In the spirit of the Works Progress Administration of the 1930s and 40s, the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art is hosting a new poster competition with a grand prize of $1000 for the winning entry. The deadline for the four-color poster submissions is Nov. 30.

The fall’s public competition is a prelude to a new exhibition focusing on WPA-era artwork opening in spring 2010 at the museum. Revisiting the New Deal: Government Patronage and the Fine Arts, 1933-1943 opens Feb. 6 and continues through May 11.

Oklahoma artists are invited to participate by submitting original poster designs for the competition. Entry is free, but a completed form must be submitted with the artwork. The registration form, samples of WPA artwork and additional information is available by clicking the “WPA Poster Competition” slide on the museum’s Web site at www.ou.edu/fjjma.

Artists are encouraged to design posters in the style of WPA-era posters. The Library of Congress Web site at http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/wpaposters/wpahome.html includes several samples of historic WPA posters.

Subject matter is open to interpretation. Ideally, the subject should be comparable to themes and interests of artists working in the WPA period.

Poster submissions must adhere to contest requirements. Entries must be 15 inches by 22 inches, use no more than four solid, distinct colors and include information about the exhibition and museum, which is specified on the online entry form. The design should be submitted either as a screen print or in a format that is easily converted to a screen print. Each entry also must include a pre-cut 15 inches by 22 inches piece of foam core for potential display.

Entries must be delivered in person from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 30. Mailed entries will not be accepted. A panel including museum staff, local artists and University of Oklahoma personnel will jury the competition.

The winning poster will be purchased for $1000 and the original work will be added to the museum’s permanent collection and will be displayed during the opening of the spring exhibition, Feb. 3-8. A limited run of 100 screen-printed posters will be made of the winning poster and sold in the Museum Store.

Twenty-five additional selected posters will be displayed at Michelangelo’s coffee and wine bar at 207 E. Main St. in Norman Feb. 12 through May 11. Posters on display at Michelangelo’s will be available for sale at each artist’s discretion.

A list including the winning poster, selected posters for display at Michelangelo’s and other participating entries will be posted on the museum’s Web site by 5 p.m. Monday, Dec. 7. Posters that have not been selected for display must be picked up in person from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 14. Entries will not be mailed back to artists.

The Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art is located in the OU Arts District on the corner of Elm Avenue and Boyd Street, at 555 Elm Ave., on the OU Norman campus. The museum’s Web site is www.ou.edu/fjjma. Information and accommodations on the basis of disability are available by calling (405) 325-4938.

Construction on a new wing is under way, but the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art is open and fully functional with exhibitions and programming throughout the entire construction process.