Candidates for the Barbara Matera Award in Costume Making must display technical competency and costume making artistry in a variety of areas. The successful entrant will demonstrate clear execution regarding artistic and technical choices, process, and product. There are two categories of submission materials the candidates may submit for consideration: primary and secondary. The primary consideration materials are REQUIRED and should show clear artistic choices and technical execution in both process and product. The secondary consideration materials are optional and supplemental, to showcase other technology, making skills and/or artistic work.

Eligibility 

• Nominees must be an undergraduate or graduate student, or a recent graduate (within two years).
• Two nomination options:
  • USITT members (faculty or other non-student professional) may submit a nomination
  • Students may self-nominate
•  Nominees must have a current student, early career, or individual membership by November 3, 2022.
• Awards are open to all ages and recognize promising newcomers in each award area.

Submission Process

• Nominees must complete on-line form including a non-refundable $25 entry fee by November 3, 2022
• Once registration is completed, each nominee will receive an e-mail containing a link to submit the required documents.
• Submission Materials:
  • Resume
  • Letter of recommendation from a faculty member
  • Letter of support
  • Personal Artistic Statement
  • Statement of Conceptualization by Production
  • 5 digital image plates

Primary Consideration Materials

These materials are REQUIRED and are meant to showcase strong technical skills and artistic choices that further the production of the costume pieces through collaboration within the production team, research and development, and technical execution/construction of costume pieces.

LETTER & RESUME GUIDELINES:

• Nominees’ current resume. PDF format only. Citations of websites are not permitted.
• Letter of Recommendation from a faculty member. The faculty member may include a design instructor, an instructor or supervisor in the shops, acting and history professors, department chairs, and other faculty mentors.
• Letter of Support may come from fellow collaborators, directors, choreographers, production team members, faculty members, or others in the entertainment industry.

PORTFOLIO GUIDELINES:

The primary consideration materials should be organized as follows:

• Five (5) plates of digital images are required. Plate refers to a single image or a collage of images, much like one page in a portfolio.
• Maximum size and resolution is 18 x 24 inches, 300dpi, 20MB.
• PDF format only.
• Event/play/piece title, scene and character clearly labeled with an appropriately sized and colored, easy-to-read, well-placed font.
• We recommend, but do not require, at least one (1) realized show to be included in the plates due to the impact of COVID-19 on the industry. If a production was cancelled or produced in another format, please identify this by indicating it was "impacted by COVID-19".
• Multiple shows or projects may be placed on a single plate with proper organization, BUT for the most part there should be a maximum of one (1) show/project per plate and/or one (1) show/project that takes up multiple plates.
• Consider a way to organize the plates so that the process is shown in a clear, concise, and thoughtful manner. Quality should be stressed over quantity.
• Paper work should be legible, labeled, and be examples that best reflect process.

WRITTEN COMPONENT:

• Each applicant must submit a personal artistic statement articulating who you are as a artist. What is your creative working philosophy? What your personal approach to costume design? (Max 300 words)
• For each production featured on the five (5) required plates, the applicant must submit a statement of conceptualization articulating the collaborative process within the costume designer, production team, and shop, research and development, communication with the run crew and others in the team and the ability to work within the parameters of the production as whole. (Max 600 words per show, no photos, may include but is not limited to):
  • Collaboration process with the costume designer and supervision of shop staff, actor and/or director interaction, and with others of the production and design team, including run crew.
  • Synopsis of the overriding themes, motifs, or elements as presented by the costume designer and/or director.
  • Explain the research and development process undertaken by the costume maker, and analysis/usage of other designer materials to further the prototyping, and creation of the production pieces.

DEMONSTRATION OF PROCESS:

The plates should be organized to communicate the process of costume piece creation, from research, designer’s drawings/renderings to finished costume pieces within the production process. If designer-created images are used, please indicate this clearly in the image label. These may include (but are not limited to):

• Costume designer’s and maker’s visual research/visual inspiration
• Costume designer’s sketches, drawings, renderings, working drawings
• Costume designer’s renderings/drawings/sketches/photographs of character evolution
• Fabric swatches
• Maker’s process of costume creation. This may include documentation of patternmaking and/or draping, test samples, ¼ scale mock-ups, full sized mock-ups, etc.
• Process photographs of fittings and subsequent alterations, craft or costume production “in-progress” 
• Production photographs of character(s) onstage and under stage lighting
• Mid-range and close-up photographs of costume pieces on a mannequin, dress form, or actor
• Mid-range and close-up photographs of inside or underside of items showing construction details

SECONDARY SUPPORT MATERIALS

An additional three (3) plates of material may be submitted for a maximum of eight (8) plates total. These optional plates may include projects from other areas of costume technology, entertainment technology, or artistic work. This work may be produced or classroom projects, realized or conceptual, and should showcase the range of the applicant.

ADJUDICATION

Judges will score (not rank) each entry on the following:

• Adherence to the submission guidelines: plate size, format, and parameters
  • Submissions not adhering to the format listed will be considered ineligible.
• Content and organization of plates and photographs (image size & quantity, labeling, legibility, and clarity)
• Illustration and explanation of process: research through development, development to fitting, fitting to completed costume piece
• Demonstration of complex patternmaking, draping, tailoring, millinery, dying, or construction ideas
• Demonstration of patternmaking, draping, tailoring, millinery, dying or construction skill execution
• Written materials: clarity, articulation, and thoughtfulness