Design Competition for Veterans Memorial

The Springdale Veterans Memorial Organization (SVMO) will kick off its design competition for a veterans memorial on October 1 at 6 p.m. at the Arts Center of the Ozarks, 214 S. Main St. in Springdale, AR.

Architectural and landscape design firms, architecture students, veterans and artists are being invited to submit proposals for a veterans memorial, which the Springdale City Council has endorsed being located in JB Hunt Park. This event will be the first opportunity for those interested in designing the memorial to learn the details of the competition. The winners of the design competition will receive a $5,000 award for first place, $1,000 for second place and $500 for third place.

Springdale currently has no monument to those who served in our armed forces. The competition will challenge participants to think about how a memorial could serve to provide a symbol of acknowledgement of the courage, sacrifice, and devotion to duty of those who served, according to Jeffery Vinger, a board member and veteran who is working on the design competition. The memorial should stand as a symbol of Springdale’s appreciation for the sacrifices of those who served our nation, expressing respect and gratitude, he said, and should be reflective and contemplative in character.

Vinger said the competition aims to establish a prominent and artistic veterans memorial in a befitting setting that will further enhance the appearance of JB Hunt Park, its attraction and draw, its function and utility for our community on a year-round basis.

The design competition is open to amateurs and professionals, established and emerging designers. College or high school students studying architecture, art, design or similar career interest, are also encouraged to enter.

The registration phase will last through December 29. Entrants can register, review the design factors and criteria and ask any clarifying questions until that date. Entries may be submitted until noon on March 31, 2020. Winners will be announced May 7.

More information about the SVMO is available on the group’s web site, SVMO72762.org.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Jannie Layne, SVMO President, 479-530-7728 or Dorothy Cardiel, SVMO Public Relations, 479-601-1319.