Call for Artists: Functional Art at Sandy Spring Museum
About this call
Sandy Spring Museum is commissioning permanent outdoor functional artworks for its campus in Montgomery County, Maryland. Functional art here means work that combines artistic expression with everyday use: seating, gathering spaces, bike racks, interpretive elements, trail features and landscape structures. Proposals should respond to a connection to place, community or history, drawing on the county's stories, traditions, landscapes, agricultural history, immigrant communities and living cultural heritage. The call runs in two phases. Phase I is an open application; the Museum's Master Plan Committee reviews submissions and invites a shortlist into Phase II, where artists gain access to the Museum's archives, staff expertise and historical resources to develop a site-specific design. Phase II participants receive a $1,000 honorarium, and commissioned projects carry anticipated budgets of $15,000 to $25,000.
Who can apply
- Regional applicants
- Medium: Sculpture / Installation / Mixed Media
- Entry fee: See official site
- Open to emerging and established artists residing in Maryland, Virginia or the District of Columbia, applying as individuals or as a group. A complete Phase I application includes an artist resume and artist statement, a portfolio of 5 to 10 relevant images (a link to a digital portfolio is preferred), a note on your personal connection to Sandy Spring or the region, a description of how you usually engage communities when developing site-specific work, and a preliminary idea of up to 250 words. Applications are submitted through the museum's online form by 18 September 2026. Questions go to Programs and Exhibits Coordinator Yu Jie, (301) 774-0022.