Wine Label Competition

2021 Wine Label Winners

1st Place: Kit Rae “Turquoise Geode”

2nd Place: Annie Griffeth “A New Day”

3rd Place: Diane Gelman “When a Man Loves a Woman!”

Every year, Messina Hof Winery & Resort offers a competition for artists. The winner will have their artwork displayed on Messina Hof wine labels along with the name of the artist and title of the piece as well as having the artwork permanently displayed in the Messina Hof Gallery among previous winners.

WANT TO SEE YOUR ARTWORK FEATURED ON A BOTTLE OF WINE?

In response COVID-19, Messina Hof Winery is celebrating the budding of the vines and blooming of the roses a little different this year. With the health and safety of our guests and staff as our top priority, we are announcing Wine & Roses Themed Weekends! The 31st Annual Messina Hof Texas Artist Wine Label Competition remains the centerpiece for our 37th annual Wine & Roses celebration, however this year, artwork will be featured for over a period of weekends rather the previous one festival weekend.

This year we invite artists to depict the theme of “NEW BEGINNINGS.” T.S. Eliot once said that, “Every moment is a fresh beginning.” Considering the past year, we cannot deny that we all have a need for a fresh start, a reset, a chance to try again. With new beginnings there lies hope, love, and opportunity for adventure. When preparing your artwork, reflect on what a new beginning looks like to you.

The Top Finalists are applicants chosen to submit physical artwork for the competition and will receive:

An invitation to display during the Wine & Roses Weekends in April and May of 2021 at Messina Hof Winery in Bryan, Texas.
An invitation to attend our Spring VIP Reception.

The 1st place winner will receive:

$1000
Artwork displayed on Messina Hof wine labels along with name of the artist and title of the piece.
Artwork permanently displayed in the Messina Hof Gallery among previous winners.
Invitation to our Harvest Grand Finale Dinner in August 2021 where the winning artwork will be officially presented to the public.
Social media recognition and online exposure via postings and mentions of artist name and artwork on all Messina Hof social media platforms.
A certificate for a Private Tour & Tasting for 10 at Messina Hof Estate Winery in Bryan.

The 2nd place winner will receive:

$250
Social media recognition and online exposure via postings and mentions of Artist name and artwork on all Messina Hof social media platforms
A certificate for a Private Tour & Tasting for 10 at Messina Hof Estate Winery in Bryan.

The 3rd place winner will receive:

$100
Social media recognition and online exposure via postings and mentions of Artist name and artwork on all Messina Hof social media platforms
A certificate for a Private Tour & Tasting for 10 at Messina Hof Estate Winery in Bryan.

Contest Timeline

Monday, March 15th: Digital artwork submission, application, and fees due online at CallForEntry.org (TBD)
Friday, March 19th: Finalists (Top 10) notified
Friday, April 2nd: Finalists’ framed physical artwork due by 5:00pm
Artwork on display at Estate Winery for viewing and voting during all weekends.

April 9–11: Weekend 1
April 16-18: Weekend 2
April 23-25: Weekend 3

Friday, May 14th: Competition results announced Friday, May 21st: Remaining artwork must be picked up by 5:00 pm

Guidelines

The fee is $25 for the first digital submission and $20 for each additional digital submission. The fees are nonrefundable and are due Monday, March 15, 2021 with the application and submission. All proceeds will be donated to The Arts Council.
Digital entries will be judged by a panel, which includes the owners of Messina Hof and the Arts Council. The judging is based on the following :

(1) Appropriateness of Materials
(2) Reducibility and Appropriateness for Intended Use on Label
(3) Appropriateness of Theme
(4) Workmanship
(5) Overall Impression

Invitations for the Top Finalists to submit physical artwork for the competition will be announced Friday, March 19, 2021. The number of Top Finalists will be at the panel’s discretion.
For finalists: final framed entries are due by 5:00pm on Friday, April 2, 2021 to the Marketing Department at Messina Hof in Bryan. If paintings are shipped, all expenses including insurance are the responsibility of the artist.
Attendees of the Wine & Roses Weekends April 9-11 / 16-18 / 23-25 will vote for the top three winners among the Top Finalists in a people’s choice contest.
The 1st place artwork, including the frame, title and copyright will become the property of Messina Hof Wine Cellars, Inc.
Remaining artwork after the Festival must be picked up by 5:00pm on Friday, May 21, 2021. Shipping expenses including insurance to return artwork is the responsibility of the artist.

Requirements

Artists must reside in Texas and must be 21 years of age or older.
Medium for final artwork is open to any 2D medium including but not limited to: watercolor, oil, pastel, pencil, acrylic, collage, multimedia, and digital art.
Subject of artwork must be visually big and bold and adhere to the theme “New Beginnings.”
The initial digital submission must provide a clear indication of the final artwork. No significant changes may be made to artwork following digital submission . Any unapproved or significantly altered physical artwork will be disqualified.
Entry CANNOT contain faces of people, depictions of children or babies, logos depicting Messina Hof Winery, weaponry, trademark symbols, words, flags, military or governmental insignia.
Artwork on display at Estate Winery for viewing and voting during all weekends.
For finalists: Physical artwork must be the original of the digital submission. No prints accepted. Physical artwork must be framed in a professional-looking, wooden frame with secure and proper hanging hardware. Metal frames will not be accepted.

Tips for a Successful Entry

The winning artwork will be reduced to fit on a Messina Hof wine label created by the Messina Hof marketing and design team. Cropping may occur. Messina Hof wine bottle labels typically are sized at 3x4.5”. Physical artwork submitted should not exceed 3’x3’. Minimum size requirement is 2’x2’.
High contrast is important. Printing a label-sized version of your artwork is suggested to get a visual of what it might look like upon completion.

Past Winners

2018 Winner

Congratulations to the 2018 Wine Label Competition winner, Ray Kingsbury! His piece, Texas Highways, will make it's debut on a new Messina Hof wine label during their 2019 Spring Release Dinner & Wine & Roses Festival.