Artists have chance to design official town seal for Vernon

Vernon wants to create a town seal as part of its upcoming bicentennial celebration and is offering that chance and a cash prize to entice artists to submit entries in its design contest.

The winning image will be used as the official town seal and will be displayed on all future official letters, flags, medallions and memorabilia, according to an announcement by Vernon Mayor Dan Wright.

Artists of all ages may participate in the contest, but several rules must be followed in the design. Those include:

The winning design must incorporate a recognizable pair of scales, a beam and the words “Corporation of the Town of Vernon.”

The design should incorporate some symbols of Vernon’s history.

Entries should be submitted on a nonmatted 8.5-by-11-inch medium that is less than one-quarter inch thick.

Entries must be the artist’s own original hand-drawn creation. No photographs or omputer-generated designs will be accepted.

An entry may be multicolored, black and white or single color. The design may be done in pen, ink, paint, crayon, marker or pencil, but not chalk.

The artist’s name should not be shown within the design.

To learn about Vernon’s history, go to the websites for Vernon (vernonindiana.org) and the Jennings County Historical Society (jenningscounty.org). For a complete list of rules, go to vernonindiana.org.

A panel of judges, composed of artists, historians and government officials, will evaluate all entries and select a first- and second-place winner, Wright said. The winners will be announced in March, and the awards will be presented at the Sassafras Tea Festival on April 25. The first-place winner will receive $100 and the second-place winner $50.

The winning artwork and other selected artwork from the competition will be on display with the artists’ names during the Sassafras Tea Festival, Wright said. Submitted artwork will also be on display on Vernon’s website, at Vernon Town Hall and during the bicentennial grand celebration in Vernon, July 25 and 26.

The deadline to enter the contest is March 15. Artwork can be delivered in person to the Vernon town office, 28 N. Perry St.

For additional information about the contest, adult artists should call Wright at 812-592-1410.

Student artists should consult Karen Chilman at the Jennings County High School art department.