Seventh Son seeking artist to design beer labels

Written by on October 5, 2015 in Beer - 24 Comments

Seventh Son artSeventh Son is on the hunt for a talented artist to design the labels for their 2016 750ml bottle release series.

“We had a fantastic series of labels from Mike Moses last year and are looking forward to finding another great local artist for 2016,” said brewery owner Collin Castore.

To be considered, submit six pieces of recent work along with brief artist’s statement to info@seventhsonbrewing.com by November 1.

From the initial pool of artists, Seventh Son will select 10 finalists who will be asked to submit a finished label design by December 1, including ideas for subsequent labels. The brewery will provide a general theme as well as beer styles and names.

The winner will receive an initial payment of $400 and will design a total of ten labels for the brewery throughout 2016, earning an additional $400 per label. The winner will also get discounts at Seventh Son, brewery merchandise and label credit on all bottles for the length of the series. The contest runner-up will receive $300, and third place will get $200.

About the Author

Cheryl Harrison. Editor of Drink Up Columbus. Co-Founder of the Columbus Ale Trail.

24 Comments on "Seventh Son seeking artist to design beer labels"

  1. Dan October 5, 2015 at 11:10 PM · Reply

    http://apexcreative.net/why-design-contests-are-bad-for-designers/

    You wish art for a label? Pay an artist for the work they do. You will be happy and you will not look like a cheapskate.

  2. Rachel F October 6, 2015 at 9:19 AM · Reply

    Wow, $400/label seems awfully low to me. I’m not in the business, but my son is (a graphic designer). Am I wrong? I imagine it would take a long time to create a label and the talent required isn’t a common thing. We do not reward artistic talent and the hard work needed to develop it well enough in my opinion.

  3. Blair Smith October 6, 2015 at 10:35 AM · Reply

    Enjoy!

  4. Bob Grimm October 6, 2015 at 3:02 PM · Reply

    Seveth Son people. This is a fantastic thing you are doing for artist. Most of us dream about this kind of opportunity. Hope some young talented artist gets the chance to work with you guys.

    Thanks for giving someone the opportunity to do this.

    I’m an old art director/ illustrator. bob grimm

  5. John October 6, 2015 at 3:30 PM · Reply

    Hey maybe an artist could pay 1/3 of their monthly student loan bill with that $400.

    Artist need to stop doing these kinds of contests. It cheapens ALL artists work when a piece of art that is going to be printed over and over and over and over is purchased for $400 via jumping through contest hoops.

  6. Dan October 6, 2015 at 5:18 PM · Reply

    Bob, this is not an opportunity for anything other than being disappointed. Even the winner is working for less than minimum wage when the calculations are done. The rest are just being used and manipulated for commercial gain. Rest assured they will be using all the work for publicity purposes and paying nothing for it. That how it worked in your day?

  7. Nigel Sutherland October 6, 2015 at 5:28 PM · Reply

    This is no more than a contest to get free ideas and pay only for what you select. Do what proper businesses do – commission a professional artist and pay the going rate,

  8. Andy White October 6, 2015 at 6:07 PM · Reply

    Hoe about, first, I come into Seventh Son to buy a bottle of beer. Seventh Sun will submit to me six sample bottles. I will drink them all, then buy the one I like.

    😉

  9. Jon Herman October 6, 2015 at 7:19 PM · Reply

    Good one, Andy!

  10. Malc October 6, 2015 at 7:35 PM · Reply

    In the past, I’ve been the guy brought in to “work up” some of the ideas a company has received in one of these comps. I politely turned down the gig, saying that the fact I’ve been asked to pick at the plates of a number of half eaten dinners means that someone in charge has no f*cking idea what they’re doing, and that does not augur well.

    It’s bad enough dealing with execs even on a regular job, the fact they’ve managed to put together a “competition” willingly entered by a bunch of softheads, only strengthens their self of self importance and increases their latent contempt for creatives.

  11. Mexico October 6, 2015 at 7:55 PM · Reply

    While I do agree the 400 dollars isn’t a huge pay day, but you do have to factor in the fact that your name is listed on every bottle and that there is a chance to get your name out there. Usually jobs that offer exposure don’t pay. At least this one does. Even if it is just a little.

  12. Dom October 7, 2015 at 12:31 AM · Reply

    Wow, it seems as though Norman Rockwell, Jean Michelle Basquiat, Andy Worhol and Pablo Picasso have all expressed their dislike for the prize money, understandably so. Their work commissions into the thousands and even millions, it seems rediculous that they would all be interested in a paultry $400 contest…oh, wait. You guys are all unfamiliar no name, dime a dozen, primal donnas and bargain bin artists bitching about how much a company can offer you by scraping your pathetic little notions of what great art actually is and trying to help you get on your feet. You want a better deal? How about making some better shit, networking and staying humble for every opportunity you get. Every famous artist mentioned had tons of humiliating, low paying jobs. Get over yourselves.

