Alexandria Art Purchase Awards

The City of Alexandria is purchasing original art to add to the City's art collection and to display in City-owned buildings. Artists, art galleries, and art consultants working or residing in Alexandria and the Washington, DC area are encouraged to respond to this call.

The Alexandria Art Purchase Awards call will be held biannually for the next four years, totaling eight calls with each call purchasing up to $4,000 in artwork. For this first call, the concept of "Neighborhoods and Gathering Places" must be conveyed in the artwork submitted. The process occurs in three phases: artists submit applications online, artwork considered for purchase is displayed at City Hall for three months with community engagement, and the task force makes purchase recommendations to the Alexandria Commission for the Arts. Each artist chosen for the exhibition at City Hall but not given a purchase award will receive an honorarium of $100.

Eligibility: Applicants must be 18 years or older and reside or work in Virginia, Maryland, or Washington, DC. Artists, galleries, and art consultants are eligible to submit original art. All artwork must be original, available for purchase, and made within the last 5 years. Artwork must be two-dimensional and ready to hang on a wall. Artists may submit up to five works; galleries and consultants may submit up to five works from any combination of two or more represented artists. Pricing must include framed and unframed options. The City reserves the right to negotiate the final price. Submissions must include an artist statement (one to two paragraphs), a letter of interest describing how the artwork expresses the concept of neighborhoods and gathering places (one to two paragraphs), and a two-page artist resume. Selection criteria include artistic excellence, artwork conveying a strong sense of neighborhoods and gathering places, artist statement, letter of interest, resume, appropriateness for display in City public spaces, and cost based on funding availability. Artwork chosen for exhibition will be displayed at City Hall from December through February, with pickup of returned artwork in the first week of March 2018.