The Northside Community Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation has raised money for the fabrication of new custom designed light pole banners for the Hamilton Avenue Business District. The Board of the Northside Community Fund is seeking a new, creative and bold design for the banners and is willing to pay $500 for the selected banner design. There are 35 double-sided light pole banners on both sides of Hamilton Avenue between Knowlton’s Corner and Chase Avenue. The design of the new banners will match the size of the existing 24” x 48” banners. New banners will hopefully last about 3-4 years and are anticipated to cost about $7,000 to fabricate. Volunteers from the community will install the banners. DESIGN CRITERIA: DESIGNS DUE BY 5pm on FRIDAY, February 29th, 2008.

1. Provide 10 banner designs that will be repeated 7 times each.
2. One of the ten banner designs must include the international parking symbol with the letter “P” in a circle.
3. One of the ten banner designs must include the word “Northside”.
4. The new banner design should be centered on a theme of the artist’s personal selection. There needs to be a strong element of continuity in the 10 different banner designs to help reinforce and enhance the continuity of the Northside Business District between Knowlton’s Corner and Chase Avenue.
5. The artist should consider the color of the actual vinyl banner material in the overall design. The selected artist's design for the banners maybe multi-colored. Designs should be graphically reproducible on a fiberglass-reinforced vinyl banner fabric.
6. Take a drive along Hamilton Avenue to understand how the banners will interact with the existing street signage and street trees. Take a walk along Hamilton to understand how pedestrians will interact with the new banners. Please refer to the attached PDF map for specific light pole / banner locations within the Hamilton Ave. Business District.
7. Banner designs should not include photographs similar to the banner designs on the Ludlow Avenue Viaduct. The cost of reproducing photographs similar to the existing photographs on the existing banners on the Ludlow Avenue Viaduct is prohibitive. The missing banner arms at the physical light poles are currently in progress to be replaced.
8. Each banner design should be submitted on an individual piece of 8 ½” x 11” paper, thus we are anticipating (10) 8 ½" x 11" pages to explain everybody's design. Each banner design should measure 4” wide x 8” high. Production of the banners will either be via scanning the submitted artwork or via an electronic copy of the artists' design, electronic format to be discussed at a later date.
9. Selection of the banner designs will involve community input at a Northside Community Council and a Northside Business Association Meetings. The final banner selection will be made by the Board of the Northside Community Fund by the end of March. Artists should include a stamped, self-addressed return envelope for your artwork with the submittal if you would like it to be returned. If you would like to pickup your artwork, please indicate such with your submittal with other contact information.
10. Artist Designs are to be submitted by 5pm on Friday, February 29, 2008 to: Northside Community Fund, P.O. Box 0128. Cincinnati, Ohio 45223-0128. or hand-delivered to: North Side Bank & Trust Co. attn. Don Beimesche. 4125 Hamilton Ave. C.O. 45223. Questions: via e-mail to timjeckering@fuse.net