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The California Map Society & David Rumsey Map Center

Fourth Annual Student Exhibition Competition

Call for Entries

The California Map Society and the David Rumsey Map Center invite all US-based students of higher education to apply for an opportunity to curate an exhibition of maps from our collections based on the topic of the applicant’s choice. Proposals will be judged on the strength of the topic, the effective use of maps in support of the topic, and overall quality of research and writing.

★★★ APPLICATION DEADLINE: June 27, 2025 at 11:59PM PST ★★★

Eligibility Requirements

This competition is open to all currently-enrolled US-based students working towards an undergraduate or graduate degree. Students must be enrolled at their institution through the 2025/26 academic year. Applicants are not required to have prior curatorial experience. Students from traditionally underrepresented groups in academia are strongly encouraged to apply. Finalists will work closely with Rumsey Map Center staff to realize their ideas and must be available for remote or in-person meetings.

Timeline

The competition consists of two rounds: (1) Concept and (2) Proposal.

Concept

Applicants submit a curatorial statement and three example map selections by June 27, 2025. Three finalists will be announced in the David Rumsey Map Center’s newsletter in early August 2025. Sign up for the newsletter.

Proposal

August - November 2025: Finalists develop exhibition proposals and object lists. The winning proposal will be selected and announced in early November 2025.

Exhibition production and installation will happen in spring of 2026.

About the Award

The winner of this competition will receive:

  • Installation of physical exhibition in the Rumsey Center and hosting of a digital companion exhibition.
  • A pre-tax $1,000 award and support (up to $1,000) for related travel expenses.
  • One year membership in the California Map Society.
  • Opportunities to present about the work at the annual meetings of the California Map Society.

How to Apply

Send an email to rumseymapcenter@stanford.edu by 11:59PM PST on June 27, 2025 using the Subject: “Exhibition Competition Submission”.

Provide the following two documents as PDF attachments or links to files hosted in the cloud:

  1. A cover sheet including your

    • Name
    • Email address
    • College or University
    • Expected graduation date
    • Major or concentraion (if known)
    • Phone number
    • Exhibition title

  2. An exhibition concept proposal, including:

    • Exhibition title
    • Curatorial statement (300-500 words)
      • This will describe the topic and primary themes of your exhibition and is the equivalent of the introductory text which would appear on the wall at the beginning of your exhibition.
    • Three map selections representing the range of materials to be included in the exhibition, including the following information for each:
      • Image
      • Title, author, date
      • Dimensions of original
      • Link to map on www.davidrumsey.com or searchworks.stanford.edu
      • A short caption (100-200 words) relating the map to your exhibition theme. Captions are the equivalent of the descriptive text that would appear on labels next to each map in the exhibition.

**NOTE: Please do not include your name on the exhibition pre-proposal. Judging will be done anonymously and concept proposals should not include identifying information other than your Exhibition Title

Additional Information

How to Access our Collections Online

The David Rumsey and Stanford Libraries’ map collections may be viewed and accessed through the following links:

Guides to help users search these collections can be found here: library.stanford.edu/rumsey/research-collections/search-collection

About the Physical Exhibition

The physical exhibition will be installed in wall cases in the David Rumsey Map Center in Green Library on Stanford University’s Campus. The winner will collaborate with Rumsey Center staff to produce the physical exhibition. Final exhibition materials do not need to be restricted to those in the David Rumsey Map Center or Stanford collections and may include facsimiles from other sources.

Photographs of the wall cases can be seen here: exhibits.stanford.edu/coordinates-test/feature/installation

Dimensions of the cases:

  • Case behind reference desk: 124 1/2” w x 10 7/8” d x 74 1/2” h
  • Large wall case: 188 1/2” w x 14 7/8” d x 92” h
  • Cases (x3) between cabinets:
    • Wall case: 94 1/2” w x 3 1/2” d x 59 1/2” h
    • Sloped cases (2x each): 46 1/2” w x 24 7/8” d x 17” h

The final selection of all material will be approved by Rumsey Center curatorial staff and will depend on available space, layout constraints and other practical considerations. In some cases, facsimiles will be used in place of original materials.

About the Digital Exhibition

The winner will collaborate with Rumsey Center staff to produce the digital exhibition using a mutually agreed-upon platform or tool.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the competition, please contact rumseymapcenter@stanford.edu