First-Ever RQAF Poster Design Contest
Calling All Upstate Creatives: Design the Face of the 2025 Rochester Queer Arts Festival!
If you’ve ever dreamed of seeing your art plastered on posters, flaunted on T-shirts, and paraded through an entire festival of proud, art-loving humans—this is your moment. The Rochester Queer Arts Festival (RQAF) is throwing open the digital doors for its 2025 Poster Design Contest, and every artist in Upstate New York—whether you’re a high-school sketch-booker, a professional illustrator, or somewhere glittering in between—is invited to compete.
Why This Contest Matters
At its heart, RQAF is about amplifying queer voices, championing self-expression, and giving regional talent a platform to shine. Your poster won’t just hang on a wall; it will become the festival’s visual identity for 2025. Staff will wear it across their chests, visitors will take it home as a keepsake, and the proceeds from those sales will funnel back into the LGBTQIA+ community through a local nonprofit of the winning artist’s choice. In short, your artwork will fuel both celebration and activism.
What’s in It for the Winner?
$250 cash prize—because creativity deserves coin.
A free 8′ × 8′ atrium booth at the festival, perfect for selling your art or meeting fans.
A banner shout-out directing thousands of attendees straight to your booth.
Eternal bragging rights. (Hey, not everyone can say their art headlined a festival.)
The Design Specs (Your Creative Checklist)
Originality is non-negotiable. No AI, no clip-art mashups, no recycled commissions.
Reflect the festival’s annual theme and queer cultural flair (we’ll share the official theme in your confirmation email).
Include “Rochester Queer Arts Festival,” “Village Gate Square,” and the date October 11 2025.
Format: 11″ × 17″, vertical/portrait, 300 dpi, CMYK.
Accepted file types: PDF, JPG/JPEG, PNG, 10–20 MB max per file.
Up to five entries per artist, and guess what—entry is free.
By submitting, you grant us a non-exclusive license to print and sell your poster (on staff shirts, prints, and tees) for festival promotion and that nonprofit donation. You, of course, keep full credit for the artwork.
Timeline to Success
Submission Deadline: August 1, 2025
(Pro tip: upload early to dodge last-minute Wi-Fi woes.)Winner Announcement: Mid-August—watch your inbox and socials!
Festival Day: Saturday, October 11, 2025, at Village Gate Square. Get ready to see your design bigger than life.
How to Enter
Visit the Poster Submission Page, drop your contact details, upload your masterpiece, and hit submit. That’s it.
Need inspiration? Think bold colors, inclusive imagery, and the kind of visual energy that screams “community, creativity, and pride!” Whether you channel vintage poster art, psychedelic pop, minimalist geometry, or full-tilt drag glamour—bring your authentic perspective and let Rochester’s rainbow flag fly higher than ever.
Spread the Word—Then Start Sketching
Even if you’re not competing, share this call with friends, students, and local art classes. The more entries we receive, the richer the festival’s creative tapestry will be. Together, we can make RQAF 2025 the most visually vibrant, community-driven celebration in Upstate New York.
So sharpen those pencils, power up that tablet, and give your imagination permission to strut down the digital runway. Submit your poster by August 1, and you might just see your art lighting up the city this fall.
We can’t wait to see what you create. 🌈✏️
