2012 Tomie dePaola Illustrator Award

The Tomie dePaola Illustrator Award is given annually to an SCBWI illustrator of promise. The award consists of a $1,000 gift certificate for art supplies, plus full tuition, transportation and accommodations to the New York Winter Conference held in Manhattan. The winning piece of art will be featured at the annual winter conference in New York.

The Tomie dePaola Award competition is open to all SCBWI members. Each entrant is to produce one illustration, any size, any medium, that is based on a text supplied by Tomie. Entries are due by December 15th, 2011. Final art must be electronically submitted and Tomie himself will select and announce the winner on January 2, 2012.

Visit the National SCBWI website for guidelines and submission instructions. Good luck!

2011 Courage Cards Art Search

Each year, the Courage Center holds a nationwide art search to find new illustrations for their Holiday Card Collection. Courage Card artists are paid a licensing fee for each image selected and receive national recognition in the Courage Cards catalog, website, and advertising (radio, TV, internet, and print). The artists retain ownership and copyright of their art. As a nonprofit rehabilitation and resource center that aims to help people with disabilities live more independently, many Courage Card artists are people with disabilities, but artists of all ages and abilities are eligible to enter.

For more information and to download an entry form, visit the Courage Cards and Gifts website. The art search entry deadline is November 30, 2011. Good luck!

Girl Scouts Call for Illustrators

The Girl Scouts will be celebrating their 100^th anniversary next year, and to commemorate the milestone they are seeking to commission an illustration by a female illustrator. The theme, “Inspiring Generations of Girls Who Change the World,” will be used in public relations efforts by the Girls Scouts of Minnesota and the Wisconsin River Valleys throughout the anniversary year.

The illustration should provide a compelling representation of Girl Scouting that connects their first 100 years with the next century, and will be used to produce a run of prints, posters, and other commemorative products.  There is a total of $6,000 in compensation for the selected artist. For more details and submission requirements, please download the official Call for Illustrators.

The deadline for all entries is July 8, 2011. Good luck to all our lady applicants!

Courage Card Contest

For those of you who might be interested, the Courage Center is holding its annual Art Search for its Holiday Card Collection. This is a great opportunity to benefit a worthy cause and potentially increase your exposure as an illustrator! The Courage Center is a nonprofit rehabilitation and resource center that aims to help people with disabilities live more independently. I live near one of the centers and have seen first-hand the good work that they do. Artists of any ability are invited to participate in the competition, and the winning entrants will receive a licensing fee in addition to national exposure.

For more information and to download an entry form, visit the Courage Cards and Gifts website. Good luck!