Strand Bookstore: Strand Totebag Design Contest

The Strand's Tote Bag Design Contest has concluded. Thanks to all the artists who submitted their work! We will announce the winners on the Strand's homepage shortly.

The Strand Book Store has partnered with the School of Visual Arts, TOON Books, Drawn & Quarterly and Fantagraphics Books to host a tote bag design contest.

Beginning March 1, 2010, artists from around the world are invited to submit original illustrations featuring the Strand Book Store.

In June 2007, the Strand unveiled the first Artist Tote Bag: Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Art Spiegelman loaned his iconic Maus image for the first time ever to celebrate the Strand's 80th birthday. The Strand then partnered with artists each year, including Adrian Tomine, Seth and R. Sikoryak, creating the Strand's Artist Tote Series. Now, the Strand Book Store wants to give emerging artists the opportunity to have their artwork featured on a Strand tote bag.

Now, the Strand Book Store wants to give emerging artists the opportunity to have their artwork featured on a Strand tote bag.

Contest Dates

March 1-March 31, 2010

Design Requirements

The illustration must represent the Strand Book Store.
The illustration must include the artist's signature, "Strand Book Store NYC" and "strandbooks.com" or a representation of the Strand logo (as seen on this page).
Size of Illustration: Artwork must be no larger than 11"w x 10"h.
Line Weight: Use a minimum of a 2 pt. rule.
Halftones: Must be at a 40 line screen or less, with percentages no less than 20% or greater than 60%.
No Trapping: If colors come in contact with each other they CAN NOT overlap.
Typestyles: Should be no smaller than 20 pt. on 15 oz. fabric with a minimum of 2 pt. rule. Do not use reverse type smaller than 22 pt. with a minimum line rule of 3 pt. Avoid serif typefaces! Their detail tends to get lost in the canvas.

Contest is open to all, aged 18 and above. The Contest is void where prohibited. Please see official rules below.

Judges:

Françoise Mouly, Art Editor of The New Yorker & Editorial Director of TOON Books
Art Spiegelman, Pulitzer Prize winning comic artist
Steven Heller, co-chair MFA Designer as Author Program, School of Visual Arts
R. Sikoryak, creator of the book, Masterpiece Comics
Adrian Tomine, author of the bestselling book, Shortcomings

Prizes

Grand Prize

artwork on Strand tote bag, sold in store and online w/ attendant marketing-artist name on all materials
an afternoon with Françoise Mouly and staff at TOON Books offices
complete set of Drawn & Quarterly's 2009 titles (value: $450)
a selection of new and recent Fantagraphics Books releases (value: $450)
complete set of TOON Books (value: $150)
$100 Think Coffee Gift Card
Family Level Membership to the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art - MoCCA (Value: $75)
artwork featured in slideshow on partners' websites

Second Prize

complimentary Continuing Education class at School of Visual Arts (value $470)
a selection of signed Drawn & Quarterly books (value $90)
"I Don't Like to Read" TOON Books basket (value: $70)
a selection of new and recent Fantagraphics Books releases (value: $50)
$100 Think Coffee Gift Card
Family Level Membership to the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art - MoCCA (Value: $75)
artwork featured in slideshow on partners' websites

Third Prize

DaVinci Artist Supply Gift Card (value $300)
"Beginning Reader" TOON books basket (value: $70)
a selection of signed Drawn & Quarterly books (value $50)
a selection of new and recent Fantagraphics Books releases (value: $50)
$100 Think Coffee Gift Card
Family Level Membership to the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art - MoCCA (Value: $75)
artwork featured in slideshow on partners' websites

20 Finalists will receive a Strand tote bag filled with Fantagraphics & TOON Books gifts and a $20 Strand gift card.

About our Partners

School of Visual Arts

School of Visual Arts (SVA) in New York City is an established leader and innovator in the education of artists. From its inception in 1947, the faculty has been comprised of professionals working in the arts and art-related fields who choose to share their creative skills and experiences with students. SVA offers 11 undergraduate and 15 graduate degree programs as well as hundreds of courses through its Division of Continuing Education.

TOON Books

TOON Books is the leading publisher of high-quality comics and literature for children ages four and up. Launched in 2008 and edited by Françoise Mouly, art editor of The New Yorker, TOON's collection includes books by award winner authors and artists, such as Art Spiegelman, Harry Bliss, Jeff Smith, Geoffrey Hayes, Jay Lynch, Dean Haspiel, & others.

Drawn & Quarterly

With cartoonists that have been instrumental in defining the literary comics medium for the past twenty years and a focused editorial direction, Montreal-based Drawn & Quarterly is one of the most influential art and literary comics publishers in the whole world.

Fantagraphics Books

Fantagraphics Books has been the world's leading publisher of comics and graphic novels since 1976, with authors including Charles M. Schulz, R. Crumb, Daniel Clowes, Joe Sacco, Peter Bagge and the Hernandez Brothers. In 2007, the company launched its prose division, beginning with fiction by Alexander Theroux, Jules Feiffer, Monte Schulz and Stephen Dixon.

Judges:

Françoise Mouly, Art Director of The New Yorker & Editorial Director of TOON Books
Art Spiegelman, Pulitzer Prize winning comic artist
Steven Heller, co-chair MFA Designer as Author Program, School of Visual Arts
R. Sikoryak, creator of the book, Masterpiece Comics
Adrian Tomine, author of the bestselling book, Shortcomings