I Know Chicago

Here’s the deal, I’m not usually a proponent of design competitions because I feel like they are usually just a way to get good design for free instead of paying for it.  And I’m all about paying people fairly for their talents and time. I am, however, a proponent of Chicagoans working together to build something awesome so that eventually the people that built it can be compensated for building something awesome. 

That is why I’m tell you to enter this particular design competition.  Fringe Fest is fledgling and yet on the brink of awesomeness.  Everyone involved is an unpaid volunteer.  This is a passion driven project at this point so essentially they are building their army. 

What is Fringe Festival? (In their words)

A Fringe Festival can be loosely defined as a performance festival that seeks the un-tried and the weird. A movement that started in 1947 in Edinburgh, Scotland, Fringes now appear across the U.S. and all over the world. Our closest Fringes are Minnesota Fringe, Kansas City Fringe and Indianapolis Fringe.

Our first Fringe was September 1-5, 2010, in the Pilsen neighborhood, centering around Halsted and 18th street. The 2011 festival will also be held in Pilsen, over two weekends — September 1-11, 2011.

I think we can all rally around that right?!  Love it!! Makes me long for the Looptopia days of yesteryear.  Sigh.  Reminisce.  And I’m back…

Right, Design Competition!

Details:

What Chicago Fringe Festival needs from you: a single design that will be as emblematic of Chicago Fringe 2011 as the S on Superman’s chest. We need a design that is so arresting, dynamic, searing, whimsical, mind-bending or otherwise amazing that it will radiate cartoon-like waves of energy. Some further crucial information to help you create the graphic gold we’re panning for:

• The design should reflect, suggest, embody, convey or otherwise relate, directly or obliquely, to our Festival theme: On the Map, Under the Radar.
• The design should capture (or at least not contradict) some of the other key characteristics of Chicago Fringe theatre. We value diversity. We feature performers of all ages, ethnicities, nationalities and orientations in shows about everything from Irish dancing to Rambo. And we believe that audiences should reflect the diversity on stage: our tickets are affordable, allowing anyone with a few spare bucks to see theatre. We are homegrown. The Festival was founded by Chicagoans and is infused with Chicago’s spirit of grit and innovation. And the Festival is proudly located in Pilsen, a neighborhood whose vivid murals testify to Chicago’s rich history and tradition of public art. We are guided by the philosophy that small theatre can be great theatre. A show performed in an improvised storefront space can be just as gripping and revelatory as the most lavish production at the fanciest theatre. To learn more about what Chicago Fringe is, visit http://www.chicagofringe.org/.
• You can (but are not required to) include the words “Chicago Fringe Festival 2011” as part of your design, but no other text, please.

Prizes:

See your design on CTA ads and Fringe materials distributed all over Chicago! The winner’s design will be the design for the official 2011 Fringe Festival poster and the design will appear in part or in whole on a wide range of Fringe materials, including in our mobile app and in ads, tee-shirts, Festival programs, pins, banners and more. The winner’s name will appear on the poster and all other materials on which it is practicable to include an artist credit. The winner will also receive a commemorative Fringe button granting entry to all eleven days of the Festival. Three runners-up will have their designs published on chicagofringe.org.

Your submission must be submitted by 8:00 p.m. on May 15, 2011. Submissions received after the deadline will not be considered for the competition.

Further Technical Details Here.

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1. iknowchicago posted this