Winning artwork will be worn by tens of thousands of finishers at the 51st running of Bloomsday
SPOKANE, WA. The Lilac Bloomsday Association is calling on artists to help create one of Spokane’s most recognizable pieces of wearable art. Submissions are now open for the 2027 Bloomsday Finisher Shirt Design Contest, giving artists the opportunity to see their original artwork worn by tens of thousands of Bloomsday finishers.
For 50 years, the Bloomsday finisher shirt has been part of the tradition and anticipation surrounding race day. The color and design are kept secret until participants cross the finish line, when volunteers hand out shirts to finishers. Long after race day, those shirts continue to show up throughout Spokane and well beyond the region, on running trails, at grocery stores, in airports and anywhere else Bloomsday finishers go.
The contest is open to artists interested in creating the design for the 51st running of Bloomsday in 2027. The winning artist will receive a $1,000 cash prize and will work with Bloomsday to adapt the selected artwork to the color of the 2027 finisher shirt.
New for the 2027 contest, all submitted artwork must be created by the artist and may not be AI generated. Bloomsday recognizes that AI can be a helpful tool in many industries, including graphic design, but the finisher shirt contest has always been rooted in human creativity and original artwork. This guideline allows Bloomsday to continue celebrating the artists and artistry that have shaped this tradition for decades.
The selected artist will be notified in early November and must keep both the selection and details of the winning design confidential until it is revealed to finishers on race day.
Submissions are due Friday, September 25, 2026.
Complete contest guidelines and submission information are available at https://bloomsdayrun.org/finisher-shirt-design-contest/
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