Are you the next BC Summer Reading Club Artist?

The BC Summer Reading Club (BC SRC) invites BC artists and illustrators to submit qualifications to be considered for the next BC SRC Artist.

The selected artist will be responsible for the creation of artwork that visually interprets the annual BC SRC theme for a school-age audience (ages 5-12).

This is a high-profile opportunity and exposes the successful candidate’s work to more than 200 public library locations, and 173,000 children and their families throughout BC.

Scope of work:

  • Create illustrations for use as a poster, reading record, stickers, and website
  • Create seven black-and-white colouring pages (usually derived from early sketches)

To see samples of previous years’ materials, please visit our Themes page.

Eligibility criteria:

  • Must reside in BC
  • Have, within the past 5 years, published illustrations for an audience of children/youth OR, if you are a new or emerging artist, be able to include two references indicating your interest and ability for this audience
  • Able to meet with the Planning Committee in Vancouver, in late July/August (in person or via Zoom)
  • Able to work collaboratively with Planning Committee
  • Able to meet deadlines
  • Able to provide Graphic Designer with art in vector files
  • Able to provide a current photo and bio
  • Able to complete artwork by November 30 of the contract year
  • Able to attend a promotional/educational event, e.g. poster signing at the BCLA Conference in the spring or Zoom webinar for library staff and/or kids

Project Schedule

The anticipated project schedule is outlined below. The BC SRC reserves the right to modify these dates.

Project Phase Date
Application Deadlines to Considered for the Following Year June 30
Artist meeting with Planning Committee Late July/August
Artwork design September to November
Production January-February
Materials into libraries End of April
Promotional/educational event Spring/Summer

Copyright:

The copyright of the Material will belong exclusively to the BCLA. The Artist retains copyright of the original artwork and grants BCLA the right to reproduce the artwork for use in any promotional materials (including electronic images).

Contract price: $1800 for artwork and promotional/educational event

Some background:

The BC Summer Reading Club (BC SRC) is sponsored by the British Columbia Library Association (BCLA) and local public libraries throughout British Columbia, with generous support from the Province of British Columbia, through Public Libraries Branch, Ministry of Municipal Affairs, and CUPE BC. Additional support is provided by Public Libraries and InterLINK.

The BC SRC welcomes the participation of all children and their families, and seeks to provide an accessible and fully inclusive program.

Since 1991, the BC SRC has offered children across BC the opportunity to engage in fun, free summer programming that supports literacy and literate citizenship. The BC SRC supports and promotes BC children’s literature by featuring a BC illustrator each year as the SRC Artist. Previous artists include  Jeremy Tankard, Kim La Fave, Cynthia Nugent, Ted Harrison, Mike Deas, Eliska Liska, Shayne Letain, Lee Edward Födi, Darlene Gait, Jeff Solway, Jami Gigot, Bambi Edlund, Zoe Si, and most recently Elaine Chen.

Thanks to the talents of these artists, we are able to provide appealing and high-quality program materials for children to track their voluntary reading (reading records, bookmarks, posters, stickers).

Each day, throughout the summer, BC libraries connect children and their families with a range of reading materials best suited to their needs and interests, ultimately increasing their enthusiasm for and confidence in reading. The BC Summer Reading Club now reaches over 173,000 children in over 200 communities and neighbourhoods.

Submission Requirements:

Submissions should include:

a) A current CV (link to electronic CV/website bio is acceptable, if current).

b) Letter of interest detailing:

  1. Interest in the project.
  2. Availability over the projected time frame.

c) A description or paragraph of the potential approach that the artist would take in realizing the theme (no more than one-page). Our 2024 theme is World of Curiosities.

d) JPEG images (max. of 10) demonstrating related experience and ability to undertake this project.

To apply:

Please send your submission by email only to bcsrc[at]bcla.bc.ca. Complete submissions must be no more than 10 MB.

Thank you for your interest. The BC SRC maintains a list of BC children’s book illustrators, and each year strives to find one whose style best matches the upcoming theme. We welcome inquiries and expressions of interest from artists throughout the year.