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MURR Cover Art Contest

2023-2024 MURR Cover Art Contest

Each semester, the MURR Cover Art Competition provides undergraduates an opportunity to make a statement on the intersection of art and research at West Virginia University. MURR is currently soliciting artwork for the cover of MURR, Volume 9. 

Winning cover art will be featured on the next volume of MURR.


Past cover art for undergraduate journal.

Submission Criteria

Interested participants will be required to submit (i) cover art, and (ii) an artist's statement according to the specifications below.

ELIGIBILITY:  The competition is open to all current West Virginia University undergraduates. 

JUDGING: The MURR Editorial Review Board will vote to decide on the winning cover art for Volume 9. Cover art will be judged based on (i) its reflection of the breadth of disciplinary research at WVU, (ii) a persuasive synopsis, and (iii) the artist's ability to adhere to the specifications below.

FIRST PLACE WINNER: First Place will have their artwork featured as the cover art for MURR Volume 9. This piece's corresponding synopsis will be published on the inside cover. The winner may be asked to extend thematic elements of their design to a back cover.  

RUNNERS UP: Runners up will have the opportunity for their artwork and written synopsis to be published within a section of MURR dedicated to outstanding works of art.

COVER ART SPECIFICATIONS:

Please note that all cover art must be original on behalf of the artist. The use of stock photography or other images found online is prohibited. 

  1. Full design must be 8.5” x 11” PDF. Design must be portrait style and extend to the edges of the document (i.e. Do not leave the bleed area blank unless it is intentional for the design). 
  2. At least 300 DPI to ensure high resolution. Vector format is preferred for digital artwork.
  3. Note that the name of the journal and a “tab” with the volume number and release date will be included on the cover design. Please include blank space of at least 5" x 5" to allow space for the appropriate journal headings (including title, publication year, volume, and ISN number). This text may need to be edited in post-production.
For examples of the specifications below, see Figure 1 featuring Kirsten Roys's winning 2020 artwork. 

MURR cover art examples


ARTIST'S STATEMENT: A 250-500 word artist's statement must be submitted along with the cover art. This statement may address questions such as those listed below.
  • How does your artwork reflect the undertaking of undergraduate research at WVU?
  • The Council on Undergraduate Research defines undergraduate research as "an inquiry or investigation conducted by an undergraduate student that makes an original intellectual or creative contribution to the discipline." In what ways does your artwork represent these ideals?
  • What methods, techniques, or processes did you did and how are they connected to your final project?
  • What is the broader context of your artwork? What knowledge does your artwork construct?
  • Is your cover art an original piece or has it been displayed/exhibited/published elsewhere? How do you see your cover art enhancing WVU's undergraduate research journal?
  • Are you a part of a team or collaborative group (undergraduates only) that produced this cover art? If so, what was each member's specific contributions?

SUBMISSION: We will soon open for submissions!