Poster Contest Official Rules

How to Enter

The Contest is sponsored by the Central Park Conservancy, Inc. (“Sponsor”), with offices at 717 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10022.

No purchase is necessary to enter or win.

The Contest will be hosted on the Central Park Conservancy’s website (centralparknyc.org) beginning Friday, October 3, 2025, and ending on Thursday, October 31, 2025 at 4:00 PM ET. Contest entrants (“Entrants”) must submit entries through the online submission form on the Sponsor’s Website (centralparknyc.org/poster-contest). Email, social media, and mail-in entries will not be accepted.

Submission requirements (for initial upload on the Website)

• Submit a reduced-size preview file of your poster design in JPG, PNG, or PDF format suitable for web upload (the specific file size limit will be stated on the Website submission form).
• The preview must clearly represent the intended final poster design (colors, composition, and layout).
• For submission purposes only, Entrants must include the header text: “The Gottesman Rink at the Davis Center in Central Park is now open.” This text should be incorporated into the layout of the entry to demonstrate that the design can accommodate headline copy.
• Please note: the Sponsor's design team will replace this header with the Sponsor’s approved text, font and style in final production.
• The footer (to be added later by Sponsor's designers) will include the Sponsor’s logo, artist credit, and a QR code. Entrants should allow visual space for these elements, but they are not required to include them in the submission.
• Do not include third-party logos, trademarks, or copyrighted material.
• AI-generated imagery and clip art are not permitted.
• Your entry must be your original work.

Final artwork requirements (applies to the First Prize Winner)

• Final production size: 24" × 36" at 300 dpi.
• Final production formats: layered Photoshop (PSD) or TIFF; high-resolution JPG also required for archiving.
• Working file must be set up in Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator, with content placed on a separate layer from the artwork to support layout adaptations.
• Sponsor may request adjustments to meet production specifications.

The Sponsor will determine eligibility of all entries and Entrants in its sole and absolute discretion.

Creative Guidelines

Entrants are encouraged to review the creative guidelines available on the Website. These materials provide context on the project’s goals, design inspiration, and audience considerations. They are intended only as guidance. In the event of any conflict between those guidelines and these Official Rules, these Official Rules shall control.

Eligibility

The Contest is open only to residents of New York City (the “Territory”) who are at least eighteen (18) years of age as of October 3, 2025.

The Contest and any websites, web pages, and advertisements relating thereto are intended for viewing only within the Territory. Entries received from persons residing outside of the Territory, or where restricted or prohibited by law, will be disqualified.

To be eligible to enter the Contest, the Entrant (alternately, “You,” “Your,” or “Yourself”) must meet the eligibility requirements described herein and have read and agreed to these Official Rules. Central Park Conservancy employees and their immediate family (spouse, parents and stepparents, siblings and step-siblings, and children and step-children) and household members (people who share the same residence at least three (3) months out of the year) are not eligible to participate or receive prizes.

The Contest is subject to all applicable United States federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Participation constitutes Your full and unconditional agreement to these Official Rules and Sponsor’s decisions, which are final and binding in all matters related to the Contest. Winning a prize is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements set forth herein.

Limit one (1) entry per person. Submissions from multiple email addresses or under multiple identities by the same individual will result in disqualification. More than one (1) person in the same household may submit entries.

Entries are void if they are in whole or part illegible, incomplete, damaged, altered, counterfeit, obtained through fraud, or late. In the event of any dispute regarding the identity of a person submitting an online entry, the entry will be deemed submitted by the authorized e-mail account holder, which is defined for purposes of these Official Rules as the natural person who is assigned to an e-mail address by an Internet access provider, online service provider, or other organization responsible for assigning e-mail addresses for the domain associated with the submitted e-mail address. A selected winner may be requested to provide the Sponsor with proof that they are the authorized account holder of the e-mail address associated with the winning entry. If a dispute cannot be resolved, the entry will be deemed ineligible.

Judging

All eligible entries will be reviewed by the Sponsor’s design committee (the “Committee”).

Entries will be judged on the following criteria:

• Artistic merit and creativity (40%)
• Relevance to Sponsor's mission and the Gottesman Rink (30%)
• Demonstrated connection to Harlem in theme, perspective, or artist’s background (20%)
• Clarity and effectiveness as a poster (10%)

Any Contest entries, or portions thereof, that are, in the Sponsor’s sole discretion obscene, profane, lewd, defamatory, contain any third-party materials, or otherwise violate or infringe (or may infringe) upon any copyright, trademark, logo, mark that identifies another brand or other proprietary right of any person or entity will not be considered, and will be subject to disqualification. 

The First Prize Winner and Runners-Up will be selected and announced on Friday, November 7, 2025. The Committee’s decisions are final and binding.

Notification of Winners

Potential winners will be notified by email and/or phone on November 7, 2025, using the contact information provided on their Entries. The First Prize Winner and Runners-Up must respond within three (3) business days of notification. If the First Prize Winner and/or a Runner-Up does not respond within that timeframe, cannot be contacted, is found ineligible, or fails to timely return any required documentation, the prize may be forfeited and an alternate winner may be selected at Sponsor’s sole discretion.

Contest Winners and Prizes

• First Prize Winner: Will receive a cash prize in the amount of five thousand dollars ($5,000.00). The artist’s name will be credited on the poster. The First Prize Winner will also be featured on the Sponsor's social media channels.
• Second and Third Place Runners-Up: Will receive recognition and inclusion on Sponsor's social media channels, including the official Davis Center account (no cash award).

All federal, state, and local income taxes are the sole responsibility of the First Prize Winner. Payment to the First Prize Winner is subject to the express requirement that the First Prize Winner submit all required tax documentation. The First Prize Winner is responsible for ensuring that he/she/they complies with all the applicable tax laws and filing requirements. Failure to comply may result in forfeiture of the prize and selection of an alternate winner.

Ownership and License

• The First Prize Winner and Runners-Up agree to assign to the Sponsor all right, title and interest (including copyright) in and to their entries, including the right to use, display, reproduce, edit, store, distribute, change, adapt or otherwise revise and/or alter entries, and use the entrant’s name, likeness, biographical information, and any other information provided by entrant, in any and all media, for any purpose whatsoever, without further permission, notice or compensation (except where prohibited by law); provided, however, that Sponsor shall not be obligated to publish or otherwise use any entries or other information submitted by Contest Entrants in connection with the Contest. The First Prize Winner and Runners-Up shall sign any documents reasonably required to effect such assignment.
• Sponsor will provide appropriate credit to the First Prize Winner and Runners-Up.

Conditions of Participation

By entering, Contest Entrants warrant that their submissions are original artwork created solely by them and do not infringe on the intellectual property rights of any third party.

Entrants agree to release and hold harmless the City of New York, the NYC Department of Parks & Recreation, the Central Park Conservancy, Inc., and their respective officers, directors, employees, and volunteers from any claims arising from participation in the Contest.

Governing Law

The Contest is governed by the laws of the State of New York.

Severability

If any provision of these Official Rules is found invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.