Submission Guidelines

• Submissions: All mediums welcome—photo, drawing, digital, etc. Your design must fit inside a 3-inch circle and be submitted as an image file. Need help preparing a high-quality version? Contact Deanna Wilson at
  dwilson3@trinity.edu.
• Originality: Please submit your own work. If you incorporate others’ creations, be sure they’re under Fair Use, public domain, or open license. Priority given to fully original designs—no generative AI.
• Required Elements:
  • Include the text “Coates Library”.
  • Design with a 3-inch circle in mind—try a test print to ensure details/readability.
  • Reflect the annual theme meaningfully (don’t feel bound to literal interpretation). Use your artist statement to explain.
• Submission Process: Submit via the Google Form (up to 2 designs allowed). Include a 200–350 word artist statement (materials, process, theme connection, etc.). Collaborative entries are welcome if you’re open to sharing the prize.
• Evaluation Criteria: Designs will be judged on: (1) sticker clarity and suitability, (2) theme interpretation, (3) strength of artist’s statement, and (4) overall artistic impact.

📧 For any questions about the contest, contact Professor Lacey Brooks-Canales at
lbrooks1@trinity.edu.

📖 See the Sticker Thing Library Guide for more details.

Artist Statement

The theme of my drawing is “Knowledge is Power,” though not simply in the way media has twisted that statement. Knowledge is not just powerful enough to get you through finals week—it also takes power (discipline, really) to work toward that position in the first place. Every semester I see students burn themselves out by relentlessly beating themselves up over grades, spending countless hours in the library until closing. I’m guilty of this myself, but I’ve realized that while striving for success is good, grades don’t fully express the weight of a person’s education. Some people are bad test takers, essay writers, or don’t speak up in class, but those are not the limits of their understanding. I’ve found peace in accepting that I will sometimes fail, and I think it’s powerful to not just know this, but recognize it in yourself.

I wanted to include a tiger in my design, representing not just LeeRoy but every Trinity student who has faced similar challenges. The light behind the tiger’s head represents the fulfillment of not just academic success, but also the journey toward it. This is still a “Night at the Library,” originally interpreted as late-night studying. The image suggests a student, after a long night of work, coming to terms with their academic progress and becoming more motivated to learn for learning’s sake, rather than being driven by anxiety.

What a privilege it is to be in university—to choose to struggle for the sake of knowledge.