art > MONEY: Design to Define a Movement

Big money is playing an increasingly large role in our democracy. In the first election since the Supreme Court decided corporations can contribute unlimited funds to influence elections, we're witnessing an unprecedented flood of unrestricted and undisclosed funds into the political process, effectively drowning our democracy in six and seven-figure checks from billionaires, corporations, and special interests. People are starting to notice something's up – but they're feeling powerless to stop it.

We are part of a growing group of organizations who have banded together to break free of the corrupt stranglehold that lobbyists and super PACS have imposed on our democracy, and we want to take action. We believe that creativity and people can undo the corrupting influence of money in politics and restore the voice of the people – but we need to spread this message widely and inspire people to take action.

What better way than through art?

That's where you come in. We are calling all artists, activists, designers, and creative-types to lend your talents to make an iconic image that can both inform and inspire the public around this issue. Your image will be our rallying cry for those 83% of Americans who believe there is too much money in politics – so that the next time a Presidential election rolls around, our votes count just as much as they're supposed to.

The tone is up to you, but we suggest thinking leaning toward images that are people-focused and direct. It should be reproducible across multiple mediums (online, poster, etc.) and should include a succinct written message. This could be something as simple as 2008's 'Hope' poster or a bit more direct like 'Join or Die' (American Revolution) or 'We can do it!' (WWII). We want your image to become the iconic symbol of this movement, uniting getting-money-out-of-politics activists and rallying your brothers and sisters to action.

To spark your imagination, click here to view some effective political images throughout history.

The Prizes
There are four cash prizes up for grabs, a $1,000 award for the People's Choice for best iconic image, and two $500 runner-up prizes for 2nd and 3rd place (so please come back to share your image and ask your friends to vote for you!). A second jury award of $3,000 will be hand-picked by our exciting panel of experts in this field, including:

• Shepard Fairey, the man behind the 2008 Obama HOPE poster
• Jesse Dylan, who gave us the 'Yes We Can' music video starring will.i.am
• Lawrence Lessig, Professor of Law and Leadership at Harvard Law School, author of "Republic Lost: How Money Corrupts Congress — and a Plan to Stop It," and founder of Rootstrikers
• Annie Leonard, Creator and narrator for The Story of Stuff project on the life-cycle of consumer goods, on-going sustainability activist

Once selected, the winning artwork will be featured on the streets of selected cities. It will also be displayed prominently throughout the internet by the coalition of organizations that are producing this competition.

How to Enter
Submit your artwork from September 21 to October 11 (noon Pacific Time). Our judges will select which applicants will pass to the voting round. From October 12 to October 22, we'll open it up to public voting. Rally your friends to get behind your effort and be a part of making history around this important issue.

Submission tips:

• Create an iconic image that best represents this issue. Images should be in JPG, PNG, or GIF format, at least 570 × 345 pixels and no larger than 10MB.
• Write 2-5 sentences that describes the inspiration behind your work and why you think it could be an effective motivator for individuals to unite behind this cause.
• Be sure to include a short and simple message within your work that could serve as a rally call for this movement.
• If you have any questions, please review these FAQs or send us an email at maker@goodinc.com.
• This Challenge is open for submissions from September 21 to October 11 (noon Pacific Time).
• Only US-based individuals are eligible to enter. Applicants must be 18 years of age or older.
• There is a limit of one application per participant.
• Artwork will be featured on this page and public voting will be open from October 12 to October 22 (noon Pacific Time).
• The artwork with the most votes will receive a $1,000 award for their submission. The artwork with the second and third most votes will receive $500.
• The top artwork as selected by the judges will be award $3,000 and have their work displayed prominently throughout the internet by our partner organizations on October 29.
• In order to vote, log in with your GOOD account. If you don't have a GOOD account, it's free to join. All you need is an email address or a Facebook account to register. You will be emailed a link that you need to click in order to validate your address.
• Read all the rules.