The Inman Park Festival Committee is now accepting submissions for the 2026 Festival Art. Each year, the festival selects one artwork that captures the energy, history, and personality of Inman Park and its signature festival, now in its 54th year. For 2026, there’s an added milestone to celebrate: the 25th anniversary of the Inman Park Dance Festival, hosted each year at the Trolley Barn.
We’re inviting artists to submit final, finished artwork for consideration. The winning art will serve as the visual signature of the 54th Inman Park Festival, reproduced as the souvenir poster, appearing on T-shirts and other merchandise, as the Tour of Homes ticket cover, in marketing and Festival program materials. The winning artist will receive a $4,000 honorarium, tickets to the Tour of Homes and the Butterfly Ball, and other prizes. A profile of the artist will be published on the festival website, Inman Park Advocator newsletter, and Tour of Homes ticketbook.
How to Submit
To enter a submission you will need:
- Your completed poster artwork for the 2026 festival (a JPEG or PNG for review)
- A print-ready file (18″ × 24″, vertical, limit 5 colors, CMYK, 300 dpi, 0.125″ bleed, PDF)
- A short artist statement about your piece (100–250 words)
**See complete technical requirements below.
Honorarium and Benefits
The selected artist will receive:
- A $4,000 honorarium
- A complimentary booth in the Artists’ Market
- Two Tour of Homes tickets
- Two Butterfly Ball tickets (or two additional Tour of Homes tickets if the artist is under 21)
- Recognition across all festival promotions (poster, program, website, social media, merchandise)
- An artist profile on the festival website, Inman Park Advocator newsletter, and festival program
- Festival merchandise featuring your design
Selection Criteria
A subcommittee including local artists will review each submission and nominate finalists for selection by the Festival Committee.
We are looking for:
- A clear, compelling artistic vision
- A design that reflects Inman Park: the architecture, the history, the people, the energy of the festival, the butterfly symbol, and/or the vibe of the neighborhood
- Strong composition and readability at full poster size
- Artwork that will reproduce cleanly and adapt well to additional print and digital formats
- A sense of originality. Something that feels recognizably Inman Park without repeating past posters
- Optional but welcome: a nod to the 25th anniversary of the Dance Festival
We’re not looking for a single style; we’re looking for a piece that feels right for the festival.
Winning artwork and all reproduction rights in perpetuity will become the property of the Inman Park Neighborhood Association.
Technical Requirements
Here is the full list of specs the final artwork must meet. These are based on the festival’s production needs across all print materials.
Main Poster (Primary Artwork)
- Final size: 18″ × 24″ (vertical only)
- Color: 5 color max; black and white do not count against the 5 color max (CMYK)
- Resolution: 300 dpi minimum
- Bleed: 0.125″ on all sides
- Must reference the annual festival and the weekend dates within the design
- 54th Inman Park Festival & Tour of Homes
- April 24-26, 2026
- File types required:
- JPEG or PNG (for committee review, submissions due Jan. 25)
- Print-ready PDF (submissions due Jan. 25)
- Layered source files: AI, PSD, or EPS (if selected as the winner)
Adaptability
The winning design will also be used for a variety of festival materials. The artist does not need to produce these formats, but the artwork should hold up well when adapted to:
- Festival merchandise, including souvenir poster and T-shirt
- Tour of Homes ticket books
- Pocket maps (folded and unfolded)
- 11″ × 17″ promotional posters (with and without a stripe)
- Mini flyers (5.75″ × 7.5″)
- Postcards (5.5″ × 4.25″)
- Magazine ads
- Website and social media
A clean composition, legible typography, and strong focal point help ensure the art reproduces well.
About Inman Park & the Festival
Artists often find inspiration in a few aspects of the neighborhood:
- Inman Park is Atlanta’s first planned garden suburb and its first electric-trolley neighborhood. Curved streets, mature trees, front porches, and an eclectic mix of homes and local businesses shape the neighborhood’s unmistakable character.
- The architecture ranges from Victorian and Queen Anne homes to Craftsman bungalows and early 20th-century cottages.
- The neighborhood prides itself on being artistic, quirky, inclusive, and community-minded.
- The festival is entirely volunteer-run and blends the Tour of Homes, a parade, three stages of live music, a dance festival, a juried art show, a Kids Zone in Springvale Park, the Artists’ Market, and local food and drink.
- The Inman Park Dance Festival turns 25 this year, and artists may choose to incorporate that anniversary, as well as the festival’s history as a top destination for live music, in a small or large way.
- Please find more inspiration at this site and get the background on the butterflies here.
These details are meant as context. Use what resonates.
Questions
Timeline
Sunday, Jan. 25 – Submissions due (includes print-ready PDF)
Thursday, Feb. 5 –
Winner notified and any changes requested will be discussed with the artist at this time. An artist interview will be conducted within a week
Thursday, Feb. 12 –
Final layered files due