Local Artists Encouraged to Enter Competition for Bicentennial Logo

Local artists of all ages are encouraged to enter the Indianapolis Bicentennial Art Competition.  

The winning submission will be a design that will be used for posters, memorabilia and artwork that celebrate the city’s history.

The Indianapolis Bicentennial will commemorate two significant events in the founding of the city: when dozens of families built cabins along the east bank of the White River in 1820, and the approval of that site as the state capital and official naming of Indianapolis in early 1821.  

Civic pride, innovation, legacy and history/ heritage are kind of the four themes of the bicentennial that we are looking at and we’ve asked folks to emphasize that in their designs or tell us how their designs relate to that ” says Administrator of Community and Economic Development Scarlett Martin.

It is in that spirit that the Indianapolis Bicentennial Commission is seeking to make this a process that engages local artists of all ages and disciplines throughout Marion County. “Indianapolis has a history of promoting inclusive design; the flag of Indianapolis in its current form was created by a student at the Herron School of Art.  The Bicentennial Commission hopes to build upon this tradition by calling on artists of all walks of life, in all corners of the city to submit their designs and become an integral part of celebration programming,” said Steve Campbell, co-chair of the Indianapolis Bicentennial Commission.

The contest is open through September first and the winning logo will be announced later this fall. 

Mayor Hogsett’s Create Indy Advisory Committee will review all submitted artwork, and members will select multiple awardees.  A popular vote will also decide the public’s favorite design.  The Create Indy Advisory Committee will award the following monetary prizes: $5,000 to the overall winner; $1,000 to the winner of the youth category; and $500 to the people’s choice winner.

Indianapolis Bicentennial celebration events will start June of 2020 and continue through the summer of 2021.

Interested artists can learn more about the contest at bicentennial.indy.gov.