Each year since 1992 the City’s Office of Cultural Affairs has produced an annual Commemorative Poster. The official poster is unveiled at an exciting get‑together of arts enthusiasts and is available for purchase year‑round. An award of $1,000 is presented to the artist for the right to reproduce artwork for the poster.
This year’s City of Columbia Commemorative Poster will also be submitted to the America 250 City Art Poster Project, which is being administered by the U.S. Conference of Mayors in partnership with the National Endowment of the Arts. As such, the 2026 poster theme will be the semiquincentennial anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Artists may submit poster designs to commemorate the anniversary with imagery that celebrates our city's local history while conveying civic pride, historical connection, and optimism for the next 250 years.
Images should incorporate the words “Columbia, MO” (or “Columbia, Missouri”) and "America 250" into the design. (note: this can either be incorporated by the artist into the work submitted, or the artist will work with the City’s graphic design team to have it digitally included on the final poster design). One design will be selected by the Mayor to be displayed locally and nationally. It will also be published in both print and digital books.
ARTIST ELIGIBILITY
- Artists residing in mid‑Missouri are eligible to apply.
- Applicants must be 18 years or older.
- Applicants must not be City of Columbia employees.
- Work in all media is considered.
- Existing or newly created work may be submitted.
- A written statement briefly explaining artwork must be submitted.
- Designs may not include any breach of intellectual property, copyrights, trademarks, brands, or images of illegal activity. This includes trademarked logos and imagery of colleges and universities.
- If the artist does not own the entry, written permission from the owner to enter the work must be submitted with the entry.
- Previous winners of the Commemorative Poster design are not eligible for reconsideration for poster design consideration until five years after winning. (e.g. The winning artist from 2021 is eligible to win again in 2026.)
Deadline to apply: Monday, March 16, 2026 by 5 p.m.
APPLICATION INFORMATION
Online submissions only will be accepted and must include:
- Images of artwork (up to 10 submissions)
- Artwork information (title, medium, year executed)
- Written statement briefly explaining artwork
- Written permission from the owner to submit the work (in the case that the applicant does not own the image)
Due to the participation in the America 250 City Art Poster Project, there are a few image considerations for artist submissions.
- Images should be submitted in vertical format in order for the final image size to be printed as 24” x 32”, or a 3:4 scale (see image example below). If artwork doesn’t fit that exact ratio, the artist will plan to work with the City’s graphic design team to crop the artwork to accommodate these specifications.
- Images should incorporate the words “Columbia, MO” (or “Columbia, Missouri”) and "America 250" into the design (note: This can either be incorporated by the artist into the work submitted, or the artist will work with the City’s graphic design team to have it digitally included on the final poster design.).
- Content should remain nonpartisan and free of political messages or inflammatory language.
Example of how artwork will be incorporated into final poster layout.
