25th Florida Outdoor Sculpture Competition

The City of Lakeland, Florida, in cooperation with the Polk Museum of Art, is accepting submissions from sculptors working in North America for the 25th Annual Florida Outdoor Sculpture Competition. Selected sculptures will be exhibited for one year in downtown Lakeland from February 2025 through February 2026. The top-scoring sculptures will be selected by a committee composed of City of Lakeland staff, representatives from the Polk Museum of Art, and select members of the local arts community.

Each artist selected for the exhibition will receive a $1,700 honorarium to cover transportation, installation, and de-installation of the sculpture, and all incidental expenses involved. An additional $1,700 People's Choice Award will be given based on community voting. The entry fee is $25 per artist (non-refundable). Submissions must include images of up to three works with three views each in .jpg or .png format, along with an image list containing artist name, title, media, dimensions in feet (h x w x d), estimated weight, date, value of the work, and other applicable notes. A professional résumé and artist statement are appreciated but not required.

Work must be suitable for outdoor installation and must be structurally secured and surface mounted to a concrete pad with anchor bolts or similar devices; capable of withstanding adverse weather conditions; able to withstand a high traffic, public park environment; take into consideration audience safety; and be maintenance-free during the exhibition period. Installation must be accomplished by the artist or their provided representative with tools provided by the artist (crane access available with advance notice). Sculptures must be installed no later than March 1, 2025, and removed by January 31, 2026. Artists may sell their work during the exhibition period, but the work must remain on-site for the duration. The City of Lakeland will provide insurance throughout the exhibition period. Crane and City crews are available on weekdays before 3 p.m. only. The entry deadline is January 7, 2025.