Hillyard Street Light Banner Contest
Your art on Market Street Corridor. Let’s make Hillyard shine.
We're calling on artists, students, and creative minds of all ages to submit original designs to be printed on streetlight banners throughout the Hillyard District. It’s your chance to bring color, pride, and creativity to the heart of Spokane’s emerging creative district.
About the Contest
We're calling on artists, students, and creative minds of all ages to submit original designs to be printed on streetlight banners throughout the Hillyard District. It’s your chance to bring color, pride, and creativity to the heart of Spokane’s emerging creative district.
Who Can Enter:
All ages welcome
Open to individuals and groups
No residency requirement, but designs should reflect Hillyard’s story or future
Prizes & Recognition
Winning designs will be installed on 86 banner poles along the Market Street Corridor
Featured on Hillyard social media and website
Submissions will be honored as an exhibit during our August Third Thursdays event
Winning artist honored at a Creative District Designation celebratory event TBD
Winning artist may also receive a small stipend or honorarium as a thank-you for their contribution, depending on available funding.
Design Guidelines
Theme: “Creativity, Community, Culture”
We’re looking for bold, vibrant, and original designs that represent the spirit of Hillyard — its history, diversity, and creative energy.
Design Specs:
Banner size: 18" x 36" (Vertical Format)
Designed in high-resolution (minimum 300 DPI with bleed)
Please upload a smaller version (< 10MB) of your design for judging.
Accepted formats: .JPG, .PNG, or .PDFFinalists will be contacted to submit a print-ready high-resolution file (300 dpi with bleed, ideally as a .PDF or vector format like .AI or .EPS)
Design Guidelines:
Artwork must be original (no AI-generated or copied images)
Avoid text-heavy designs — imagery speaks louder
No profanity, hate symbols, or copyrighted material
Tips:
Use bold contrast for visibility
Think about how it will look from a distance
Celebrate Hillyard’s identity in your own style
Timeline
Submission Deadline: July 12, 2025 Extended to July 31st, 2025
Social Media Post - Voting: August 4-7, 2025
Community voting online to determine the finalists. Artist names will be hidden to create a fair contest.
Final Winner Selection: August 8th, 2025
Winner selected by Judging Panel (See Judging section below)
Notify Winner & Collect Files: August 14th, 2025
Receive final print-ready files from artist of winning design.
Banner Installation: ~ September 2025
Celebration & Banner Unveiling: To be announced!
Judging & Selection
Finalists will be evaluated by a panel of local artists, community leaders, and members of the Hillyard Creative District. Designs will be scored based on the following criteria:
Creativity & Originality – Is the design imaginative or visually striking?
Relevance to Theme / District Identity – Does it reflect arts, culture, community, or heritage?
Visual Impact from a Distance – Does it use color, contrast, and composition effectively?
Technical Execution – Are elements like typography, spacing, and scaling handled well?
Some finalists may also be selected through a round of public voting on social media.
Questions? Check here first!
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Yes — sky’s the limit!
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Yes. You grant us permission to reproduce your design for this project, but you keep the rights to your work.
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Artist names can be credited separately. We ask that designs remain non-commercial in appearance.
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Nope! But the artwork should reflect the Hillyard spirit and themes.
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Yes — all entrants will receive an update once the winner is chosen.
Submit Your Design
Please fill out this upload form by July 12th!
By submitting artwork, the entrant certifies that the work is original and does not infringe on the rights of any third party. Entrants agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Hillyard Creative District group from any claims arising from the submitted content.