The Office of the Provost invites University of Michigan-Ann Arbor faculty and staff to submit original artwork for a chance to be featured in official Provost’s Office winter season communications for 2026.

Eligibility

Open to all current U-M faculty and staff of the Ann Arbor campuses, including Michigan Medicine. Each artist may submit one entry.

All submissions must represent the original creative work of the submitting artist, produced without the use of generative artificial intelligence tools (e.g., Midjourney, DALL-E, Adobe Firefly, or similar). Artwork that has been substantially created, generated, or altered using AI tools is not eligible for consideration.

Theme

Artwork should capture the spirit of the winter season at the University of Michigan — a familiar landmark, winter scene, campus tradition, or other moment that feels distinctly Michigan. Interpretations should portray the winter season broadly, without focusing on imagery of a religious observance.

Accepted media

Any 2D artistic medium is welcome: painting, drawing, photography, digital art, printmaking, or mixed media. Since the winning piece will be reproduced as a digital card, all submissions must be provided as a high-resolution digital file (photographed or scanned, as appropriate).

What to submit

• One high-resolution image of your artwork
• A brief title for the piece
• An optional short statement (100 words or fewer) describing your work or inspiration

File specifications

• Format: JPEG or PNG
• Resolution: 300 dpi minimum
• Dimensions: At least 2,000 pixels on the longest side
• Maximum file size: 10 MB
  If your file exceeds 10 MB, try saving as a JPEG at high (not maximum) quality, which typically reduces file size significantly with minimal visible quality loss. 
• File naming: Please name your file using your last name and the title of your piece (e.g., Smith_wintercommons.jpg)

Rights and permissions

By submitting, artists retain copyright of their work but grant the Office of the Provost non-exclusive rights to reproduce the piece in a printed seasonal card, an email, and/or related university promotional materials. Artists will be credited by name wherever the piece is featured.

Submission deadline

Submissions will be accepted via the form below through Friday, October 2.

Selection and distribution

The winning piece will be selected by the Office of the Provost and featured prominently in 2026 winter season communications.

---

Submit your artwork here by Friday, October 2

---

Questions?

Contact Joe Bellfy, assistant director of communications in the Office of the Provost, via email here.