SLOWDOWN ART COMP 2021
Each year we bring together a growing community of incredible talent with our popular Slowdown Art Comp. At the start of July we put out an open call on Instagram for artists to showcase their work.
With thousands of submissions each year, the competition has been a great launching pad for emerging artists to get their work out to the world. We select twelve winners each year, which are all woven into a blanket and released one per month the following year. The winners each receive 1000 USD, a 250 USD donation to a charity of their choice, and of course their very own blanket!
Our 2021 competition is officially open! To enter:
1. Post your art on Instagram with the hashtag #slowdownartcomp2021 and @slowdownstudio. The art should be blanket shaped! (a 3:4 rectangle)
2. You must post your art between July 1 + July 31, 2021. The winners will be announced on August 3. Maximum 3 entries per person.
Twelve winning artworks will each be woven into a blanket as part of our 2022 collection!
Terms:
1. Each winning artist maintains ownership of the artwork. For the duration that Slowdown Studio has the blanket available for sale at www.slowdownstudio.com, the rights to use the artwork commercially are restricted to Slowdown Studio. However the artist may still sell prints of the artwork or the original artwork – not in collaboration with another brand. The blanket may be produced for up to 2 years.
2. An amount of 1000 USD will be paid to each artist one month before the release of their blanket in 2022, as well as a 250 USD donation to a charity of the artist's choice. The artist will also receive their own blanket.
3. The winning art will also be used in Slowdown Studio's 2022 Calendars.
4. The artist must acknowledge that the artwork is an original artwork, and does not violate the intellectual property rights of others.
FAQs
Q: When is the deadline for submitting art?
A: We’re in Los Angeles and will be closing the Art Comp at midnight Pacific Daylight Time on July 31.
Q: What medium do submissions need to be in?
A: Any, really. We accept digital illustrations, hand-drawn art, paintings, mixed media, etc. If you are a sculptor, you can submit your art by taking a photo of it.
Q: Does my submission need to be oriented in any specific direction - portrait or landscape?
A: Nope! We like and can work with both options.
Q: Can I tag an old/existing post of my work or do I need to make a new post for the Art Comp?
A: You can absolutely tag an old post, but we’re not sure if the IG algorithm will push your post up with newly posted content ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Q: I really like color. Is there a limit to how many colors I use in my submission?
A: Nope! We like color too. Go nuts, we say!
Q: I want to submit the max - 3 entries. Does each entry need its own post or can I do a carousel?
A: We prefer independent posts for each submission because it makes it easier for us to review them, but carousels are also acceptable.
Q: Are international entries ok?
A: Heck, yes! Art has no borders and neither does our Art Comp.
Q: Do winning artists get a percentage of sales?
A: Different brands use different payment structures when working with artists. We’ve used both a flat rate and a royalty-based rate in the past. In the case of our Art Comp, we’ve found that a flat rate of $1000 paid to each artist for a design we produce in small runs works out better for the artists. (Especially those who create value for our brand even if their design doesn’t sell particularly well.) There are so many different contributing factors to placing a value on artists’ work for a commercial product, but making sure the artist is fairly compensated is a priority for us. We have a wonderful relationship with all of our artists and hope to be very transparent with how we work with them.
Q: Who chooses the Art Comp winners?
A: Our Slowdown Studio team does and they take the whole thing really seriously. It is our favorite time of year, tbh.
Q: My Instagram account is private so you won’t see my tagged entry. Is there another way to submit my art for the Comp?
A: Yup! Email is your best bet here. Shoot us your submissions to submissions@slowdownstudio.com.
Q: I am distrustful of the IG algorithm. Do you check only the #slowdownartcomp2021 entries or also profile tags?
A: We check both! We’re not letting any entries slip through the digital cracks.