Announcing the First WMPC Annual Foray Logo Contest 

Stephen Bucklin, Foray Logo Contest Chair  

Hopefully you all have your calendars marked for the 24th annual Gary Lincoff Memorial Foray, scheduled for September 21 at the Economy Borough Volunteer Fire Hall. For the past 3 years we have had members volunteer their artwork for use in a limited edition Foray T-shirt. This year we wanted to organize an open call for designs to create a more transparent and equitable process for selecting artwork. Below are the rules for participating, please share this far and wide with any artists you know who might be interested! 

Rules: 

  1. This contest is open to anyone in the world! You do not have to be a member of the Western PA Mushroom Club, though special consideration may be given to WPMC members. 
  2. Entries should contain the official name of the event: 24th Annual Gary Lincoff Foray 
  3. Each participant may submit up to 5 entries. 
  4. Artwork must meet certain requirements for printing; please see guidelines below. 
  5. If you choose to represent a mushroom, we prefer distinctly recognizable, real mushroom species known to occur in western Pennsylvania. We have listed a few species below.

Deadline: 

  1. Contest entries must be received no later than June 1, 2024. Winner will be announced no later than July 1, 2024. 
  2. Please email all entries to [email protected], with the subject line “2024 Annual Foray Logo Entry.”

Prizes: 

The artist behind the winning design will receive the following: 

  1. A one-year membership to WPMC or a one-year extension if they are already a member. 
  2. A feature in WPMC’s bimonthly newsletter 
  3. One example of each item printed with the logo. This will include a t-shirt, sticker, and any other swag that is created for the event.

Requirements for Graphic Artwork: 

  1. Hand drawn art without text in the layout can be submitted alone. Submit raster files (.jpg, .psd, .tif) scaled to size (10”) of 300 dpi or greater.
  2. All text included in the design must be vector format and outlined unless it is high resolution (300 dpi).
  3. To keep within product production budget, the design must be limited to 1 or 2 colors (or 3 colors by incorporating the color of the shirt into the design). 
  4. Vector files such as AI or EPS are preferred. 
  5. Any fonts used must be free for commercial use.

Other Important Stuff: 

Semifinalists will be selected by representatives from WPMC’s Foray and Publicity Committees, followed by a vote of WPMC’s Executive Committee. Please note that WPMC may, at our discretion, alter graphic elements, font or verbiage on the chosen design. 

The winning entry becomes the intellectual property of WPMC for exclusive commercial use in all marketing, merchandising and in any other way the organization sees fit. 

Example Species of Pennsylvania Mushrooms: 

  • Amanita flavoconia, “Yellow Patches” 
  • Armillaria mellea, “Honey Mushroom” 
  • Chlorociboria aeruginascens, “Green Wood Cup” 
  • Craterellus fallax, “Eastern Black Trumpet” 
  • Craterellus ignicolor, “Flame Trumpet 
  • Grifola frondosa, “Hen of the Woods” or “Maitake” 
  • Helvella crispa, “White Saddle” 
  • Hericium americanum, “Bear’s Head Tooth” 
  • Hydnum umbilicatum, “Depressed Hedgehog” 
  • Laccaria ochropurpurea, “Purple-and-White Deceiver” 
  • Laetiporus sulphureus, “Chicken of the Woods” 
  • Lycoperdon perlatum, “Common Puffball” 
  • Mycena haematopus, “Bleeding Fairy Helmet” 
  • Suillus spraguei, “Painted Suillus”