TAMPA, Fla. (January 26, 2016) All Tampa Bay area artists with a passion for music are invited to enter the 5th annual Gasparilla Music Festival (GMF) Poster Contest. The contest is presented by Hill Ward Henderson in pARTnership with Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture & the Arts and the Gasparilla Music Foundation. The submission receipt deadline is 5:00 p.m., Friday, February 12, 2016.

The 2016 festival will take place in downtown Tampa on March 12th & 13th and will feature musical acts from a wide variety of genres on several stages and cuisine from the region’s top restaurants. The poster design should be an artistic representation of GMF. Artists are encouraged to incorporate Tampa Bay’s wide diversity of culture into its design; however, artists are discouraged from using “Gasparilla” themes such as pirates or beads. Including the GMF name or logo in the artwork is not necessary.

Entries will be judged by the GMF Poster Committee. Submissions will be evaluated based on concept, originality, lay out and marketing adaptability.
The winning poster design will be announced at the GMF VIP Sound Check party the first week of March 2016 (date TBD) and will be recognized as the Official Commemorative Poster of the 2016 Gasparilla Music Festival.
The winning artist will receive:
• Two (2) VIP tickets, valid for both days of the festival ($300 value). ∙ Featured bio in the festival program. ∙
• Recognition on GMF social media sites.
• A print of your poster, which will be gifted to GMF sponsors and individual donors.
• Featured poster-signing session at the festival.
• Possibility of your artwork will be reproduced as an “official” festival T-shirt.

The winning artist will receive a $400 cash prize together with the GMF winning artist VIP ticket package. The cash prize will be awarded to the winning artist at GMF Sound Check kick-off event. By entering the contest, you agree that if yours is the winning submission, it becomes the sole property of GMF together with all licensing and reproduction rights. The winning artist also agrees to no further compensation. Only the winning artist gives GMF license for reproduction for promotion and sales. Non-winning submissions remain the property of the artist and should be picked up by prior arrangement with TBBCA after the winner is announced.”

GUIDELINES FOR ENTRY
• The GMF poster contest is open to all artists residing in the Tampa Bay region.
• Limit to one entry per artist. Entries must be an original art piece (any medium) that is production-ready, vertical poster format and framed or matted.
• Canvas size must scale to 24”x36”.
• On the back of each entry, please include the artist’s name, address, phone number and email address.
• All artists interested in participating are encouraged to pre-register intent to submit; pre-register prior to
by sending an email to susanaweymouth@tbbca.org

To submit, artwork must be delivered by pre-arrangement only to Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture & the Arts, 633 North Franklin Street, Suite 735, Tampa, FL on or before the submission deadline at 5:00 p.m., Friday, February 12, 2016. Please contact susanaweymouth@tbbca.org to coordinate your delivery.

RELEASE OF RIGHTS OF THE WINNING ART PIECE AND ARTIST – POSTER ART:
“Poster Art” is the completed version of the winning concept image submitted by the selected artist to be used by the Gasparilla Music Festival. The concept image must be adaptable, in whole or in part, for the use in other media, including but without limitation, posters, advertisements, t-shirts, magnets, brochures and rack cards. The Poster Art becomes the property of the Gasparilla Music Festival.
Entrants agree to release the Gasparilla Music Festival and partners Hill Ward Henderson and Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture & the Arts, from any and all liability resulting from submitting poster art. The Selected artist agrees to release the Gasparilla Music Festival and TBBCA and all its officers, directors, volunteers, and agents from all liability, claims or actions of any kind whatsoever for injuries, damages or losses to persons and property which may be sustained in connection with the receipt, ownership or use of the artwork entered. Entry artwork submitted constitutes consent to use the Selected artist’s name, likeness, and art submission for editorial, advertising, and publicity purposes, without compensation

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