkability of our streets, encourage community activism, and improve property values."
Charlier also pointed out that Garden Walk has raised money for local gardening groups and projects, also helping the economy and community in Buffalo as a whole. According to him, Garden Walk's "Beautification Grants" have raised $20,000 for 52 different local projects in the past six years, including community gardens and restoration projects. Charlier also said that the event has contributed to Buffalo gardens' appearances in magazines such as Garden Gate magazine, Architectural Digest, Organic Gardening, People Places Plants, Fine Gardening, and the San Francisco Chronicle.
This sort of publicity is invaluable for both gardeners and the city. In Charlier's opinion, a summer-themed event such as this helps promote Buffalo as a city where people can grow beautiful gardens, and not just scrape ice and shovel snow. Through creating artwork to help promote this event, artists can help the city's image and local gardeners alike.
"Garden Walk Buffalo is the impetus for reversing - and antidote for - the snowbelt/rustbelt image Buffalo's had outside of the area," Charlier said. "Inside the city, it's helping people to help themselves clean up Buffalo, make neighborhoods safer and increase home values."
Artwork submissions must include a resume and a brief letter explaining why Garden Walk should use your art. Garden Walk requests that artists not send original work, but rather submit up to five slides on a CD with images in high-quality JPEG format. Paintings, photographs, hand-drawn art, illustrations, or mixed media work are acceptable, and digital art and photos need to be 300dpi at 8x10 or larger. The address is:
Garden Walk Buffalo
PO Box 161
Buffalo, NY 14207
For any additional questions or information, call 716.879.0123, send an email to Garden Walk Buffalo, or visit Garden Walk Buffalo's website.
In order to make sure that submitted artwork is suitable, Garden Walk has provided a short list of guidelines to help guide would-be artists. Firstly, since the art will be reproduced on a variety of materials, submissions need to be simple and should not include any text over the design. Secondly, the art should not resemble work that Garden Walk has recently used to promote events. Finally, the work needs to be suitable for both genders to wear on T-shirts. Any art that represents gardening in Buffalo is welcome, according to Garden Walk Buffalo president Jim Charlier.
"We've gotten everything from watercolors to oils, and photos to photo-collages," he remarked. "In the past, some posters had architectural elements included, but that is neither a criteria nor something favored when choosing. The main criteria is an image with impact, memorable and colorful."
According to Charlier, Garden Walk is the largest garden tour in the United States and takes place annually during the last weekend in July. This year, it will be held on July 24 and July 25th, from 10am to 4pm, and over 340 residences and businesses in Buffalo's West Side will participate. Over 50,000 people are expected to be involved in the free event, which will allow gardeners to show off handiwork and discuss tips and tricks. The fact that the Garden Walk regularly draws visitors from all over the US and Canada has always made this a good opportunity for Buffalo gardeners that goes beyond simply being an informative event for gardeners.
"There is no other single event that gets people from out of town out into the neighborhoods and into private residential spaces where people can meet home and garden owners," Charlier said. "Neighborhoods that have embraced the walk improve the walkability of our streets, encourage community activism, and improve property values."
Charlier also pointed out that Garden Walk has raised money for local gardening groups and projects, also helping the economy and community in Buffalo as a whole. According to him, Garden Walk's "Beautification Grants" have raised $20,000 for 52 different local projects in the past six years, including community gardens and restoration projects. Charlier also said that the event has contributed to Buffalo gardens' appearances in magazines such as Garden Gate magazine, Architectural Digest, Organic Gardening, People Places Plants, Fine Gardening, and the San Francisco Chronicle.
This sort of publicity is invaluable for both gardeners and the city. In Charlier's opinion, a summer-themed event such as this helps promote Buffalo as a city where people can grow beautiful gardens, and not just scrape ice and shovel snow. Through creating artwork to help promote this event, artists can help the city's image and local gardeners alike.
"Garden Walk Buffalo is the impetus for reversing - and antidote for - the snowbelt/rustbelt image Buffalo's had outside of the area," Charlier said. "Inside the city, it's helping people to help themselves clean up Buffalo, make neighborhoods safer and increase home values."
Artwork submissions must include a resume and a brief letter explaining why Garden Walk should use your art. Garden Walk requests that artists not send original work, but rather submit up to five slides on a CD with images in high-quality JPEG format. Paintings, photographs, hand-drawn art, illustrations, or mixed media work are acceptable, and digital art and photos need to be 300dpi at 8x10 or larger. The address is:
Garden Walk Buffalo
PO Box 161
Buffalo, NY 14207
For any additional questions or information, call 716.879.0123, send an email to Garden Walk Buffalo, or visit Garden Walk Buffalo's website.
Source: Buffalo Rising