Apply to have your artwork featured on the cover of The Annals of Iowa, a quarterly publication that examines the deeds, misdeeds, and accomplishments of our predecessors and shows how those actions fit into the larger mosaic of Iowa's history. The journal, established in 1863, is distributed quarterly to hundreds of subscribers throughout the United States and Canada, and its digital footprint is even larger, with over 1.6 million downloads from readers throughout the globe, including over 400,000 downloads in 2020.
How to Apply
Selection Notification
Publication Dates
Project Background
Iowa Arts Council
Annals of Iowa
Project Details and Budget
A successful project proposal should:
Additional project considerations:
Online Submission
Application Requirements
Artist Biography: Submit a brief artist biography.
Artist Statement: Provide a brief artist statement for your work. The statement should be no more than 3 sentences and should describe the overarching vision for the artist's work overall, not for a specific project.
Work Sample Description: For each work sample submitted, include the title, medium, dimensions, year completed, and a detailed description of how the artwork represents Iowa history. Applicants should not underestimate the importance of explaining how the artwork connects to Iowa history.
Note: If you will need time to re-document the work for print, please also indicate that in this section.
Work Samples: Upload up to 3 images for consideration for the cover art.
Note: Work samples do not need to be high quality image files ready for publication. Artists will be provided adequate time, if needed, to re-document the work for print. If you need time to re-document any of your work samples, please indicate that in the "Work Sample Description" section while labeling your images.
Selection Process and Evaluation Criteria
Accessibility
Questions
Past Example
Cover Template
How to Apply
- Read the guidelines
- Submissions may be sent through the Iowa Art's Council's SlideRoom page. Please see the guidelines for additional submission instructions. Submissions are open until August 1, 2023.
Annals of Iowa Cover Art Program Guidelines
The Annals of Iowa seeks submissions from Iowa artists for artwork to be published on the 2024 covers of the state's historical journal. This opportunity is administered by the Iowa Arts Council and State Historical Society of Iowa.
Timeline
Submission Deadline
The deadline to submit an application to the program is 11:59 p.m., August 1, 2023 for the winter, spring, summer, and fall 2024 covers.
Selection Notification
Applicants are typically notified of selection decisions within four weeks of the submission deadline.
Publication Dates
Four artworks will be selected; each featured on either the winter, spring, summer, or fall 2024 cover of The Annals of Iowa.
Winter publication: January 2024 (production deadline November 15)
Spring publication: April 2024 (production deadline February 15)
Summer publication: July 2024 (production deadline May 15)
Fall publication: October 2024 (production deadline August 15)
Project Background
State Historical Society of Iowa
The State Historical Society of Iowa has been a trustee of Iowa’s historical legacy since 1857. With a dual mission of preservation and education, it maintains a museum, two research centers, preservation office, and eight historic sites. The society preserves and provides access to Iowa’s historical resources through a variety of statewide programs, exhibitions and projects while serving as an advocate for Iowa’s past and connector to the future.
Iowa Arts Council
The Iowa Arts Council empowers Iowa to build and sustain culturally vibrant communities by cultivating creativity, learning and participation in the arts. The council strives to create opportunities for the arts to flourish in Iowa by nurturing cultural leadership and investing in projects that provide access to arts experiences in communities and public spaces throughout Iowa.
Annals of Iowa
The Annals of Iowa is a quarterly publication that examines the deeds, misdeeds, and accomplishments of our predecessors and shows how those actions fit into the larger mosaic of Iowa's history. This thought-provoking journal will satisfy even the most serious explorer of the state’s past. The journal, established in 1863, is distributed quarterly to hundreds of subscribers throughout the United States and Canada, and its digital footprint is even larger, with over 3.1 million downloads from readers throughout the globe, including over 850,000 downloads in 2022.
Project Details and Budget
Artists may submit up to three (3) artworks for publication consideration on the cover of The Annals of Iowa. The Iowa Arts Council will accept submissions of existing artwork as well as proposals for new artwork. Artwork should visually represent the artist’s interpretation of Iowa’s history and reflect the Iowa Arts Council and State Historical Society of Iowa’s missions to celebrate the arts, history and culture in Iowa.
The selected artists will each be paid $500 inclusive of all costs associated with the project, including but not limited to: research, professional consultations, materials and creation, documentation, and the rights to reproduce the artwork in both the print and digital publications of The Annals of Iowa.
A successful project proposal should:
- Translate well to a static, two-dimensional reproduction on the 9x6-inch cover of The Annals. The original artwork may be larger than these dimensions, but a digital representation of the work must be appropriately scalable to the size of the cover with or without a bleed.
- Represent Iowa’s rich history, including consideration of the diverse perspectives that shaped the state today.
- Reflect the missions of both the State Historical Society of Iowa and Iowa Arts Council by celebrating the arts, history and culture in Iowa.
