Calling all Clark County creatives: Submit your art for Día de los Muertos

Here’s how you can submit your unique Día de los Muertos art to the Clark County Public Art Office by Sept. 14.

The Clark County Public Art Office announced on August 11 that they’re seeking art submissions for this year’s Día de los Muertos festival in November. Artists must submit their work by Sunday, September 14 for the chance to see their submission displayed in the 24th annual “Life in Death” art exhibit at the Winchester Dondero Cultural Center.

The official Submittable page for the contest has a specific request for anyone looking to create artwork for the festival: “Please remember that Día de los Muertos is NOT Halloween, art submissions should be respectful to the tradition and not feature generic skeletons or ‘scary’ themes.” The Clark County Public Art Office goes on to say that Día de los Muertos is a celebration of life and death, and any art made for the show should creatively reflect this.

Now, let’s get into some of the guidelines you’ll need to follow if you or your child would like to participate.

Who can submit their work?

The Día de los Muertos art festival submissions are open to anyone eight years of age or older who currently lives in Clark County. For anyone under the age of 18 who plans to submit, a parent or guardian must provide contact information and their signature. To learn more, and to ensure you have all your ducks in a row before you send in your work, click here.

Are there any restrictions to the art itself?

In addition to making sure that your artwork reflects the tradition and celebration of the Day of the Dead festival, the Clark County Public Art Office has a few other guidelines you’ll need to follow. Artwork cannot contain any of the following:

• Overtly political/religious content
• Offensive language
• Drugs, smoking, or alcohol
• Sexual content or imagery (including nudity)

Aside from that, you’re encouraged to let your creativity and imagination take the wheel. All art mediums are acceptable, including (but not limited to) mixed media, sculpture, painting, and textiles. However, replicas are not accepted, and neither are works generated with AI.

For additional terms and conditions, please click here.

Is there a prize for submissions?

Individuals whose artwork is selected to be displayed in the Día de los Muertos “Life in Death” festival exhibit may receive an additional prize. Awards and recognition are outlined on Submittable as follows:

Youth

• Best in Show: $100 Desert Art Supplies gift certificate
• Honorable Mentions: $50 (x2) Desert Art Supplies gift certificate

Amateur

• Best in Show: $200 Desert Art Supplies gift certificate
• Honorable Mentions: $100 (x2) Desert Art Supplies gift certificate

Experienced

• Best in Show: $300 Desert Art Supplies gift certificate
• Honorable Mentions: $150 (x2) Desert Art Supplies gift certificate

The exhibit will run from October 7 through November 22, with the official Day of the Dead festival scheduled for November 1 and 2 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. You can read more about Clark County’s planned celebration here.

Additional Day of the Dead contest

If visual art isn’t your thing, but you’d still like to participate in the Día de los Muertos festival in Clark County, the Public Art Office is also holding an ofrenda contest. For those unfamiliar with the term, ofrendas are traditional altars built by families during the Day of the Dead to display items in memory of relatives and loved ones who have passed away. Ofrendas created for the contest will be displayed outside in Winchester Park for the duration of the festival.

For guidelines regarding how to build and submit an ofrenda for the contest, follow this link. Instructions are available on that page in both English and Spanish.

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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