ImageKind, one of the web's fast growing, highest quality online art & framing stores is running a contest for Non-Profits based in the Washington State area. The idea is to share inspiration with organizations who provide it for others in so many different ways. To the winner, ImageKind will donate 8 digitally printed, museum-quality framed works of art from a selection by emerging artists from Washington State. The contest runs June 14th through July 13th, and all Western Washington Non-Profits located throughout King, Pierce and Snohomish counties are eligible to apply for an art makeover. A reveal on August 9th will feature the before and after images of the room selected for a makeover by the winning Non-Profit.

More information can be found, and applications made, at ImageKind's Nonprofit Contest Page.

Here at Dezine Design, we think this is a wonderful idea, but we'd like to see the concept rolled out beyond the Seattle environs, to encompass a wider area and open up the opportunity for non-profits who are providing shelter and other important services across the United States...meanwhile let's also open up the opportunity for a wider range of artists who live and work outside of Washington State. This is a great idea, but it needs to have wider application, in our opinion. (News on the ImageKind Blog is that this is just the first contest of its kind, and that in due course ImageKind will be running more wider reaching contests of this sort. They are doing the first one locally, to iron out any potential creases. Good thinking, probably...but we're looking forward to the next one!

I understand that international freight would make contests of this kind impractical to run globally, but why not hold a contest in future which would award US Non-Profits who work on the international stage, with art works created by artists living outside of the United States...this would add an interesting international flavor to the contest, and also make non-US artists feel like they have an equal opportunity to promote their work through these ImageKind contests.