Additional project considerations:
If selected, the artist must provide a high-quality JPG or TIFF image file set at 300 DPI or higher using a CMYK color profile as the final image of the artwork for publication. If necessary, selected artists will be expected to re-document the work and edit the digital file before submitting for publication.
The cover artwork can be full color and may be designed as a bleed or with a border. If a cropped image of the artwork is used, the full composition of the artwork will be printed inside the issue’s cover to retain the integrity of the original work.
Note: Though not required, it is helpful for reviewers when artists submit work samples already cropped to the cover dimensions of 9x6 inches.
The artwork will not wrap to the spine or back cover. A solid color for the spine and back cover will be chosen to complement the selected artwork.
The State Historical Society of Iowa will have final approval of The Annals of Iowa cover design, which will include the selected artwork with overlaid text of the publication title, edition information, date, and subtitle (see template). Overlaid text can be printed in black or white and the layout will be adjusted as needed. Translucent bounding boxes may be utilized to increase text readability. To retain Annals of Iowa branding, please note that fonts will not be changed.
Past examples of Annals of Iowa cover artwork can be viewed online.
Eligibility
This call for artwork is open to Iowa artists 18 and older. Preference will be given to artists who have not yet been featured on a cover of the journal. Individuals must be current residents of Iowa, physically residing in the state per Iowa Code 422.4 and Iowa Administrative Code 701.38.17 (422). The Iowa Arts Council is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility and encourages artists of all backgrounds and abilities to apply.
Online Submission
Applicants must submit proposals via the Iowa Arts Council’s SlideRoom, an online application portal. Applications will not be accepted in any other format. Late, incomplete or ineligible applications will not be accepted. Applicants can access the current online application requirements at iowaartscouncil.slideroom.com. Applicants must create a login to view the full application requirements for the program. Applicants can visit help.liaisonedu.com assistance related to the online submission.
Application Requirements
Interested artists must submit the following information and materials by the application deadline via the online application portal for their artwork to be considered.
Artist Biography: Submit a brief artist biography.
Artist Statement: Provide a brief artist statement for your work. The statement should be no more than 3 sentences and should describe the overarching vision for the artist's work overall, not for a specific project.
Work Sample Description: For each work sample submitted, include the title, medium, dimensions, year completed, and a detailed description of how the artwork represents Iowa history. Applicants should not underestimate the importance of explaining how the artwork connects to Iowa history.
Note: If you will need time to re-document the work for print, please also indicate that in this section.
Work Samples: Upload up to 3 images for consideration for the cover art.
Note: Work samples do not need to be high quality image files ready for publication. Artists will be provided adequate time, if needed, to re-document the work for print. If you need time to re-document any of your work samples, please indicate that in the "Work Sample Description" section while labeling your images.
Selection Process and Evaluation Criteria
A selection committee comprised of representatives from the Iowa Arts Council and State Historical Society of Iowa will review submissions and evaluate based on the following criteria:
- Appropriateness of the artist's medium and style as they relate to the project constraints and goals
- Unique artistic perspective, authentic relationship with subject matter, and understanding of craft as evidenced by the work samples and work sample description
- Representation of Iowa’s rich history, including consideration of the diverse perspectives that shaped the state today
- Notifications are typically issued within four weeks of the submission deadline.
Artwork submitted to previous Annals of Iowa Calls for Cover Artwork will be considered in each subsequent review.
The State Historical Society of Iowa and Iowa Arts Council reserve the right to reject any or all applications or proposals, to reject any finalist, or to terminate the selection process for any project within prior notice.
Copyright and License
Selected artists will retain copyright to their work and will grant the State Historical Society of Iowa an unlimited, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to reproduce the artwork, in whole or with modification(s), in both the print and digital publications of The Annals of Iowa and in marketing materials promoting the journal.
Accessibility
The Iowa Arts Council is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to eligible applicants. For technical support submitting an application, please contact the Accessibility Coordinator Jennie Knoebel at jennie.knoebel@iowa.gov or 515-242-6194 at least two weeks in advance of the submission deadline.
Questions
Interested artists are encouraged to review all published material and contact EJ Philby Burton at ej.philbyburton@iowa.gov or 515-314-9013 with questions well in advance of the deadline.
Past Example
Examples of past Annals of Iowa covers featuring original artwork can be viewed online.
Cover Template
The Annals of Iowa final cover design will include overlaid text of the publication title, edition information, date and subtitle as shown in the template below. Overlaid text can be printed in black or white and the layout can be adjusted as needed. To retain Annals of Iowa branding, please note that fonts will not be changed.
The artwork selected for the cover may be designed as a bleed or with a border, but will be restricted to the 9x6-inch cover dimensions of The Annals as indicated by the black outline below. Please see the Project Details section for full layout specifications.