250 Years of American Poetry: Call for Proposals

In celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States, the Alexandria Museum of Art (AMoA) will commission twelve contemporary artists to create new works, taking inspiration from American poetry. The museum has selected nine poems by great American poets that capture the history, dreams, beauty, creativity, and spirit of America and its people: "I Dwell in Possibility" by Emily Dickinson, "Experience" by Ralph Waldo Emerson, "The Aim Was Song" by Robert Frost, "Let America Be America Again" by Langston Hughes, "The Tide Rises, the Tide Falls" by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, "A Dream Within a Dream" by Edgar Allan Poe, "To S.M. A Young African Painter, On Seeing His Works" by Phillis Wheatley, and "I Hear America Singing" by Walt Whitman.

Artists may submit proposals for works valued from $500 – $1500 that take inspiration from one of the above mentioned poems. Proposals should include the poem selected, medium/mediums, rough sketch/visuals, size and price point, artist statement relating to this specific piece/project, short bio/CV, and examples of previous work. There is no fee to submit, and artists may submit for more than one poem. All artists over the age of 18 working in any medium are eligible.

Proposals will be reviewed by AMoA's curatorial team and collections committee, with final decisions sent out via email by February 27, 2026. All works must be delivered by June 10, 2026, and will be installed in June 2026 for exhibition from June 29 through October 10, 2026. Pieces will then be accessioned into the museum's permanent collection. Funds will be distributed as 50% when proposal is chosen and 50% when finished artwork is received by the museum.