WILMINGTON - Mayor John Carney and the Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs invite residents of Wilmington to enter the America 250 City Art Poster Project.

In honor of the semiquincentennial, the City of Wilmington will join other participating cities throughout the nation in submitting posters that celebrate local history, showcase civic and national pride, and express community identity. Submissions are open to amateur and professional artists of all ages and can be submitted from individuals or from schools and community arts programs.

Participants may submit up to two (2) entries. Artwork is due by March 25, 2026.

Requirements

• Files should be submitted in PDF format only.

• Files should be created at 100% scale to provided specs.

• Color mode: CMYK (4-color process). All RBG images and spot colors should be converted to CMYK.

• Submissions should incorporate “Wilmington” and “America 250” into the design.

• AI generated artwork will not be accepted. If the submission is determined to be AI generated, it will be disqualified.

• All posters submitted should be suitable to print.

• Posters should be nonpartisan and should not include inflammatory language.

• Posters should commemorate the 250th anniversary with imagery that conveys civic pride, historical connection, and optimism for the next 250 years.
  

Three posters will be chosen for a final vote by City residents. The final selected poster will be displayed at the U.S. Conference of Mayor’s 94th Annual Meeting in Long Beach, California from June 4 to June 7, 2026. The final selected poster will also be published in both print and digital books.

Designs of the runners up will be exhibited in the Louis L. Redding Gallery at 800 N. French Street in Wilmington from June 5th, 2026 to July 31st, 2026.

Click here to enter.