University of Houston The Billboard 2026: $500 Student Design Opportunity — Nov 30
An artwork that begins as a two-dimensional design could become a large-scale public installation at the University of Houston. Public Art of the University of Houston System is inviting proposals for The Billboard 2026, a campus art opportunity whose selected entry will be digitally reproduced and displayed in the University Arts District during 2027.
Opportunity at a glance
Submission deadline: November 30, 2026. Artist award: US $500. Artwork: an original two-dimensional graphic work to be considered for large-scale reproduction as a digital print. Display period: January through December 2027. The organizer describes a pre-screening phase followed by community voting to determine the awarded artist.
Who can submit?
The 2026 request for proposals is limited to currently enrolled University of Houston students attending the Main Campus. It is not an open international call and should not be presented as available to unrelated students at other campuses or universities. The official application may specify further submission details that should be read in full.
The brief seeks 2D graphic artwork that can work in a public-facing format. Digital illustration, graphic design and digitally prepared visual work may be relevant approaches, but the organizer's request is not restricted to one software package or a particular digital technique. Applicants should focus on work suitable for a prominent physical installation and on any content and file-preparation rules in the official form.
How selection and installation work
Public Art of the University of Houston System plans to review submissions first for appropriateness for display on campus. A community voting process then determines the awarded design. The selected work is reproduced as an oversized digital print, installed at the University of Houston, and shown from January through December 2027. The awarded artist receives a $500 honorarium, and the project culminates in a public celebration.
Because the original submission becomes a public installation, applicants should examine the full application for file specifications, image rights, production permissions and any other conditions. The short public announcement does not establish every contract or printing requirement.
About Public Art of the University of Houston System
The organizer is the public-art program serving the University of Houston System, with a documented record of commissioning and presenting campus artworks. The Billboard began as a mural series in 2020 with Spencer Finch's Back to Kansas and later featured Muna Al-Bader's Cultural Bonds and Houston artist DUAL's Ave's Sonar. The program was reconceived to reproduce student artwork at large scale in 2025. These past exhibitions and the program's public campus setting help applicants verify that the call comes from an established arts organization.
Official application and verification
The application link is provided under ARTWORK SUBMISSION FORM on the organizer's own 2026 RFP page. Submit only through the official channel, check that your enrollment status meets the Main Campus rule, and follow the requirements in the form before the November 30 deadline. Information checked against the organizer's official publication on October 19, 2026; the organizer's updated terms take precedence over this summary.