Medina seeks artists for Bee Park project

Main Street Medina is inviting artists to help transform an underused space on South Broadway Street into a vibrant gathering place through a new public art contest.

The Medina ‘Bee Park’ Art Contest will select original artwork to serve as the central visual feature of the planned Medina Bee Park, a project designed to support South Town revitalization, environmental awareness and creative placemaking.

The selected artwork will be enlarged and printed on a 30-foot-by-20-foot mesh banner mounted on the west side of the Medina Supply Building at 380 S. Broadway St. The banner will become the focal point of the park, which also will include pollinator-friendly planters, seating and lighting.

The Bee Park is named in recognition of Medina’s bee heritage, including its history of beekeeping, honey production and candle-making. Contest guidelines encourage artists to incorporate elements such as bees, beehives, native plants, flowers and other pollinators. The color palette should be nature-inspired, featuring earth tones, greens and sky blues. Neon or fluorescent colors are not permitted.

The contest is presented by Main Street Medina, a nonprofit organization, in cooperation with the city of Medina and Shelly Materials Inc.

Artists must be U.S. residents age 18 or older and legally able to accept payment for work in the United States. Special consideration will be given to artists who live or work in Medina. Submissions may include two-dimensional artwork, digital art or photography, provided they meet the required 3:2 aspect ratio and size specifications.

A conceptual rough draft in color must be submitted along with an application by 5 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, March 30. Up to three entries per artist are permitted.

There is no fee to enter. The winning artist will receive $5,000 upon completion and submission of the finalized artwork. Organizers reserve the right to select more than one winner or decline to select a winner.

Judging will be conducted by a panel representing the Medina County Arts League, Main Street Medina and the city of Medina. Criteria include composition and design, creativity, artistic excellence, visual impact at scale and adherence to the theme and color palette.

The winner will be announced May 20, with installation of the banner planned for late spring and a Bee Park celebration scheduled for June 27.

A concept rendering of the proposed gathering space is available at mainstreetmedina.com/bee-park.html. Applications may be submitted online or delivered to the Main Street Medina office at 39 Public Square, Room 305.

For more information, contact Manfred Heck at manfred@mainstreetmedina.com or call 330-722-6186.