AQUIDNECK HONEY’S 2027 TOTE ARTIST CALL
Your art. Our next tote.
We’re inviting New England artists to help us create the artwork for Aquidneck Honey’s 2027 reusable cotton market tote.
We want to make the kind of bag people reach for because it feels like art—not simply because it has a business name on it. Something memorable, wearable, full of personality and worthy of traveling to farmers markets, beaches, grocery stores, picnics and everyday adventures throughout New England.
Our team will select three finalists, and then the Aquidneck Honey community will vote for the winning design.
Professional experience is not required. Students, emerging artists, hobbyists, self-taught creatives and established artists are all encouraged to participate.
Submissions close October 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET.
PAST TOTE BAGS
For the past two years, our reusable totes have traveled from farmers markets and holiday events into the everyday lives of our customers. Here is a look at where we have been—but these designs are inspiration, not a template. This year, we are excited to create something completely new.
your blank canvas
This year, we’re beginning with a large, natural cotton tote and inviting a New England artist to bring it to life.
The winning square artwork will be printed on one broad side of the bag, creating something memorable, wearable and entirely different from our previous totes.
the details at a glance
Who can enter:
New England artists age 18 and older
Submission deadline:
October 31, 2026
Number of entries:
Up to two original designs per artist
Finalists:
Three designs selected by the Aquidneck Honey team
Community voting:
November 3–December 13, 2026
Grand prize:
A finished tote filled with Aquidneck Honey products, $100 cash prize, a $50 Aquidneck Honey gift card and a featured artist introduction.
Second and third place:
A $50 Aquidneck Honey gift card for each finalist, plus recognition throughout the voting campaign
about aquidneck honey
Aquidneck Honey is a family-owned New England honey company founded in 1996.
We are rooted in local food, community, sustainability and the belief that honey can be so much more than something you add to tea. From raw local honey and bold infused flavors to creamed honey, gifts and beeswax body care, our products are made for people who care about where their food comes from—but who also believe good food should be fun.
We spend much of the year meeting our customers face-to-face at farmers markets, festivals, local stores and holiday markets throughout New England. Our community has grown through shared recipes, conversations over samples and a mutual love of food, creativity and small businesses.
This artist call is our way of bringing those worlds together. We want to celebrate New England creativity while creating a tote that feels unmistakably special.
what we're looking for
We want your artistic interpretation of Aquidneck Honey—not an imitation of our current branding.
Your design might be inspired by:
• Bees, honey and pollinators
• Flowers, plants and the natural world
• Farmers markets and local food
• Cooking, food lovers and the joy of eating
• Gathering, sharing and community
• Sustainability and caring for the earth
• Coastal or New England life
• Aquidneck Honey’s playful, occasionally cheeky personality
These are creative prompts, not a list of required ingredients. Your design does not need to include a bee, honey jar or our logo, however we would like to include our name (Aquidneck Honey) somewhere on the design. We want to see how your artistic voice interprets our story.
The finished tote will be natural cream cotton. Vibrant and colorful artwork is encouraged, but bold black illustrations, classic editorial artwork, hand lettering and limited-color designs are equally welcome.
Think:
• Memorable
• Collectible
• Wearable
• Creative
• Full of personality
• Interesting from across the room and close up
• Playful without feeling childish
• More like artwork than a promotional giveaway
We welcome work from illustrators, painters, graphic designers, printmakers, surface-pattern designers, muralists, tattoo artists, art students, hobbyists and multidisciplinary creatives.
Professional experience is not required. We are interested in your idea, originality and artistic voice—not your résumé, follower count or previous professional experience.
We absolutely love how differently artists see and interpret the world. We do not expect the submissions to look alike, and that is part of what makes this project exciting.
Artwork requirements & submission rules
our submitted artwork must be:
• Square in format
• At least 3,600 × 3,600 pixels
• Prepared at 300 PPI
• Submitted as a JPG, PNG or print-quality PDF
• No larger than 20 MB
• Original work created by the submitting artist
• Designed with a natural cream cotton background in mind
A transparent background is preferred when appropriate.
Please upload the artwork itself—not only a photograph or mockup of a tote. You may also submit an optional tote mockup to help us understand your vision.
Artists may submit up to two designs, but each design must be submitted separately.
If selected as a finalist, you may be asked to provide an editable or print-ready production file and make reasonable adjustments for printing. Artwork may be proportionally resized, but it will not be intentionally stretched or materially changed without consultation.
Digital artwork created with programs such as Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and Procreate is welcome.
Standard digital tools used for drawing, masking, cleanup, resizing, color correction and file preparation are permitted.
Generative AI may not be used to create the submitted illustration or any substantive visual element. Text-to-image generation and generative replacement of major artwork elements are not permitted.
We want this project to celebrate the ideas, decisions and creative expression of human artists.
- GET TO KNOW US
Explore our website and social media to learn about Aquidneck Honey, our products, values, personality and community.
- CREATE YOUR DESIGN
Develop an original square design for our natural cream cotton market tote. Follow your own artistic style and interpretation.
- PREPARE YOUR FILE
Export your artwork at a minimum of 3,600 × 3,600 pixels and 300 PPI. Accepted submission formats are JPG, PNG and print-quality PDF.
- COMPLETE THE SUBMISSION FORM
Tell us about yourself, share the inspiration behind your design and upload your artwork using the official submission form.
- SUBMIT BY OCTOBER 31
Completed entries must be received by October 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.
The artist call is open to legal residents of:
• Connecticut
• Maine
• Massachusetts
• New Hampshire
• Rhode Island
• Vermont
Entrants must be at least 18 years old at the time of submission.
Professional experience, an established portfolio and a large social-media following are not required.
Employees and immediate household members of Aquidneck Honey are not eligible to enter.
After submissions close, the Aquidneck Honey team will review all eligible entries and select three finalists.
Designs will be evaluated based on:
• Originality and creativity
• Connection to Aquidneck Honey’s personality and values
• Overall visual appeal
• Wearability and customer appeal
• Suitability for printing on a cotton tote
We are not selecting finalists based on résumé, professional experience, social-media following or existing audience size.
Finalists will be contacted by email before public voting begins. Each finalist must respond and provide any requested production files within the timeframe stated in the notification.
The three finalist designs will be introduced to the Aquidneck Honey community for a public vote.
Voting will be open from November 7 through December 13, 2026.
Each person may cast one vote. Fraudulent, automated or duplicate votes may be removed.
The finalist receiving the highest number of valid votes will be named the winner. If there is a tie, the Aquidneck Honey team will select the winner using the original judging criteria.
Artists retain ownership of their submitted artwork.
Submitting an entry does not give Aquidneck Honey the right to manufacture or sell products featuring that design.
By entering, artists give Aquidneck Honey limited permission to review their submission and, where permitted through the submission form, share the artwork with artist credit as part of the artist call, finalist voting and related promotional coverage.
The winning design will not be commercially produced until Aquidneck Honey and the winning artist complete a separate written commercial-use agreement. That agreement will describe the rights needed to manufacture, sell and promote the tote.
The winning artist will retain the right to display the artwork and completed collaboration in their portfolio.
Submissions close:
October 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET
Internal review:
November 1–5
Finalists contacted:
November 5–6
Community voting:
November 7–December 13
Winner announced:
December 15
Production preparation:
Following completion of the winner’s commercial-use agreement and final artwork approval
Dates may be adjusted if necessary. Any material changes will be posted on this page.
READY TO SHARE YOUR VISION?
Whether you are a professional illustrator, an art student, a weekend painter or someone who simply loves to create, we would love to see what Aquidneck Honey looks like through your eyes.
Submit your original design by October 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET.