Sunshine Artist is a nationally distributed magazine that is a guide to festivals and events. It includes reviews of approximately 2,000 events each month. Every year, the magazine singles out festivals that develop original art posters by inviting those with a collectible poster to submit an entry in its contest. Overall design, artwork and typography are considered in the judging process. This year's judge was Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist John Kaplan.
Visual art is featured on the city's Commemorative Poster each year.
As the central visual image of the Columbia Festival of the Arts, the poster communicates the vitality of the event as well as the beauty of mid Missouri. Poster are currently being accepted by the Office of Cultural Affairs. Artists must be Missouri residents to enter and must submit an application by May 15. Commemorative Posters from 1992 to 1999 are also available for sale at both locations. Poster are programs of the city's Office of Cultural Affairs.