The Ohio Immigrant Alliance #BraveOfUS 2026 TATTOO DESIGN CONTEST — OFFICIAL RULES, TERMS & CONDITIONS

Written By DXTROSE .

By submitting your design to the Ohio Immigrant Alliance 2026 #BraveOfUS Tattoo Design Contest, you hereby agree to the following contest submission guidelines and Terms and Conditions set forth:

No purchase necessary to enter or win. This is a skill-based contest. Void where prohibited by law.

1. SPONSOR

This contest ("Contest") is sponsored by Ohio Immigrant Alliance ("OIA"), an Ohio-based nonprofit organization. The Contest is conducted as part of the #BraveOfUs campaign. OIA reserves the right to cancel, suspend, modify, or extend the Contest at any time for any reason, including in the event of insufficient submissions or unforeseen circumstances.

2. CONTEST PERIOD

The Contest opens on March 15, 2026 and submissions must be received by June 30, 2026 at 11:59pm Eastern Standard Time ("EST"). Submissions received after the deadline will not be considered. OIA's clock is the official timekeeping device for this Contest.

3. ELIGIBILITY

The Contest is open to individuals who, at the time of submission, meet ALL of the following criteria:

  • Are a tattoo artist, practicing tattooer, or professional tattoo apprentice

  • Are residing in or working in the United States at the time of submission

  • Are 18 years of age or older

Ineligible Persons. The following individuals are not eligible to enter:

  • OIA employees, Board members, and contractors

  • Members of the judging committee

  • Immediate family members (spouse, parent, sibling, child) of OIA staff, Board members, or judges

4. HOW TO ENTER

To enter, submit your design(s) via the official submission form at ohioimmigrant.org/braveofus. Each design entry requires a separate form submission. A maximum of three (3) entries per artist will be accepted. Entries beyond the three-entry limit will be disqualified.

Each submission form must include:

  • Artist's full legal name

  • Contact email and phone number

  • Mailing address (for prize payment purposes)

  • Instagram handle (optional but encouraged)

  • City and state

  • Brief artist statement (150 words max): describe your design and what immigrant solidarity means to you

  • Confirmation that the work is original and owned by the submitting artist

  • Acknowledgment of contest rules and usage rights

If you experience technical difficulty with the form upload, you may email your submission to hotline@ohioimmigrant.org with the subject line: #BraveOfUS Submission [Your Name]. OIA is not responsible for submissions lost, delayed, or corrupted due to technical failures, or for lost, late, incomplete, or misdirected entries.

5. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Design Requirements. All submitted designs must:

  • Be original artwork created solely by the submitting artist. AI-generated designs are not permitted

  • Be designed for use as a tattoo, with clean lines and consideration for application across skin tones

  • Express immigrant solidarity consistent with the values and mission of #BraveOfUS

  • Not include any copyrighted imagery, trademarked logos, or third-party intellectual property

  • Be appropriate for all audiences. No explicit, obscene, or hateful content will be accepted

  • Use 1–4 colors. Black and white designs are accepted

File Requirements. Accepted formats:

  • Vector (preferred): AI, SVG, or EPS with fonts converted to outlines

  • Raster (accepted): PNG (transparent background), PSD (layered), or TIFF at minimum 300 DPI

  • Individual designs: 4"×6" (small) to 8"×10" (large)

  • Full flash sheet compositions: 11"×14" (industry standard)

  • Maximum file size: 50MB per file

Bold, high-contrast designs tend to perform best as tattoos. Consider how colors will appear across different skin tones.

6. JUDGING & SELECTION

This is a skill-based competition. Winners are determined by judging criteria and public vote, not by chance. This Contest is not a raffle or lottery and is not subject to Ohio's charitable gaming or raffle regulations.

Judging will take place in two rounds:

Round 1 — Committee Review (July 2026). The OIA judging committee will review all eligible submissions and select 10 finalists based on the following weighted criteria:

  • 40% — Tattoo Viability: Clean lines, appropriate sizing, executability across skin tones

  • 30% — Artistic Merit: Craftsmanship, originality, and visual impact

  • 20% — Message Alignment: Expression of immigrant solidarity consistent with #BraveOfUS

  • 10% — Emotional Resonance: Storytelling and lasting impact

Note: Students and apprentices are welcome to submit. All entries are evaluated on the same professional tattooability standard.

