You can win $2,000 for designing a Brooklyn library card celebrating Black culture

The Brooklyn Public Library is looking for the perfect design for a new library card celebrating Black American culture and history—and will award the winning artist with $2,000.

New Yorkers 13 and older have until January 31 to submit a design a card, using a template, that has a connection to the Black American experience. Designs can be created in any medium or materials (photography, paint, found objects) so long as they are submitted digitally based on the template.

Each design must be submitted with an artist statement about the creator and the work, as well as the creator's connection to both Brooklyn and the Black American experience. 

Each design will be judged on how it connects to the theme, how unique and creative it is as well as the technical and artistic skill applied. Preference will be given to artists with a connection to Brooklyn.

Once the library chooses the winning design, it'll award the artist a $2,000 stipend. The winner's library card will be released in celebration of Juneteenth 2021 at the African American Heritage Center at Macon Library and will be available at all Brooklyn library branches that issue library cards. 

This project, which is also being sponsored by Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams and Brooklyn’s community boards, actually began as a proposal from Wendy A. Robinson from Community Board 3’s Parks, Arts & Culture Committee. She wanted to find a way to celebrate and raise awareness of the African American Heritage Center at Macon Library, according to BPL.

This card will be the first in a series of future "Celebrating Heritage" library cards.

Learn more about how to submit your design here.

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