Make Art for the OFA 50th Birthday Party

Request for Proposals: OFA 50th Anniversary Birthday Card Design

Help the Office for the Arts celebrate our 50th anniversary! 

The OFA is seeking an undergraduate student to create the cover design for the OFA 50th Birthday Card. This card will be sent to alums, donors, college administration, students and special guests to commemorate 50 years of student artmaking at the Office for the Arts at Harvard.

The selected artist will receive $200 for their design and will be honored at the OFA 50th Birthday Party, Thursday, February 13, 2025, at Sanders Theatre. The design will be used as the cover of the OFA Birthday Card (print and digital) and will also be printed on stickers and enamel pins that will be given out at the party. 

By accepting this commission, the student artist gives permission to the OFA to use their artistic image for print and digital cards, stickers, enamel pins, promotional materials and digital outreach in service of the OFA 50th anniversary. The student artist will retain all rights to their original image and artwork will be credited with the student’s name in all materials.  

Image Guidelines:

  • Open to undergraduate students only. 
  • Application materials must be sent from student’s @college.harvard.edu email address. 
  • Final product will be a celebratory and joyful image that incorporates one or more of the colors of the OFA logo. Click to view core colors of the OFA logo (PDF). 
  • The OFA is open to any design concept and the use of any artistic materials as long as the final image can be easily scanned, printed and reproduced on paper, digital and other materials.
  • A wide range of forms is acceptable including watercolor, pencil, oil, mixed media and digital designs. 
  • No AI generated designs will be accepted; any image must be original and be a student-created image.
  • Please do not include the following in your design:
    • Words
    • Harvard and OFA logos or designs
    • Colors not in the OFA logo palatte
  • Formatting/design specifications:
    • Design file should be a minimum of 6,000 pixels on the shortest side and 300 dpi.
    • If you do not produce the artwork digitally (for example, by using Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop), the OFA will work with you develop a hi-resolution copy of your work for reproduction. 

Submission Requirements

Email the following materials via @college email address to Alexa Albanese, Administrative Assistant to the Director, by 8am on Tuesday, October 15, 2024. Include subject header: OFA Birthday Card.

  • Info: Name, year, concentration (if declared), cell phone. 
  • Samples of Work: Submit 2-3 sample images of your previous work that demonstrate your artistic style and/or range.
  • Concept Paragraph: Include a short paragraph describing your ideas for an OFA 50th Birthday Party image.

Key Dates

  • Portfolio and Concept Submission Deadline: 8am, Tuesday, October 15 
  • Artist Selection Announcement: Monday, October 21
  • Artwork Submission Deadline: Monday, November 11
  • OFA Feedback: Wednesday, November 13
  • Final Artwork (with revisions): Monday, November 18

For questions, please contact Alexa Albanese: alexaalbanese@fas.harvard.edu.

We look forward to seeing your creative vision for this special celebration!