2026 Data Is ART Presentation and Award Ceremony

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What does truth look like in data?

Join us for the culmination of the 2026 Data Is ART Competition, a celebration of creativity, data, and visual storytelling featuring a keynote presentation by Alberto Cairo, an internationally renowned expert in data visualization, information design, and visual journalism.

Cairo explores how data can be transformed into compelling visual stories that deepen understanding and shape how we see the world. His work challenges audiences to think critically about the charts, maps, and visualizations that increasingly influence what we know, believe, and decide.

This year's Data Is ART Competition invited artists to explore the theme of “Truth,” transforming raw data into works that uncover insights, evoke emotion, and reveal deeper layers of meaning. Eight finalists were selected from more than 60 entries, with their work displayed in the School of Data Science’s public gallery.

Following Cairo’s presentation, the competition winner and honorable mention will be announced during an awards ceremony, with a reception to follow. Attendees can also cast their votes for the People’s Choice Award.

Launched in 2024, Data Is ART is a biennial competition presented by the University of Virginia School of Data Science that brings together artists, data scientists, and the broader community to explore the intersection of data, design, and creative expression.

The event will take place in the Capital One Hub at the School of Data Science. Free parking is available after 5 p.m. in the Emmet-Ivy Garage.

The Data Is ART Competition is sponsored by the University of Virginia School of Data Science. For questions about the competition and submission guidelines, contact dataisart@virginia.edu. 

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Keynote Speaker: Alberto Cairo

Alberto Cairo is an internationally recognized expert in data visualization, information design and visual journalism, whose work explores how data can be transformed into meaningful, accurate, and compelling visual stories.

Cairo is the Knight Chair in Infographics and Data Visualization at the University of Miami. He's also director of visualization at UM's Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing. Cairo has led graphics departments at news publications in Spain, Brazil, and the United States, and is widely considered a pioneer in interactive and data journalism. He's the author of four books about information design and visualization: The Functional Art (2012), The Truthful Art (2016), How Charts Lie (2019), and The Art of Insight (2023). Cairo also works as a consultant and art director for numerous companies, international organizations, and government agencies in the United States and Europe. His latest project is the Open Visualization Academy, a free and open-source library of educational materials about information design and visualization.

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Principled Design: Visualization and the Good Life

Conversations and scholarship about charts and maps often focus on technical aspects—software, techniques, and practices—or on perceptual and cognitive effectiveness. They rarely address the motivations, goals, and ethos of the designers who create those charts. This talk will try to shift that balance and outline a very personal and tentative ethical framework that begins by asking the question, "What constitutes a good life as an information designer?"