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Tea Box Design Contest

 



6th Annual Tea Box Design Request for Proposals

(Scroll to the bottom of the page to submit your portfolio or read more about the contest below.)

Overview

My Cup of Tea, Inc. is a nonprofit social enterprise located in the historic Orange Mound community. We provide jobs to women striving to overcome poverty by packaging and selling high-quality tea. While we sell more than 70 different teas, our most popular products are those included in our Memphis-themed line.

In partnership with the Orange Mound Arts Council (OMAC) and Regions Bank, we are requesting proposals from Black artists (professional or amateur) with the creativity and vision to capture the essence of Orange Mound and the mission of My Cup of Tea.

This document includes details about how and when to submit proposals, which will culminate in the chosen artist having the design printed on the new box; receiving a cash prize of $2,000; and being featured on the back of the new box with contact information, which will reach 500-750 customers. Additionally, as in the previous 4 years, we expect to receive substantial media attention.

Questions can be directed to Mike Carpenter (mike.carpenter@shopmycupoftea.com.)

Submission Requirements

Eligibility: Proposals will be received from artists who meet the following requirements:

  • Black or African American;
  • Provide a portfolio of visual art to include painting, drawing, photography and/or related media;
  • A resident of Shelby County.

Dates: Proposals must be received by 11:59 PM, September 1st, 2026. After reviewing the proposals, My Cup of Tea, in partnership with the OMAC and Regions, will select one artist with whom to contract for the design of the new box. My Cup of Tea will provide feedback to the artist relative to the proposed concept for design before it is finalized.

Components of the Proposal: Proposing artists are asked to submit their portfolios electronically to www.shopmycupoftea.com/pages/tea-box-design-contest preferably in PDF format and a resolution of at 300 DPI, but not to exceed 600 DPI. Additionally, artists are asked to submit a concept description for the new box not to exceed 250 words.

Portfolio submissions should be in full color, unless some, or all, of the designs in the portfolio are intended to be in black and white, which should be noted. Portfolio submissions should not exceed 8.5” x 11”. Submissions should not include or anticipate raised or 3-D-type artwork. The box will be printed flat and on a gloss finish. The artwork must be horizontal, not vertical, as the boxes are shelved horizontally.

Compensation

The selected artist will receive payment of $2,000 upon acceptance of the new box design. The design will be printed on 500-750 tea boxes. A photo of the selected artist and an approximately 200-word biography will be printed on the back of the boxes that are sold throughout the Mid-South and across the country. The biography will include contact information for the artist. The selected artist and design will be the subject of press releases and media advisories encouraging local media to feature the artist and the design.

Artists to Retain Ownership of Original Work

The compensation received by the artist is a licensing fee allowing My Cup of Tea to print the design on a single run of 500-750 boxes of tea and to use that design in promoting the sale of the tea. Ownership of the artwork will remain with the selected artist. If My Cup of Tea desires to print additional boxes, then the terms for extending the license will be negotiated with the artist.

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To download the full RFP with detailed instructions, box examples, and further information, please visit here:

Tea Box Design - Request for Proposal PDF

 

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2025 Winner - Che'ryiah Sunshine

Che’ryiah Sunshine's work features materials like washi tape, duct tape, acrylic paints, and found materials. The artwork for the MCOT tea box depicts a young woman kneeling to help

 an older woman with her shoe. Simultaneously, the older woman is sheltering the younger woman from the elements with her umbrella. The piece is called “Acts.”

“I’m truly honored to have been selected among so many talented artists in our community,” said Sunshine. “My piece, Acts, was inspired by the care I witness every day. The ways people show up for one another and honor the help they’ve received in return. The strength of this community, especially its roots in faith, reminded me of the Book of Acts in the Bible, which felt like the perfect title for this work.”

As the selected artist, Sunshine received $2,000 in compensation for the box design, and her photo, biography, and contact information are featured on the back of the box. The design has been printed on 500 limited-edition boxes, and Sunshine will retain ownership of the original artwork.

Besides unveiling the new box, My Cup of Tea announced the flavor of tea to be included in each box. For the first time, the featured tea is a green tea called Winter Pine. The tea is blended with premium Japanese Sencha, planed almonds, dried orange, and pink peppercorns. 

Past Winners

Mosal Morszart (2024)

Darlene Newman (2023)

Danny Broadway (2022)

Andre Miller (2021)