Vancouver artists decry FIFA World Cup poster contest

A pitch to B.C. artists to create a poster to represent Vancouver as the host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is facing criticism as an “unethical” request.

“I always recommend to my students not to participate in these types of contests,” said Marga Lopez, who teaches graphic design in Vancouver.

It’s known as “spec work” any many artists believe it’s unethical and takes advantage of creatives.

“You would not ask a lawyer to not pay for your fees and just defend you. We need make sure that they understand that this is labour that this is work and it needs to be compensated.”

Spec work is something the Association of Registered Graphic Designers is firmly against.

“Nobody wants to work for free and usually the folks who can work for free are the folks who can afford to work for free,” said Nicola Hamilton, the president of the association. “They don’t always represent the larger pool of design talent in a given area.”

The winner of the contest will receive $25,000 and four runners-up will receive $1,500.

The artwork must be entirely original and the artist must agree not to share it during the competition – which will officially end when the winner is announced some time in 2025. Anyone who violates this confidentiality provision will be disqualified.

The winner must also agree to sign an agreement assigning the rights to the design to FIFA, which will have "the exclusive and perpetual rights" to its use, reproduction and distribution.

The contest prize of $25,000 is the only payment the artist will receive, according to the city's request for expressions of interest.

“It’s exploitive and it’s unethical to ask for free design work from a creative without that guarantee of compensation and I think it also devalues the profession as a whole to put us together, or against each other in hopes of landing that paid opportunity,,” said Laura Prpich, graphic designer with Caribou Creative.

According to the city, the decision was made by the FIFA World Cup 26 Vancouver host committee. In a statement to CTV News, it says it recognizes and values the contributions of local artists and will be looking into the concerns.