2026 Winners

We appreciate everyone who participated in our Inaugural Map Contest! The judges truly had a challenge selecting just one winner from each category. We will be highlighting all participants in a webinar on April 29, 2026 in addition to a StoryMap. 

Emerging Professional or Student

Category: Traditional Map

WINNER
Deanne Watts 
Walking with Ghosts

Emerging Professional or Student

Category: Artistic Map

WINNER
Averey Johnson
Visualizing Glacial Recession: Glacier Grey in Retreat

Career Professional

Category: Traditional Map

WINNER
Kat Kirkland
Addressing Short Term Rental Clusters:
Modeling anti-clustering measures in Beaufort, SC

Career Professional

Category: Artistic Map

WINNER
Madeline Jo Maiorellaspan
Genus Homo

2026 Map Contest Rules and Information

Categories:

All maps are beautiful! and, we also realize that some maps have a more creative and artistic flair than a traditional cartographic map and should be judged differently. For this reason you have a choice as to which category your submission best fits. There will be one winner for each category.

Emerging Professional or Student (less than 5 years in GIS)

  • Traditional Map - thematic, topographic, reference, etc.
  • Creative map- creative, artistic, infographic style

Career Professional (5 or more years in GIS)

  • Traditional Map - thematic, topographic, reference, etc.
  • Creative map- creative, artistic, infographic style

Rules:

  • Submission deadline: January 31, 2026
  • Must be an active (dues paying) WiGIS member
  • Maps must be, at a minimum, 11" x 17" and no larger than 34" x 44" (E size) - either portrait or landscape orientation is acceptable. The recommended size is 22" x 34" (D size).
  • Maps must be submitted in PDF format, (print ready)
  • Only one entry per person
  • Only one prize packet will be awarded per winning entry
  • You may use any software to create your map, however Esri software must be used to have winning map displayed at the Esri UC Map Gallery.

Important Dates:

  • Contest Opens: October 31, 2025
  • Submission deadline: January 31, 2026 11:59pm Pacific Time (US)
  • Winner announced: March 15, 2026

Prizes:

Each winner will receive*:

  • 1 copy of Mapping the Deep, by Dawn Wright
  • 1 copy of Women and GIS (winner's choice of vol 1, 2, or 3)
  • WiGIS membership dues waived for upcoming renewal period
  • Map hung at the 2026 Esri User Conference Map Gallery*
  • WiGIS Swag
  • Digital Certificate
  • Winners and their maps will be featured on the WiGIS website and social media

Additional Benefits:

Need another reason to become a member and participate in the contest? As a WiGIS member you get GISP Points for Contributions to the Profession:

  • 1 GISP point for being a WiGIS Member
  • 1 point for participating in the WiGIS Map Contest
  • 1 point if your map wins and it's hung at the Esri UC Map Gallery*
That is a total of three points possible!

Judging Criteria:

  1. Content

    • Accuracy (grammar, punctuation, spelling) – Is there appropriate use of grammar and spelling?

    • Effective communication – Is the map’s message clear? Does the content support the map’s intended purpose?

    • Effective use of geographic information – Appropriate use and portrayal of spatial data. If relevant, does the author include sufficient geographic features or other essential elements for orientation?

    • Sources – Is the work informative with reliable sources? Are sources appropriately credited/cited?

  2. Presentation

    • Legibility (font, font size, figures, tables, graphics) – Are fonts, text size, and labels configured in a way that is legible? 

    • Design/Layout – Do the graphical elements follow a logical arrangement?

    • Visual appeal (color coordination, geometry, accents, highlights, use of symbology) – Is there an effective use of symbology, geometry, labels, and color?

  3. Originality

    • Is the work innovative, either in its subject matter or its application of visual graphics? Is the presentation unique?

This criteria are weighted differently depending on the category your map was submitted to:

  • Traditional maps weight: Content: 45%; Presentation: 45%; Originality: 10%
  • Creative maps weight: Content: 35%; Presentation: 35%; Originality: 30%

*WiGIS reserves the right to substitute gift cards in lieu of prizes if necessary. Entries must use Esri software in order to have map displayed at the Esri UC.


Thank you Judges!

Shout-out to our 2026 volunteer judges who had the unique challenge of reviewing and rating each map based on the given criteria. Given the quality of all the entries, we know this was no easy feat! Much appreciation to these judges for your time and expertise in selecting this year's winners:

  • Nicholas Dennis
  • Rabi Elabor
  • Esther Mandeno
  • Garrett Raubinger
  • Julia Reisemann

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