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Boulder Star Card Call for Artists

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Call for Artists - 2024 Boulder Star Holiday Card:  

$1,000 paid commission!

Application Deadline is 5pm, January 31, 2024!

Open to All Professional Visual Artists, Illustrators and Designers in the Boulder Region

Help keep the beloved Boulder Star shining during the 2024 holiday season!

The Boulder Chamber seeks to commission a professional local artist, illustrator and/or designer in association with Boulder County Arts Alliance, to create an original image that it can license for the 2024 Boulder Star Holiday Card, a wine label, and possibly other items.  Sale of items that carry the original image support the Boulder Chamber’s stewardship of the beloved Boulder Star. 

The selected artist will receive $1,000 under the terms of a license agreement to create an image of the Boulder Star that is reflective of Boulder (see Summary of the License Agreement, below).  Fresh interpretations of iconic Boulder imagery are welcomed.

There is no application fee to enter the Artist Selection Process; and finalists will be chosen by the Boulder Chamber primarily based on examples of their work and the quality of the application.   Prior experience working with clients on a commissioned basis is necessary, and the Boulder Chamber will work with the selected artist to approve the final design.   The selected artist should be amenable to attending a summer reception of the Boulder Chamber and its members (date TBD) to promote the Boulder Star Holiday Card and to the other terms as outlined in this Call for Artists.  

Boulder Star Holiday Card History 

The Boulder Star on Flagstaff Mountain was first lit in December of 1947 and has made its holiday appearance every year since. In 2020, The Boulder Star held special significance as it was lit out-of-season to provide hope to the community in the throes of the pandemic.  This holiday season, the Boulder Star will remain lit through the January 1, 2024, and the Artist Selection Process is starting now, while the Boulder Star shines over our community, as inspiration to artists interested in this commission. 

The Boulder Star Card program was launched in 2001 by the Boulder Chamber to provide funding for the operations and maintenance of the Boulder Star. The Boulder Chamber is the proud steward of this community asset and today receives support through sales of the annual Boulder Star Holiday Card, the Boulder Star Wine, and the generosity of other partners.    

The Boulder Star image enjoys high visibility in the community.  It is featured on the Holiday Cards and wine labels and is the subject of a great deal of marketing to encourage sales of these, and possibly other, Boulder Star items. The Holiday Cards are sold in boxed sets at the Boulder Chamber and other retail outlets. The Boulder Star Wine is sold by the producer, BookCliff Vineyards, and other retail outlets.

Click here for information about the 2024 Boulder Star Card program, prior Boulder Star Card artists and their designs, and the Boulder Star Wine

Artist Selection Timing

  • December 1, 2023: Call for Artists opens through Boulder County Arts Alliance (BCAA)
  • January 31, 2024 5PM: Deadline for submissions to BCAA (see Application Process, below)
  • On or before February 28, 2024. Up to three semi-finalists will be selected at the sole discretion of the Boulder Chamber
  • On or before March 17, 2024: Boulder Chamber selects the 2024 Boulder Holiday Star Artist (Artist will have 5 business days to execute the License Agreement)

Art Licensing Agreement - Key Terms

  1. Licensing Fee/Payment Schedule - $1,000
  • $200 on initial signing of the License Agreement by the Artist (“Licensor’)
  • $300 after the Licensor provides the Boulder Chamber with two design options
  • $500 after the Licensor provides the Boulder Chamber with the digital file of the completed artwork
  1. Artwork Production Schedule: The creation of the artwork is an iterative process with the following key milestones:
  • On or before April 24, 2024 – Boulder Star Artist presents at least two preliminary artwork designs at in-person meeting with the Boulder Chamber. Note: The Boulder Chamber will share the designs with the Boulder Star Wine producer for regulatory input) 
  • By May 8, 2024: Boulder Chamber provides feedback on the preliminary artwork design
  • June 5, 2024: Final completed artwork is submitted
  1. Artwork Requirements
  • Will show the Boulder Star on Flagstaff Mountain plus the Flatirons in an image that reflects Boulder, CO. (Note: Prior successful Boulder Star Holiday Cards have also depicted Chautauqua, the Pearl Street Mall, or other locations/landscapes that have ties to Boulder, CO.)
  • Shall not depict children (due to the use of the image on a wine label)
  • Will be built to 4.843” wide x 7” high with a 1/8” bleed on the top, bottom and right-hand side.  Any text or signature must be at least 1/8” from the trim. (Note: vertical format is required to accommodate a wine label.)
  • Shall be sent to the Boulder Chamber (and up to three other designees - TBD) as a digital file that meets the following specifications: Tiff Uncompressed; 300 dpi
  1. Other
  • The final Artwork will be made public at a Boulder Chamber event to be scheduled in July – September 2024. It is anticipated that the Licensor will be invited to the event and will attend if possible.
  • The Artist will be invited to help select the Boulder Star Holiday Card font, offer an interior design for the Card, and participate in the Boulder Chamber’s selection panel for next year’s Boulder Star Artist.
  1. Summary of the License Agreement/Licensor Rights: License provides exclusive rights to the image for a period of three years from the date that the Boulder Chamber receives the “completed artwork.”  Thereafter, the Boulder Chamber shall retain the above rights, in a non-exclusive fashion, with respect to greeting cards, wine bottle labels, and non-sale promotional products, marketing items and gifts.

Notwithstanding the above, the Artist/Licensor may sell the original artwork. If the Artwork is digital, and therefore has no "original form", the Artist/ Licensor has the right to produce a limited print run of up to 25 prints of the artwork for sale by the Artist.

Note: A copy of the License Agreement will be shared with all semi-finalists for signoff prior to selection of the finalist.  

Application Process

Please provide:

  • a brief biography and/or artist statement,
  • an explanation of your connection, if any, to the Boulder Star and why this commission is of interest to you,
  • evidence of prior experience working successfully with clients to create commissioned work, and
  • link to an online portfolio or website 

The statement must not exceed 500 words in length, as determined by using the button at the bottom of the page. 

Please attach six examples of your landscape and/or cityscape work in the Boulder region that reflect the type of work you would produce if awarded this commission (could represent a range of possible styles). The images must be in JPEG format and may not exceed 3000 KB in size (3 MB).

For more information, please contact BCAA at charlotte@bouldercountyarts.org

You must complete all pages of the form to submit your application. Applications are through this online form only.