Help Design ACR’s Next Merch Release!

Austin Creative Reuse is inviting local artists and creative folk to submit an original design for our next print run of ACR merch! We’re looking for designs that feel like ACR: colorful, fun, maybe a little weird and, above all, rooted in conservation. We’ll pick three finalists from the submitted designs and share them on our social media so our community can vote on their favorites. The winning design will be produced on ACR’s stickers, shirts, and tote bags later this year.

Local artists and makers have always been key voices through which we share our mission to promote conservation and reuse. What started with our Reuse Art Markets in 2020 has grown into all kinds of creative collaborations - from our Materials Mobile mural painted by Sarah Doan, to our new Reuse Artist in Residence, Charity Ridpath, and plenty more. This contest is another opportunity to put the spotlight on a local artist, and we hope it’ll be a fun opportunity for our community to get their work out into the world - and onto some very sustainable merch!

Made locally, reused whenever possible

Alongside seeing all of your awesome art, one of the things we're really excited about is getting to work with the local small businesses that help us bring our merch to life. 

Our stickers are printed nearby in Buda by StickerShockATX. For our shirts, we source secondhand garments from Heartening and then have them printed locally by Oh Boy Print Shop. 

Our stickers have already helped us commemorate some pretty exciting ACR moments, including Reuse on the Runway and the opening of Batreuse’s Emporium. And because we're a nonprofit, every dollar from merch sales goes back toward our mission - keeping creative materials out of the landfill.

So when you buy an ACR shirt or sticker, you're not just getting some fun stuff with our name on it. You're supporting a little ecosystem of reuse, local businesses, artists, and nonprofit work.

Basically: you make cool art → we make cool merch → people buy cool merch → we get to keep doing cool conservation stuff. Everybody wins!

What are we looking for? 

Your design should connect to our mission of fostering conservation and reuse through creativity, education, and community building. It should be appropriate for all audiences and prominently feature “Austin Creative Reuse” or “ACR.”

We’re looking for designs that will look good on stickers, shirts AND tote bags. Your design needs to fit within a generally square or circular shape and work within a 3" × 3" area for stickers and a 10" × 10" area for shirts and tote bags.

A few other things to keep in mind:

• Keep it bold and readable. Super thin lines, very dark designs, and subtle gradients can get lost in the printing process.

• All artwork must be original and created by you. No copyrighted characters, images, fonts, or other artwork that you don't have permission to use. We won’t consider submissions that use AI in their design.

• You can make your design by hand or digitally, but either way it needs to be submitted as a high-resolution PNG or SVG and meet our technical requirements.

• Want to incorporate our logo or brand colors? We've got you. Check out our Branding Packet for approved logos, colors, and other brand guidelines.

There are some additional technical requirements for file format, resolution, color mode, and sizing, so check out the full Contest Agreement before you submit. 

Mark your calendars!

September 3: Design submissions open

October 12: Design submissions close at 11:59PM

October 19: Three finalists announced + public voting begins via ACR’s social media (Facebook & Instagram)

October 23: Winner announced! 

We don't have a set date yet for when the merch featuring the winning design will hit the shelves - we'll figure out the production timeline as we go and keep the winner in the loop.

Is there a prize? 

We’re so glad you asked! The winning designer will receive: 

• $75 ACR gift card

• $50 in ACR merch featuring your design, and

• Spotlight on you and your work through ACR’s social media and other communications

Although only one winner can be chosen for this merch run, we may also select one or more runner-up designs from this contest for future merch. If your design gets picked later, you'll receive the same compensation as the contest winner.

Ready to make something?

Whether you're a professional artist, a casual doodler, or a collage mastermind - we want to see what you've got!

Design something you'd want to stick on your reusable water bottle.

Design something you'd proudly wear around Austin.

Design something that makes people ask, “What is that place?”

And most importantly, make it yours.

Before submitting, please take a few minutes to review the full Contest Agreement for all design, technical, submission, and usage requirements.

Check out our Branding Packet for approved logos and colors, but don’t feel like you have to use them. We’re excited to see what you come up with!