#OmahaFringe25 August 7-10, 2025
Omaha Fringe's Annual
Button Contest returns!
Accepting Submissions: March 15th-April 20th
Each year, we ask artists to consider these core values in their design: Diversity, Creativity, & Community. As well as a year-specific theme.
This year's button theme is:
Journey, together.​
Where does your art take you? Who is on the journey with you?
The winning design/artist will be prominently featured on our 2025 festival button as well as promotional materials for the festival, our festival program, and other related festival branding AND receive a $500 cash prize. Second, Third, and special contest prizes are below.
Guidelines
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Designs need not be complete. Works in progress are acceptable. If chosen as the winning design, a completed work must be submitted in order for prize monies to be distributed.
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Designs must be original. Copy written or AI generated works will not be accepted.
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Acceptable design file formats:
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A high quality photo or scan of a physical artwork (i.e. a photo of the postcard design template, a physical painting, drawing, etc.)
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A digital artwork (ie. digital drawing, photoshop design, etc.)
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Winning design must be adaptable to size changes and color changes (ie adaptable to black and white) and will be used for physical and digital marketing/ merch. We suggest avoiding very small and intricate details or text that may become muddled on a small button pin, or become pixelated on a larger format such as a t-shirt or poster.
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Prizes & Selection
Winning Design(s) are selected by the Board of Directors and our contest sponsor, Paul Pape Designs, via anonymous review. This committee will select winner(s) from the designs and design descriptions alone without artist names attached.
Designs may win in only one category, either in the winning ranks, or in a special category (i.e. the 1st place winner cannot also win Most Creative Design, etc.)
1st Place: $500 cash prize + Design featured on festival button, merch, physical & digital marketing AND marketing and exposure for the winning artist throughout the festival in the form of social media and print marketing.
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2nd Place Runner Up: $250 cash prize
3rd Place Runner Up: $100 cash prize
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Special Categories
Most Creative Design: Awarded to a design not chosen as a winning or runner up design that exhibits exceptional creativity in concept and/or construction. $75 cash prize
Paul's Pick Award: Awarded to a design not chosen as a winning or runner up design. Selected by our contest sponsor, Paul Pape Designs. $75 cash prize
Buttons, Tickets, & the All Fringe Pass
Learn more about how to attend #OmahaFringe
01
The Button
$5
This is a one-time purchase. You must have a button to gain entry to the festival. You will receive your button when you attend your first show! Buttons can be purchased online with your ticket order(s) or later at the door when you attend. your first show. Proceeds from button sales support operating costs for the festival. Art for our buttons are created by local artists and chosen via an annual contest.
02
Tickets
$10
This is your ticket for a single performance of a single show.
This is a good option if you only want to see a few select shows. We recommend purchasing tickets online in advacnce as sell-outs are possible. All shows will have at least three performances throughout the festival. Proceeds from ticket sales go directly back to the artist whose show you're seeing!
But don't forget, you will need to have a button AND a ticket OR festival pass to attend a performance.
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All Fringe Pass
$75
An "All Fringe Pass" is your entry to all of the shows for the entire festival. That means you can see all twenty shows as many times as you want!
If you attend 8 shows, you've already saved $5 on tickets. See all 20 shows? That's a $125 discount!
And that's just if you see every show once. You've got an All Fringe Pass! Why not see your favorite show two or three times? Proceeds from pass sales go directly back to all of our artists. All Fringe Passes can be purchased online or at the door.
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But don't forget, you will need to have a button AND a ticket OR festival pass to attend a performance.