The CMS International Art Competition 2025-26 invites emerging and established visual artists to submit artworks for this year’s competition, themed Borders and Crossings, with two prizes to be awarded by the jury.
This year’s theme is Borders and Crossings, broadly defined. While borders typically refer to physical boundaries between nation-states, crossings recentre on mobile subjects in search of new possibilities and a better life. We invite submissions that highlight how migrants cross not only physical borders but also identity, political, and other social borders. How are different kinds of borders—territorial and social—interconnected in migrant experiences? How are such experiences marked by exclusion, pain, hope, and resilience?
The 2025-26 competition is a collaborative initiative led by the CMS Mobilities and Borders research groups. Held annually, the competition expresses CMS’s value of arts-based research and the special contributions that artists can make to academic conversations about the causes, consequences, and experiences of human migration and mobility. The competition is open to all, regardless of geographic location, citizenship status, or any other determiners.
Submissions are due by February 16, 2026, at 5:00 PM (PST).
Prizes
First Prize: CAD $1,250
Second Prize: CAD $250
Key dates
- February 16, 2026 (5 pm PST): Deadline for submissions
- March 3, 2026: Prize winners notified
- March 7, 2026: Prize winners publicly announced
Artwork Eligibility
- Artwork must be 2-D, visually based, and able to be represented and submitted digitally.
- Any file type may be submitted. Files 2MB or smaller may be attached; files larger than 2MB must be submitted as a link.
- Artwork must have been completed between 2023-2025 (inclusive).
- The winning artworks will be featured on the Centre’s website, social media channels, and other Centre reports. Thus, entry to the competition requires the artist’s signature of the consent form, granting permission for the works(s) to be published by CMS, with proper credit listed for the artist, and all copyrights reserved by the artist. CMS image use will be limited to promotional, educational, media, and reporting use only. See the consent form for additional details.
- Each artist may submit up to three artworks. Multiple artwork submissions are permitted. Please submit each artwork separately.
- ⚠️ Important Notice on International Funds Transfer: UBC can only send international funds in specific currencies. Please refer to the submission form to see the list of accepted currencies.
Online Display of Artwork
Prize-winning artworks will be featured on the CMS website in the spring of 2026, and will be archived on this website for future access. They may also appear in CMS promotional, educational, media, and reporting materials, with proper credit listed for the artist. All copyrights are reserved by the artist.
Selection Criteria
The submissions will be evaluated by a jury consisting of CMS faculty affiliates and select visual and/or digital media scholars. The selection criteria include:
- Strength and creativity of the artwork
- The artwork’s relevance and originality in addressing borders and crossings
- Coherence of the artwork in expressing the artist’s intent as described in the artist statement
- Artist’s consent for the work to be featured on the CMS website
How to apply
You may submit up to three artworks with your application, using the form below. Submissions are due by 5:00 PM (PST) on February 16, 2026. The submission package requires the following information:
- Artist name and city/country of residence
- Artist bio (150 words max)
- Artwork file(s): up to three artworks, each in a separate file; 2MB max per file; any file type accepted
- An artist statement about the submission(s) that helps the jury understand your work (450 words max)
- Photo of Artist (for feature article on prize winners)
- Signed consent form
