NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
NFTA Announces Black History Month Call for Art
BUFFALO, N.Y., - The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA), in collaboration with the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area, is excited to announce another year of celebrating moving art through Black History! The NFTA is calling on local artists from across Western New York to submit original artwork for its Black History Month art contest. The winning design will be showcased on NFTA-Metro buses throughout February 2026 and beyond. This year’s theme is “Black Women making history in WNY”. Artists are encouraged to create eye-catching and colorful work that honors the trends and concepts Black women have inspired throughout history. Submitted artwork can be new or existing. Upon selection, the Grand Prize winner will be paid a flat fee of $1,500 for their artistic contribution. The due date for the artwork is Friday, December 5th.
Project Specifications
- The ability to create and submit high-quality digital files is required.
- Artwork is to be designed for full-color digital images for printing on vinyl to be applied on an NFTA-Metro bus.
- The selected artist can create the imagery in any medium, but digital artwork must be submitted using these applications and file types:
- Adobe CC or Illustrator (ai|eps|pdf) CMYK
- InDesign (indd|pdf) CMYK Photoshop (psd|eps|) CMYK
- If the image includes fonts, they must be outlined within the artwork.
- All layout files must be packaged and bundled to include all linked images and fonts.
The final selection will be made by the NFTA’s African American Heritage Committee. Selected artists will be required to work with the NFTA’s graphic team to provide revisions for reproduction. Artists’ work may be used on NFTA’s social media platforms. All copyrights are reserved for NFTA.
Submission Requirements
Artists are required to submit the following for consideration (Maximum of 2 designs):
- Name
- Address
- Phone
- Title of image
- Description of proposed artwork
- Bio, social media link, website
- Use attached file to design in
- Save the file as: firstname_lastname_NFTA_BHM_Proposal.jpg(jpeg)
- Send to tyshaun@discoverniagara.org
Timeline
The deadline for submissions is Friday, December 5th at midnight. *NFTA reserves the right to refuse any inappropriate content.
Contact
For more information on specifications, visit nfta.com/about/community-engagement. For general inquiries or questions regarding this Call for Art, please contact:
Tyshaun Tyson
Artist Development Manager
NFNHA
716.603.9297
The Niagara Falls National Heritage Area is proud to partner with the NFTA and assist with planning the Black History Month Art Project. Thousands will see this piece of art as it will grace the streets of Western New York. Within this space, there is an opportunity to contribute positively to the daily experience of the many who utilize the NFTA-Metro services. By creating vibrant and inspiring artwork for our bus, we hope to generate feelings of pride. Subsequently, the addition of this piece of work will continue to expand the growth of NFTA-Metro’s public art experiences and spotlight local artists.
6/16/2025
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