Vail Daily Opens Cover Art Contest for 2026 Best of Vail Valley

Aspen —A $14 million project. Twelve units. That’s the kind of density we usually see when we’re talking about housing permits. But this week, the newspaper is asking for something different. They want art. Specifically, they want local artists to design the cover of the 2026 Best of Vail Valley magazine.

It sounds like a soft news angle until you look at the economics of the exposure. This isn’t just a pretty picture stapled to a flyer. The magazine hits the hands of locals and visitors alike. Visitors spend millions of dollars in the valley every year. They’re looking for trusted recommendations. They want to know where the locals go.

“The exposure is especially valuable because it reaches not only local residents but also our highly desirable visitor audience,” said Zach DuFresne, publisher of the Vail Daily.

Let’s be clear about what “valuable” means here. It means your artwork becomes a billboard for the businesses that win the readers’ poll. If a restaurant wins “Best Ramen,” and your art is on the cover that the restaurant uses to market itself all year, you’re part of that endorsement. It’s a community-backed seal of approval.

The contest is open to local artists of all ages. The theme is “Spirit of the Vail Valley.” It’s broad. It’s vague. It’s also exactly what you need when you’re trying to capture the essence of a place that changes every season.

Holli Snyder, advertising director, put it this way: “Our magazines have always reflected the spirit of this community, so it only makes sense that our readers help shape them. This contest is about handing the canvas over to the people that inspire our stories every day.”

That’s a lot of words for “we want your art on the cover.” But it’s accurate. The magazine has grown. It used to have six groups of topics. Now it has nine. There are 155 categories. That’s 25 more categories than last year. You can vote for Best Aperol Spritz. You can vote for Best Place to Play Mahjong. You can vote for Best Trivia/Game Night.

Gretchen Lentz, digital account manager, says it’s a “fun opportunity to celebrate the incredible talent in our community.” She’s right. It’s fun. It’s also a marketing machine. The winning artist gets their work on the cover. They get recognized in the magazine. They get a spotlight during the Best of Vail Valley Winners Celebration on Nov. 4.

Submissions open Aug. 20 and close Sept. 21. If you’re under 18, you need a signed parent or guardian permission form. You can find the rules at vaildaily.com/best-of-vail-valley/.

On paper, this is a low-barrier entry for any artist with a sketchbook and a dream. In practice, it’s a competition for visibility. The Vail Daily is leveraging its circulation to give artists a platform that most local creatives can’t buy. One cover. One year of exposure. Millions in visitor spending power looking for a place to eat, drink, or play.

The bottom line? You don’t get paid for the art itself. You get the prestige. You get the recognition. And you get to be part of the machine that drives tourism revenue for the valley. If you think your work captures the spirit of the place, submit it. If not, keep sketching. The deadline is Sept. 21.