Illumination 250: My Signature, My Declaration

Description

Call for New Jersey Visual and Musical Artists: Be Featured in a Public Light Art Installation | Hackensack, NJ ✨

⭐ Submission Period: August 8 at 12:00 a.m. ET to August 26 at 11:59 p.m. ET. ⭐
Illumination 250 is a large-scale interactive public art celebration of America's 250th, happening in Hackensack, NJ on October 3rd.  Five major installations are planned, including a giant puppet procession, fiber art display, audio flash mob, folk art performances.  The festival will culminate with an immersive light and sound installation created by Leni Schwendinger Light Projects (LSLP). This commissioned artwork, My Signature: My Declaration, consists of lighted tablets “planted” throughout the historic Hackensack Green, forms a transformative experience merging light and sound in the twilight hours from October 3, 2026 to October 25th, 2026.

The intent of the project is to explore the signed name as both a personal and communal commitment. Just as New Jersey's five signatories to the Declaration of Independence—Abraham Clark, John Hart, Francis Hopkinson, Richard Stockton, and John Witherspoon—affirmed collective liberty through their individual signatures, this project invites artists to contribute their own signature to a shared artwork honoring creativity, community, and the enduring power of civic participation.

Working with the Northern NJ Community Foundation’s ArtsBergen, we are inviting artists who live in Northern New Jersey to submit visual and musical signatures for incorporation into the installation. You will have two options for submissions: 
Digital Submission through ArtCall.org (Tutorial Video Here)Physical Drop-Off Northern New Jersey Community FoundationAddress: 1 University Plaza, Ste. 102 Hackensack, NJ 07601Hours: M-F: 7 am – 8 pm Sat: 8 am-1 pmDuring a Puppet Building Workshop Makerspace, 284 Hackensack Ave., Hackensack, NJ 07601, free and appropriate for ages 12 and up.Friday, August 14: 2-5 pm and 5-8 pmSaturday, August 15: 12-3 pm and 3-6 pmSunday, August 16: 12-3 pm and 3-6 pmMonday, August 17:  2-5 pm and 5-8 pmTuesday, August 18:  2-5 pm and 5-8 pmWednesday, August 19: 2-5 pm and 5-8 pm

🖼️ VISUAL ARTISTS 

Create a visual signature which represents you as an artist. This should be based on your name but may be created in any style or alphabet. Signatures should be monochromatic line drawings, but do not need to be limited to script. They will be converted into digital etchings – bold linework is preferred. A written declaration shall be included with each signature. These should be personal attestations to which the artist will affix their signature. Each declaration shall be no more than 50 characters and will be etched alongside each signature. Declarations may be made in any language but should avoid inappropriate words or phrases.  Digital submissions should be scaled to 24”x24” at 300 DPI. Vector-based files are preferred but not required. Physical submissions should be 10”x10” on high-quality paper.  Approximately 60 visual signatures will be etched into acrylic tablets throughout the Green. Signatures will be selected on the basis of their level of creativity. 

🎶 MUSICAL ARTISTS 
Create a simple melody line which represents you and may serve as your musical signature. This melody should be 2-8 bars in length and no longer than 15 seconds. Melodies should be played on a single analog or digital instrument in a specified key (to be determined) and recorded as an MP3 or WAV file. A written declaration shall be included with each musical signature. These should be personal attestations to which the artist will affix their signature. Each declaration shall be no more than 50 characters and will be etched into acrylic tablets throughout the Green. Declarations may be made in any language but should avoid inappropriate words or phrases.  Approximately 10 melodies will be incorporated into to looping soundscape throughout the Green. Signatures will be selected on the basis of their level of creativity. We encourage you to challenge the traditional notion of what a "signature" can represent as a marker of your identity. Stipend FeeA $200 artist stipend for selected submissions, upon receipt of W-9 and invoice. Event DetailsIllumination 250 is a project of the Hackensack Performing Arts Center, in partnership with the Northern NJ Community Foundation’s ArtsBergen, Hackensack Main Street Business Alliance, Greater Bergen Community Action, and the City of Hackensack, supported by funding through the NJEDA’s A.R.T. – Phase II Grant Program. Together, we are dedicated to fostering community spirit through the arts.The festival scheduled for October 3, 2026 in downtown Hackensack expands the city's annual Hackensacktoberfest into a multi-location, participatory downtown event.

Hackensack Green Installation Activation | October 3 – October 25 - The installation on Hackensack Green will be activated nightly throughout the exhibition period.Church on the Green Projection Activation | October 3 – October 4 - The projection installation at Church on the Green will be activated nightly during the Illumination 250 celebration weekend.

Don't miss this unique opportunity to be a part of Bergen County's creative history!Submit Your SignatureLearn more about Illumination 250Illumination 250 is a project supported by funding through the NJEDA’s A.R.T.-Phase II Grant Program.