Illustration Contest!

Limited-edition Kitchen Arts & Letters tote bag inaugural series. Create something remarkable that will be seen around the world.

We’re asking for an illustration that we’ll use for a limited run of 100 silk-screened cotton totes. We want this to be the first in a series of totes, each featuring the work of a different artist. 

For this inaugural tote, we ask for an image of something that is related to food, drink, or cookbooks.

Your art can be whimsical, dramatic, splashy, or classic. We’re not looking for something that is primarily text.

The contest winner will get $250 (plus 5 tote bags).

Contest Rules

Deadline:  All entries must be submitted by June 15, 2022. 

Art requirements:

Print area: 13”W x 10.25”H. Your art does not have to fill this area, but keep the proportion in mind. Please leave a 3.5”W x 2.25”H blank space on EITHER the left OR right lower corner for the KAL logo. The art will be centered on a tote that is 15”W x 15”H. (See diagram)

Color: You can use 1 or 2 PMS colors, plus PMS 288U, which is the color of the KAL logo. Bear in mind that the bags will be printed by silk-screen. Close color registration is not possible. Please see the example below for what might work and what might be a problem. Note, the examples below refer to the illustration guidelines only. These are not the tote bags.

Final art: a layered Illustrator or EPS file, subject to approval by our printer.

After we choose a winner, payment will be made on receipt of reproduction-ready artwork. Bags will take 6-8 weeks to produce, and we’ll send yours to you.

If you submit art, we may use it in social media polls to determine which creations are most popular. We will give you credit each time we show it.

If your art is not chosen as the winner, you retain all rights to it.

If you submit your artwork, and we choose you as the winner, you agree that this is a work-for-hire agreement and that we also have the right to use the artwork to promote the sale of the tote bag. If we decided to use the art on other merchandise, we'll pay you an additional $50 per type of item (t-shirt, postcard, etc.) and you'll get 5 pieces of whatever that is. We’ll also use your name to promote the contest results and the bag or any other merchandise. We'll provide you with a written contract stipulating all this, so you know what you rights are.

Submissions and questions to: letters@kitchenartsandletters.com