Meijer is giving local artists an opportunity to have their work be a part of an upcoming collection in stores. “A Collection of Voices” will launch in 2023 and will focus on representing different cultures.

Anyone who lives in the six states where Meijer has a presence is eligible to submit their work to be featured in this collection. There are no prerequisites required for a submitting artist. 

“Anyone who is interested in submitting (can submit), we welcome all. This is such a great opportunity for up-and-coming artists to be discovered because their art piece will appear in our products in 2023 and it will be allocated to 200 of our stores across 6 states,” Meijer Supplier Diversity Manager Kavy Lenon said.

Students are among the artists that are encouraged to submit their work to Meijer because of the exposure they will receive if their piece is selected. This is also an opportunity for students to make connections with other businesses. 

“If they were discovered through this process, they are going to be able to work with our vendor who may request future pieces from them that might apply to other stores, not just with Meijer,” Lenon said. 

The submission deadline is Nov. 7.  and anyone 18 and older who lives in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Illinois or Wisconsin can submit. Artists are encouraged to submit more than one piece into the collection. A reward of $5,000 will be given to an artist for each piece of art that is selected. 

“A Collection of Voices” will be divided into five different categories. Each category represents a cultural celebration throughout the year. These include Women’s History Month, Black History Month, Hispanic History Month and Pride. 

There is also a category called “local” which accepts pieces that highlight the communities that we live in. The example Lenon gave for this category is an artist submitting a beautiful image of Lake Michigan if they live near the lakeshore. 

“We want to encourage local artists to submit their piece that they are very proud of or part of their technique,” Lenon said.

Any medium that an artist uses to express themselves is permitted. Artists can submit photography, painting, chalk, pencil drawings and more.

If a contestant wants to stand out, the key is in a solid write-up to go along with the art piece. In addition to the art submission, Meijer asks artists to share a description of what the piece means to them. Lenon said this description holds a heavyweight in the judging criteria. 

Lenon’s job as the lead in supplier diversity is to ensure that all local voices that represent our community are available to our customers in our stores

“What a great opportunity for us to celebrate together throughout the year of all the various cultural heritage events like Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Pride and Hispanic Heritage so that our customers can see themselves when they walk into our stores,” Lenon said. “We want to ensure that all of our stores are inclusive, welcoming and the product serves the community”

More information on the “A Collection of Voices” contest can be found on the Meijer website.  There is still time to apply, but the deadline is quickly approaching.