2025 Kalamazoo Craft Beverage Week Artist Design Contest
Announcing our 2025 winner:
Nichole M.K. Lindhorn
Artist Bio:
My name is Nichole M.K. Lindhorn. I’m originally from northern Indiana and moved to Kalamazoo about five years ago. I attended IU South Bend, majoring in Fine Art with a concentration in Graphic Design. My art style has changed over the years, ranging from weird, cheeky illustrations and sweet characters to nature-themed art. I have currently been experimenting with woodcut paintings and mural work. Illustration featuring anthropomorphic characters is a fun go-to for me, and I’m glad I had the opportunity to showcase that in this KBCW design!
About the Artist Design Contest:
For the second year, we are again looking to engage our local artist community in a unique way with Kalamazoo Craft Beverage Week. We’re seeking designs for a keepsake sticker that we’ll have available at participating locations throughout the event week for patrons to take and commemorate Kalamazoo Craft Beverage Week. Artist design submissions will be gathered and then displayed on the event website (www.kalamazoocraftbeverageweek.com) and social media for the community to vote. The design receiving the most community votes will be selected as the winning design to print on the stickers distributed during the 2025 Kalamazoo Craft Beverage Week.
Submitted Designs:
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Timeline:
- Contest announcement and submissions open- Wednesday, November 13
- Artist submissions due via the form below- Tuesday, December 3 by 10 pm EST *late submissions will not be accepted*
- Designs posted on event website and community voting begins- Friday, December 6 at 12 pm EST
- Community voting ends- Friday, December 13 at 12 pm EST
- Winner announced- Monday, December 16 at 12 pm EST
Artist Submission Guidelines:
- Design will be produced by Kalamazoo Craft Beverage Week on a durable, vinyl sticker with a minimum of 1,000 copies.
- Design should connect to the themes of Kalamazoo Craft Beverage Week (beer, wine, spirits, cocktails, craft beverage makers, Kalamazoo).
- The wording “Kalamazoo Craft Beverage Week” or “KCBW” should be incorporated within the design.
- Artist name can appear towards edge of design for recognition.
- Design can be either oval, circle, square, or rectangular and should not exceed a finished size of 4”w x 4”h or 4” in diameter.
- If your design bleeds to the edge, include a 0.125” bleed around your design but ensure that any important design elements and text are within the maximum finished size constraints above.
- Design can be created in any medium but must be print ready. All Pantone and RGB colors must be converted to CMYK, and file must be submitted digitally in any one of the following file types: .AI, .EPS, or .PDF
- Design file must be labeled with your first and last name and KCBW design contest (ex. Mary Smith- KCBW design contest).
- Design must be an original and not used elsewhere.
- One design per artist may be submitted.
- Artist must be 17 years of age or older to participate.
Artist Benefits:
- All designs that meet the guidelines above will be displayed on the event website and event social media channels during the community voting timeframe along with the artist name and link to artist’s website/social media.
- The winning artist will receive these additional benefits:
- $200 cash prize
- 10 copies of the sticker with their design
- Design, artist bio, and link to artist website and/or social media channels on a dedicated page on the event website
- Feature on event social media channels with tags to artist’s social handles
- Press release sent out to local media contacts announcing the winner of the design contest
2024 winning artist and design:
Heather Picardat
Heather Picardat is a visual artist from Kentwood, MI who specializes in creating dynamic and surprising artwork. Her love of contrast and variety of mediums allows her to create works that are full of wonder and unexpected juxtapositions. Whether it is birds covered in stars or two bears locked in a warm embrace, her artwork makes the mundane magical. Heather Picardat’s passion for storytelling makes her work lively and playful. With her bold sense of color and whimsy, Heather Picardat is able to create pictures that look like a revelation of facts about the unseen world of bears and birds.
Heather's artwork (below) will be printed onto limited edition commemorative stickers that will be available at participating locations during Kalamazoo Craft Beverage Week, January 12 - 21, 2024.
