The Somerville Arts & Culture (SAC) is seeking an artist to create the official poster for our 2026 SomerStreets: Monster Mash festival!
Monster Mash is SAC’s annual Halloween celebration that transforms Somerville Avenue into a spooky, family-friendly festival. The event features live music on two stages, family activities, local food vendors, and our beloved Community Halloween Parade led by the School of Honk. Residents of all ages come dressed in their best Halloween costumes to celebrate together.
We’re looking for a creative design that captures the fun and excitement of Halloween—welcoming to all ages while still spooky enough to give people a little thrill!
Artist Qualifications
We’re looking for an artist with experience in:
- Poster design
- Illustration and graphic design
- Creating designs that can be adapted to multiple formats and sizes
- Incorporating text seamlessly into artwork
Deliverables
The selected artist will provide:
- 11″ x 17″ print-ready poster (300dpi, ¼ inch bleed)
- Website/Facebook banner (1920 x 1005 px)
- 1080×1350 or 4:5 for social media (Instagram and Facebook)
- 6 alternative versions of the social media graphic that substitute the English text with translations from other languages. We will provide all the translated text. (Text will utilize the Devanagari script and Chinese characters. The six languages are Spanish, Portuguese, Haitian Creole, Nepali, Traditional Chinese, and Simplified Chinese.)
Timeline
- Application Deadline: August 23, 11:59 PM
- Selected Artist Notified: August 27
- First concept draft: September 10
- Second draft (with revisions): September 17
- Final print poster due: September 24
- Digital assets due (banner and social media): September 24
- Translated poster versions due: September 29
Review Process
Applications will be reviewed by Somerville Arts & Culture (SAC) staff based solely on the information submitted in the application, including any uploaded files and portfolio links.
We will evaluate applications based on:
- Creativity and strength of the proposed poster concept
- Quality of previous illustration and poster design work
- Experience incorporating event information and typography into poster designs
- Ability to complete the project within the required timeline
Compensation
$600
Please review the City’s vendor payment guidelines below before applying.
- The City requires all selected artists to complete vendor paperwork, including a W-9, before payment can be processed.
- Payment will be issued after all final design deliverables have been submitted and approved.
- Payment processing typically takes 4–6 weeks after the project has been completed.
- Payment will be issued by check and mailed to the address provided by the selected artist.
Questions?
Please contact iaritza Menjivar at [email protected].