    • John October 7, 2015 at 9:36 AM · Reply

      Not about being famous Dom. It’s about not putting artists through american idol contests its about offering them living wages for hard work. There is an industry standard for this kind of work and the prize money here cuts below that by $1,100-1,600. This is coming from an artist who has done work for Rolling Stone, Vice Magazine and dosent even live in Columbus (Chicago). I saw this ad pop on my Facebook and I am so very much tired of seeing these kind of things that I had to speak out. You are in the wrong for mocking us for asking for more, you are in the wrong for shaming us and you are in the wrong for believing we should be offered less. My email is johnclarkbaileyjr@gmail.com my website is johnclarkbaileyjr.com feel free to contact me Dom if you would like further reading material on such things.

      John

      • Javier October 10, 2015 at 5:39 PM · Reply

        John, if, by your ridiculous standards, every potential client only hired artists if they could pay what you, one creative, thinks is adequate, wouldn’t you think there would be a lot less opportunities for up and coming artists? Dom is absolutely right, you have no authority to come and bash a company for creating a contest like this. If these opportunities were truly terrible, no one would do them. I didn’t become an artist to make money, I became an artist to work on badass sh*t and create memorable ideas.

        Instead of giving your condescending remarks, you should let other creatives decide what is worth their time and not impose your own personal beliefs.

  13. Jen Burton October 7, 2015 at 11:56 AM · Reply

    It sounds like this contest isn’t for everybody!

  14. Dan October 7, 2015 at 10:19 PM · Reply

    I do just fine Dom and I’m known and loved around the world. Mexico, you have a .2% chance of getting any money at all. You want practice fine. You get the work you do.

  15. Dan October 7, 2015 at 10:22 PM · Reply

    Check me here Dom if you’re not too busy. http://www.gocomics.com/looks-good-on-paper, http://collinstoons.weebly.com/

  16. Dan October 7, 2015 at 10:26 PM · Reply

    Also have my own ebook publishing imprint. http://www.fun-e-bookspublishing.com/index.html

  17. Mandi October 7, 2015 at 10:37 PM · Reply

    Wow, that’s pretty freaking cheap. Seems like you don’t value the time and ingenuity of artists very highly. How do you compensate the efforts of those whose proposals you don’t pick? As a working artist myself, I find this contest pretty rude, and won’t support your label. Its exactly like me drinking a keg of your brew and a keg of 10 others, then only paying for the one I like.

  18. Seymour Yang October 8, 2015 at 1:25 PM · Reply

    Great marketing for the beer campaign but not a great deal for the artist. What about the nine finalists who put in the work to design a fresh label? Will they be compensated too? $400 per label, for a commercially sold product seems on the (very) low end. I’m not trolling, this kind of thing is a genuine concern within the professional illustration community.

  19. Lynda McClanahan October 10, 2015 at 8:32 AM · Reply

    The winner would get $4,400.00 for designing ten labels. For an established graphic artist with lots of images already worked up and on file, designing 10 labels isn’t as much work as one might suppose. As an artist myself, I’d say that four thousand dollars is only a puny amount of money to those who already have it..

  20. Javier October 10, 2015 at 5:08 PM · Reply

    As a professional illustrator/graphic designer, why would I be offended given the opportunity to design 10 microbrewery labels? This brewery will replicate my art/designs for an entire YEAR. To those too simple minded of you here who don’t realize this, that’s a LOT of advertisement and distribution. Look up how much ad space would cost at a publication for a year, even a small one. A $400 up front and “label distribution” is more than fair coming from this microbrewery. Not to mention, craft beer drinkers may be the artist’s demographic. This is not a fortune 500 company, this is not a multimillion dollar firm. It’s a microbrewery. More than likely, they’ll give more creative freedom than a “corporate sponsor” would give.

    An “artist” working only for monetary compensation is no artist with creative integrity. You’re just a “pencil for hire” with no artistic opportunism past a quick buck. Seventh Son, I hope this contest continues and I hope you have it grow with your business.

  21. Lynda McClanahan October 15, 2015 at 10:09 AM · Reply

    One thing I’ve learned from doing graphic work is that, although it requires creatvity, it’s basically a working class trade gig. Designing a label is a lot less work than putting in a toilet.

  22. Angela Culley June 13, 2017 at 2:25 PM · Reply

    Although these comments were entertaining (or not)…..I only want to know eligibility details……I thought I read a few brief words about “seeking local artists”…….. but found no real details concerning the competition/entries. If you are seeking strictly “locals” or residents of Ohio….please advise?……… Thank you

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