Round 2 — Public Vote (July 2026). The 10 finalists will be shared publicly on OIA's social media channels. The community will vote to determine all 6 winners. The top vote-getter will be named the Grand Prize Winner. The next 5 vote-getters will be named Finalists. Public voting details and timeline will be announced when finalists are revealed.

The judging committee's decisions regarding eligibility and finalist selection are final and binding. OIA reserves the right to disqualify any submission that does not comply with these terms.

7. PRIZES

Six (6) winning designs will be selected through public vote. Prizes are as follows:

  • Grand Prize Winner (1): $500 cash prize. Design featured on the cover of the limited-edition tattoo booklet, included in the booklet, distributed as free downloadable flash nationwide, featured in OIA's online merchandise store, and recognized on OIA's website and social media.

  • Finalists (5): $250 cash prize each. Design included in the limited-edition tattoo booklet, distributed as free downloadable flash, and recognized on OIA's website and social media.

Total Prize Pool: $1,750.

All prizes will be issued via check within 60 days of the winner announcement. Prizes are non-transferable and no cash substitution is permitted except at OIA's sole discretion. Winners are solely responsible for reporting and paying any applicable taxes on prizes received.

Winners will be announced in August 2026 via OIA's website and social media channels. Entrants agree to allow OIA to use their name and city/state for winner announcement and promotional purposes.

8. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY & LICENSE

Artists Retain Copyright. All entrants retain full copyright ownership of their submitted designs. Submission of an entry does not transfer copyright to OIA.

License Granted by Winners. By accepting a prize, winning artists grant Ohio Immigrant Alliance a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual license to use, reproduce, display, distribute, and sell their winning design for the following purposes:

(a) Production and sale of the limited-edition temporary tattoo booklet to fundraise for OIA (b) Free downloadable flash distribution for fundraising flash tattoos performed by participating tattoo artists and shops (c) Sale of merchandise through OIA's online store to fundraise for OIA (d) Promotional and marketing materials for OIA and the #BraveOfUS campaign (e) Educational and advocacy materials related to OIA's immigrant justice work

Artist Rights Retained. OIA does not claim ownership of submitted designs. Winning artists may continue to tattoo their design on clients, use it in their portfolio, and otherwise exploit their copyright freely. OIA's license does not restrict the artist's own use of their work. Artists may not, however, license their submitted design exclusively to a third party in a way that would prevent OIA from exercising its licensed rights under this agreement.

Artist Credit. OIA will credit the artist by name whenever the winning design is displayed in promotional materials, on the tattoo booklet, and in the online store, where reasonably practical.

All Entrants. By submitting an entry, all entrants grant OIA a limited, non-exclusive license to display and share submitted designs for the purpose of administering and promoting the Contest, including announcing finalists and winners on OIA's website and social media channels.

9. WARRANTIES & REPRESENTATIONS

By submitting an entry, each entrant represents and warrants that: (a) the submitted design is their own original work; (b) the design does not infringe upon the intellectual property rights, privacy rights, or any other rights of any third party; (c) the design does not contain any copyrighted imagery, trademarked logos, or third-party IP; (d) they have the full right and authority to submit the design and grant the licenses described herein; and (e) the design complies with all applicable laws. Entrants agree to indemnify and hold harmless OIA and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, or expenses arising from a breach of these warranties.

10. DISQUALIFICATION

OIA reserves the right to disqualify any entrant or entry at its sole discretion, including but not limited to entries that: do not comply with these terms and conditions; are submitted after the deadline; contain prohibited content; include AI-generated imagery; involve plagiarism or use of copyrighted third-party imagery; violate third-party intellectual property rights; are submitted by ineligible persons; or involve multiple accounts, fraudulent submissions, or any attempt to manipulate the voting process. Disqualified entries will not be returned.

11. PRIVACY

Personal information collected through the submission form will be used solely to administer the Contest and communicate with entrants regarding their submissions and results. OIA will not sell or share personal information with third parties except as required by law. By entering, entrants consent to OIA's use of their name and general location (city/state) for the purpose of announcing winners publicly.

12. GENERAL CONDITIONS

By entering this Contest, entrants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of OIA and the judging committee, which are final and binding in all matters relating to this Contest. OIA is not responsible for any injury, loss, or damage of any kind arising from participation in this Contest or acceptance or use of any prize. This Contest is void where prohibited by law. These terms shall be governed by the laws of the State of Ohio.

13. CONTACT

Questions regarding these terms and conditions or the Contest may be directed to hotline@ohioimmigrant.org.

DXTROSE .