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The Raleigh Design Review Commission is looking for an artist to design the official award certificate and sticker for the 43rd Annual Sir Walter Raleigh Awards. This is a great opportunity to showcase your creativity and be recognized at one of Raleigh’s signature events celebrating excellence in design.
The Commission will review artist submissions and select one finalist to develop the certificate and sticker. The chosen artist will create three sketch options for both the certificate and sticker. All sketch options will be presented to the Commission and they will select the final designs.
The selected artist will receive:
- A $1,250 honorarium
- The opportunity to collaborate with the Commission to create the certificate
- Special recognition at the awards ceremony this fall
Eligibility
This call is open to digital and graphic designers 18 years of age or older residing, working, or attending school in Wake County, North Carolina for at least one year.
Artwork Scope
The final certificate design and sticker should feature the values, culture, diversity, experiences, interests, and/or history of the City of Raleigh and its citizens. The designs should also reflect the spirit of Raleigh’s art, architecture, and design. Artists must submit five portfolio items in response to this call.
The final design proposals and their copyright will belong to the designers. The City of Raleigh reserves the right to use images of the designs and information from the written proposals for review and project promotional purposes.
Project Timeline
- June 9, 2025 - Portfolio submission deadline
- June 13, 2025 - Selection of the artist.
- July 31, 2025 - Finalized design of the certificate and sticker.
How to Apply
Please submit qualification applications via email to Kasey Evans, kasey.evans@raleighnc.gov. You will receive email confirmation upon receipt of your submission.
Submission Requirements
- ONLY one portfolio will be accepted per individual.
- ONLY one portfolio will be accepted from designers working on a team.
- Designers working in a team cannot also submit work as an individual.
- Designers will be responsible for submitting an application packet as specified below.
- All materials must be received no later than Monday, June 9, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. to be considered.
Submission Package
- Professional Résumé
- Résumé should be no longer than one page. Teams should submit one résumé for each team member.
- File titled Firstname_Lastname_résumé
- Artist’s Statement (optional)
- One-page maximum description of your body of work, inspiration, etc.
- File titled Firstname_Lastname_description
- Design Portfolio of Previous Work
- Each designer or design team must submit a total of five design pieces as their qualifications for consideration. Each team will be allowed to show one piece per designer if their team consists of more than 5 members.
- Qualification designs must be submitted as a PDF file.
- Any included raster images must have a minimum resolution of 300 dpi.
- File titled Firstname_Lastname_portfolio
Certificate Design Process
Once selected, the winning artist is allowed three preliminary concepts of possible certificate designs for the Design Review Commission to review. The final certificate will need to include the following text and meet the following specifications:
- Designs must be print-ready PDFs sized to 8.5” x 14” in portrait orientation with an eighth of an inch (1/8) bleed on all sides.
- Any included raster images must have a minimum resolution of 300 dpi.
- Designated space for the award category.
- The following text:
- Sir Walter Raleigh Award for Community Appearance
- Presented by the City of Raleigh to (include blank space 0.75” by 7” for winner name)
- 2025
- Mayor, City of Raleigh (include blank signature line and 0.625” by 2.5” space for signature)
- Chairperson, City of Raleigh Design Review Commission (include blank signature line and 0.625” by 2.5” space for signature)
- Must include a blank space with a white/light color background for the City of Raleigh logo
- Must include visual interpretation of Sir Walter Raleigh (a vector graphic will be provided to the selected artist).
- Creativity is encouraged!
Non-Discriminatory Policy
The City of Raleigh does not discriminate based on age, mental or physical disability, sex, religion, race, color, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, familial or marital status, economic status, veteran status or national origin in any aspect of modern life. The City of Raleigh opposes any actual or perceived discrimination along these lines. The City of Raleigh strives to promote a diversity of voices, life experiences, and perspectives in our service to the city.
Additional Information
The Raleigh Design Review Commission was created by City Council in 1973 to advise on the city's visual and design standards. It has 15 members, most with backgrounds in fields like architecture, landscape design, or city planning. The Commission also runs outreach and education efforts, including the Sir Walter Raleigh Awards for Community Appearance which honor projects that improve the look and feel of Raleigh. Since 1983, over 200 awards have been given to developers, designers, property owners, and community groups.
