Wing Luke Museum wants your Year of the Pig designs

The next Lunar New Year starts on February 5, 2019, leaving behind the Year of the Dog and ushering in the Year of the Pig. Every year, the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience has a celebration—and each celebration comes with an official design of the year’s animal. This year they’re choosing it through a design contest for the first time.

The winning entry will become the art for the Wing Luke’s annual coloring contest, and will appear on promotional materials and swag. Entrants will be judged based on their portrayal of the animal’s Lunar New Year personality, cultural traditions, or the Chinatown International District neighborhood; on their functionality; and on their “appeal to both younger and older audiences.”

Entries are due October 26. The winner gets $200 and a bunch of pig merch featuring their design. While the annual coloring contest is limited to kids, there’s no age restriction for the design contest.

The pig pops up every 12 years in the Chinese and Vietnamese zodiac, alternating with 11 other animals. “According to legend, the Jade Emperor invited the animals of his kingdom to enter a race through the countryside,” explains the museum. “The first 12 to first finish the long race would each rule over one year every 12 years.

Full contest info and examples of previous designs are over on Wing Luke’s website.

• 2019 YEAR OF THE PIG DESIGN CONTEST [Wing Luke]