Biomimicry Institute has recently opened registration for its 2016 Biomimicry Global Design Challenge, themed “Food Systems” for the second time. Students and professionals around the world are challenged to develop a biomimetic design that solves an important food system challenge while supporting the health of our planet. The Biomimicry Global Design Challenge offers a $100,000 “Ray of Hope” Prize, awarded through a special Accelerator Program to the best of finalists teams. Other cash prize of up to $33,000 (US) will also be awarded, $9,500 will be reserved for Students.

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Jeffrey Leder Gallery (JLG) is accepting submission for its fourth Works On Paper NYC juried exhibition, from all artists around the world. The exhibition celebrates the range of media that paper can facilitate. From drawing, painting, printmaking to photography, paper is a varied, exciting and versatile medium. Artists whose submissions are selected will become part of a prestigious group exhibition in New York City, scheduled to open 26 February 2016 and will run through 20 March 2016. The exhibition will occupy two floors of the Jeffrey Leder Gallery, located in Long Island City.

Read more about Works On Paper NYC IV – International Juried Exhibition on Contest Watchers.

The most prestigious competition for creativity in illustration, the Communication Arts Illustration Competition, is now open for entries for 2016. Any illustration first published or produced from January 2015 through January 2016 is eligible. The winning entries will be distributed worldwide in the Communication Arts Illustration Annual, in print and on the iPad, and on commarts.com, assuring important exposure to the creators of this outstanding work. As a service to art directors, designers and art buyers, a comprehensive index will carry contact information of the illustrators represented.

Read more about Communication Arts 2016 Illustration Competition on Contest Watchers.

Kdan Mobile has announced its 2015 annual iAniMagic mobile animation contest, with a theme focused on recreation, to challenge participants to see how far they can take their creativity. The competition is hosted on Kdan Mobile’s Animation Desk and submissions are open to all aspiring animators. Prizes include the Wacom Cintiq 13HD 13.3” Creative Pen & Touch Display, GoPro HERO4 Black 4K Action Camera, and Wacom Intuos pro Special Edition.

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National Portrait Gallery has opened the call for entries for its 2016 Portrait Award international painting competition, now in its thirty-seventh year. With a first prize of £30,000, and a total prize fund of £61,000, the Award is aimed at encouraging artists to focus upon and develop portraiture in their work. The BP Portrait Award is the most prestigious portrait painting competition in the world. In 2015, 2,748 artists submitted their work and the exhibition, which featured fifty-five paintings, was seen by nearly 330,000 people.

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The Typomania 2016 International Typography Video Festival has been announced and getting ready to open for fresh new typographical videos from all around the world. Typomania is an annual type, typography, calligraphy and video feast, which aims to popularize the typography culture, be sensitive to traditions and support the most daring interesting experiments and projects. The festival is focused on young, creative, energetic people – designers, illustrators, animators. The Festival is competitive and various prizes are awarded to the creators of the best typographical videos. The prizes for 2016 are yet to be announced.

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The 2016 SEGD Global Design Awards, the only international awards program and competition focused on user experiences in the built environment, has opened for entries. Submitted projects must demonstrate the use of design elements (including, but not limited to, typography, symbols, pictograms, media, diagrams, and color coding) in the design solution and must focus on the communication of information, identity, or image in the designed environment. Honor and Merit awards will be named in each of the categories and a Best in Show Award will also be selected during the 2016 SEGD Conference, 9-11 June in Seattle. Winners will also be honored on the official website, in SEGD’s award-winning magazine and other media outlets.

Read more about SEGD Global Design Awards 2016 Competition on Contest Watchers.

DuPont has just opened entry for its 2016 Awards for Packaging Innovation program — an international, independently-judged competition that honors innovations in packaging design annually. Open to brand owners, retailers, packaging designers, converters and technology providers around the world, the DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation honors innovations in packaging design, materials, technology and processes across the entire packaging value chain. There are three award levels – Silver, Gold and Diamond. Winners are based on “excellence” in one, two or all three categories: Technological Advancement, Responsible Packaging and Enhanced User Experience.

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Art Directors Club (ADC) is currently calling for entries in its 95th Annual Awards, inviting all Advertising and Design Professionals and Students around the world to participate with new works. The ADC Annual Awards is the oldest continuously running industry award show in the world, which celebrates the very best in advertising, digital media, graphic and publication design, packaging, motion, photography and illustration, all with a focus on artistry and craftsmanship. Outstanding entrants are selected by highly respected juries, and honored with coveted Gold, Silver and Bronze Cubes, presented at the Annual Awards Gala in New York in June, 2016. Beyond these Cubes, however, ADC Annual Awards winners join a rich legacy of past honorees that include some of the most influential artists of the past century.

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The Retail Design Institute and its Student Design Competition Committee has announced the 2016 International Student Store Design Competition and seeks for design proposals for a “Convenience Store with Gas Station“. Convenience stores or c-stores are a hot topic in the retail design industry, as many operators are currently redesigning, re-branding and rolling out new prototypes, and generally immune to economic slowdowns. For this competition, the Retail Design Institute offers $10,000 (US) in cash prizes to promotes the advancement and collaborative practice of creating selling environments.

Read more about Retail Design Institute 2016 Student Store Design Competition on Contest Watchers.