---
title: "Call for Artists: Functional Art at Sandy Spring Museum"
description: Two-phase call for DMV-based artists to design permanent functional outdoor artworks for Sandy Spring Museum's campus trails; $1,000 Phase II honorarium, $15,000–$25,000 project budgets.
url: https://www.artsume.com/programs/0f7bda7b-fbc6-463d-9fe9-a5a0fb402398
type: program
status: closed
createdAt: "2026-09-04"
updatedAt: "2026-09-30"
programType: Public art
organization: Sandy Spring Museum
organizationUrl: https://www.artsume.com/o/sandy-spring-museum
deadline: "2026-09-18"
location: Sandy Spring Museum, Sandy Spring, MD, United States
isOnline: false
compensationRange: $1,000 honorarium to develop a Phase II site-specific proposal; $15,000–$25,000 total project budget for fabrication and installation of selected works
disciplines:
  - public art
  - design
  - installation
---

# Call for Artists: Functional Art at Sandy Spring Museum

**Hosted by:** Sandy Spring Museum

**Type:** Public art | **Location:** Sandy Spring Museum, Sandy Spring, MD, United States | **Deadline:** September 18, 2026

## About This Program

> "Stories, traditions, landscapes, agricultural history, immigrant communities, and living cultural heritage of the Sandy Spring region and Montgomery County"

Sandy Spring Museum is seeking DMV-based artists and artist teams to create permanent outdoor installations as part of the museum's Master Plan. Selected artists will design functional works of art—such as seating, gathering spaces, bike racks, interpretive elements, trail features, landscape structures, or other artworks that combine artistic expression with everyday use—inspired by the stories, traditions, landscapes, agricultural history, immigrant communities, and living cultural heritage of the Sandy Spring region and Montgomery County. Works will be encountered by visitors walking the museum's new trails and become part of a long-term cultural landscape initiative combining public art, environmental stewardship, and regional storytelling.

## Eligibility & Requirements

- **Geographic Eligibility:** Regional
- **Disciplines:** public art, design, installation
- **Note:** Because we celebrate local talent, artists residing in Maryland, Virginia, or the District of Columbia (DMV) are eligible to participate. Anyone living within the DMV can apply, including emerging and established artists, as individuals or as a group. Applications from underrepresented artists are encouraged.

### Additional Requirements

A complete Phase I application includes: the artist's resume and artist statement; a portfolio of relevant works (5–10 images), preferably with a link to a digital portfolio; your personal connection to Sandy Spring or the region; a description of how you typically engage communities when developing site-specific work; and your preliminary idea (up to 250 words). Phase I does not require a developed design, drawings, renderings, fabrication plans, or a project budget.

## Compensation & Benefits

$1,000 honorarium to develop a Phase II site-specific proposal; $15,000–$25,000 total project budget for fabrication and installation of selected works

**Includes:** Honorarium, Commission fee

Artists selected through Phase I will be invited to develop a site-specific proposal and will receive a $1,000 honorarium for completing this phase. The Museum anticipates total project budgets of $15,000–$25,000, although larger budgets may be considered for exceptional proposals. Selected artists enter into a contract with the Museum to fabricate, deliver, and install their completed works.

## Timeline

- **Opens:** August 4, 2026
- **Deadline:** September 18, 2026

## Contact

**Contact:** Yu Jie

**Email:** yjie@sandyspringmuseum.org

**Phone:** (301) 774-0022

## How to Apply

Apply at: https://www.sandyspringmuseum.org/current-news/functional-art-call-for-artists