Call for Design: Calling talented artists to create a design for change.
As you may know, we lead an art exhibit called
Exhibit Darfur. Exhibit Darfur is a journey through the lenses of 6 notable artists/activist to shed light on the genocide and slavery in Darfur and throughout Sudan. Through raising awareness, we are calling on all citizens to act on behalf of humanity to end the suffering. (
http://www.exhibitdarfur.com)
Although our day jobs are with GRI Studios, we volunteer significant time scheduling, managing, and marketing a national tour of the exhibit. In building out the exhibit, and thanks to the support and collaboration of some amazing people we have been able to sell books, shirts, and art to support the expenses of the tour. Exhibit Darfur is a non-profit project through the Colorado Non-Profit Development Center, and all proceeds and donations from t-shirt sales will go towards the exhibit tour, and continued advocacy efforts.
We have a new design idea that we want to explore. We believe that a “hip” t-shirt design can cross-over from cause related activism to main stream, while prompting discussion about the Darfur conflict.
The vision of this shirt is to create a design in Tattoo art representing the core exposures of the exhibit:
• Tragedy
• Slavery
• Refugee
• Hope
We understand the difficulty of embodying these broad concepts into a design, and why we have asked you to create it with your talents.
To give you a little background, Darfur is in the western region of Sudan, and it’s the size of France. In 2003 a group of rebels representing an extremely oppressed and tortured region led an offensive attack on a military base in Northern Darfur. This attack was the catalyst of a dictator to declare annihilation of Darfuris, by any means necessary. Through systematic rape, torture, and murder of innocent civilians at the hands of Sudanese soldiers, and hired militia, the “Janjaweed” (Arabic for Devil on Horseback), 400,000 people have been killed, and over 3 million people have been displaced. The UN is trying to feed the 3+million people in refugee camps, throughout Darfur and Eastern Chad, and the International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for the Dictator of Sudan, Omar Al Bashir, and his henchman. The recent indictment of the dictator has prompted him to expel all major aid organizations that were serving the refugees with medical care and food, leaving the helpless to die in the dessert. In addition Bashir is commanding air attacks to continue the slaughter. Bashir has made statements that he wishes to finish what he started and kill the remaining survivors.
The people of Darfur have an enduring and strong spirit, although the odds are against them. They want Justice first, and they believe that Peace will follow. This is the first time in history that a genocide has been recognized as it is happening. It is happening as I write this summary. We are hoping to design a t-shirt that not only embodies the tragedy of the ongoing genocide, but to show an incredible strength and hope for the future. We have chosen tattoo art, because of the sharp lines, use of bright colors, and proven acceptance by mainstream America with brands like Ed Hardy. We hope to use a design that can be line art only on some shirts (white on gray/black, or black/gray on white), and full color on others.
We hope to transcend the typical Free Tibet, and Save Darfur genre, and design an awesome t-shirt that anyone would buy, and wear.
Our goal is to have the first shirt printed mid-July.
If your design is selected, you will receive national exposure for your talent and contribution to this charity. The shirts will be worn by our Celebrity Ambassadors, Organization contacts, some Darfuri Survivors, and all the people that purchase them from the charity. 100% of the proceeds go toward the non-profit exhibit.
If you would like to take on the challenge, please email me at
jeffs@gristudios.com, and let me know that you will be submitting a design. I am free to answer any questions.
Thank you in advance for your support and creativity.
Cheers!