How NOT to Get Great Work From An Artist

So, I got an email with an "opportunity" to pay $20 to make a completed poster that might be selected to be the art used to market a pretty big local event.   They listed very specific guidelines for the artwork they need, including size, orientation and subject.  The winner would have their artwork used and get $500. Everyone else would be judged and be included on social media and be included in an art show, I think.  

Ok. This is not the first time I've seen this. I've seen lots of t-shirt design contests, poster art submissions etc.  (This is the first time I've seen an entry fee attached though. That's extra weird - and honestly it's prompted me to write about it.) 

It looks like the event coordinators want art, but don't have it in their budget, so they hope enough people will pay the $20 entry fee so they can pay one artist for their work.  

This is not how you get good art for your event.  

1. Artists don't want to compete against each other.  That's not fun. It's stressful and doesn't bring the best out in most people. Artists are much happier - and do better work - when they are supporting each other.

2. Even if an artist would like to have this opportunity to make a poster - they're not going to give you their best work. They simply don't have time for that.  

Someone who is new might view it as an opportunity to get experience and just get their work seen by the judging committee.  And that's cool - it's kind of like a college class. Great. But you're not going to get working artists to pay you so you they can make work on spec. It's just not going to happen.  

I've seen this kind of thing many times and many ways and I have thought of a better way to approach it. 

I think the judging committee that wants art of some kind should compile a short list of artists they think could do a great job and privately ask them until you get someone who wants to help you out.  Or you could call for artists to pitch an idea and show examples of their work and the committee could choose what seems best.  It's just not cool or effective to ask artists to do a job and then maybe use their work and maybe pay them.  

If their is little to no money to pay the artist and your event is a value to the community - offer your artist lots of appreciation and great perks.

Here are a few suggestions:

1. Tickets to your event so they can attend and bring a friend or two.
2. Write a great blog post or article about the artist and the artwork you commission. Send it out to your email list with hot link to the artist's website, so your audience can shop their work.  
3. Include that article on your event website with hot links to the artist's website. Artists always need new leads and good quality hot links from reputable websites.  This helps their SEO, which helps the artist's Google ranking, reputation and business.  This is actually pretty useful. 
4. Do a press release about the poster and the artist.  Who knows - maybe the dwindling local press will be interested in featuring them in a news story. 
5. Sincerely thank them and respect their skill and time.