Artists and Graphic Designers, Lamar needs you! The Arts Council of Barton County is hosting a Lamar logo design contest, and you are invited to participate!
Our hometown, Lamar, Missouri, has been selected to participate in the Missouri Main Street Connection Downtown revitalization program. This is a great opportunity for our community! Here are some important points about Downtown revitalization and the MOMainstreet program, from www.momainstreet.org:
Q. Why is your downtown important?
A. Your downtown is the most visible indicator of community pride. Downtown is either an asset or a liability in the effort to recruit new residents, new businesses and industries, retirees, tourists and others to your community and to keep those you already have. Quality of life is what separates successful cities and counties from declining communities.
Q. What is Missouri Main Street Connection?
A. Missouri Main Street Connection (MMSC) helps communities throughout the state revitalize their economy, appearance, and image of their commercial business districts within the context of historic preservation. MMSC is a partner with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the National Main Street Center, and the Missouri Department of Economic Development in delivering revitalization education services. MMSC is authorized, by annual contract with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, to conduct evaluations of local Main Street programs in Missouri to determine their qualifications for Accreditation which is recognized by the National Trust’s Main Street Center. MMSC also cooperates and partners with the Missouri Alliance for Preservation to bring technical preservation expertise to communities in Missouri that are working to revitalize their downtowns while preserving the heritage and cultural assets of their communities.
Q. What does the Main Street statewide program do?
A. The program helps communities get focused to gather support from individuals and organizations interested in downtown revitalization, and helps them develop skills necessary to carry the revitalization mission forward. It serves as a source for the latest information, tools and techniques in downtown development and preservation, through a variety of conferences and workshops conducted around the state.
Q. What is the Main Street Four-Point® Approach to revitalization?
Four standing committees conduct the operations and activities of a local Main Street organization
a. Organization means getting everyone working toward the same goal, building consensus and cooperation among groups and individuals that have a stake in the district. In general, the effort must involve everyone in the community. The tools of organization include volunteer recruiting and training, developing an effective board of directors, and building a financially strong organization with diverse funding sources. Missouri Main Street Connection, Inc. http://www.momainstreet.org
b. Promotion builds value in the organization as well as in the business activities of the district. It develops a positive image of Main Street®, educates people about its historic and cultural assets, and markets the district to shoppers, investors and visitors. All activities within the downtown benefit from the promotional effort, including community services such as libraries, hospitals, city government, schools and social agencies. An effective promotional strategy builds relationships through advertising, retail promotions, and special events carried out by volunteers.
c. Design is enhancing the visual quality of downtown. It includes preserving and utilizing historic structures that carry the values of the past into the future. Design elements range from buildings to signs, sidewalks, street furnishings, window displays, lights, landscaping and parking, all conveying a visual message of what Main Street is and what it offers.
d. Economic Restructuring means expanding the economic assets of the community. The purpose is to reduce population loss and disinvestment, and alleviate poverty. Economic restructuring encourages economic growth by recruiting new businesses and investment that develops diversity, job creation, the preservation of historic structures, and conversion of vacant spaces into productive property.
THE LAMAR MOMAINSTREET CONNECTION LOGO CONTEST
An important first step in the MOMainstreet Connection Four-Point Approach is the design of an eye-catching, historically meaningful logo that can be used to promote our hometown and the great Town Square we have here far and wide across the State. A great logo lets others know that we are proud of our city, that we are devoted to the beautification, success and historical preservation of our Square, and that Lamar is both a great place to live and work (and to locate new businesses!), and also a fun and interesting place to visit, with lots of historical and cultural sites worth experiencing as a tourist.
The only prizes for this contest are the glory of being the artist/designer chosen to represent your home town, and the knowledge that your work will appear, not only in signs throughout Lamar, but all around the State. You will receive full credit for your work! You’ll win the undying gratitude of your town, and could be instrumental in drawing new businesses to the area, revitalizing the local economy, creating jobs, and lifting Lamar to new heights of economic and cultural success! What better prize could there be?
HOW IT WORKS
Design your logo incorporating whatever imagery you feel best represents our home town. Some obvious suggestions for design elements might include the Courthouse, the Square itself, Harry Truman, Wyatt Earp, etc. But you don’t have to limit yourself to the obvious – surprise us!
Submit your entry as a .JPG, .PNG, .GIF or other graphics file. If you can save the image as a .PDF, please do that, too. Submit both files by email to ArtsCouncilofBartonCounty@yahoo.com by July 8th, 2011 (that’s only a few weeks!). Include your name, address, phone number, email address and any other information you would like us to have about you in the body of your email.
All entries will be published in the Lamar Democrat, and the winner will be chosen by the readers. So it truly is the town that will choose!
Here is a photo gallery of logos now in use by other communities involved in the MOMainstreet program. Just for inspiration!
Thank you all in advance for your efforts and creativity!
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