Alexandria Art Purchase Awards 2

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 over four years, totaling eight calls with each call purchasing up to $4,000 in artwork. For this second call, the concept of "Natural and Urban Systems" must be conveyed in the artwork submitted. Each call will be in three phases: artists submit applications online, artwork considered for purchase is displayed at City Hall for three months, 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 submitted must be original, available for purchase, and made within the last 5 years. Artwork must be ready to hang on a wall. Artists may submit up to five works of art for consideration. Art galleries and art consultants may submit up to five works of art from any combination of two or more represented artists. The pricing of artwork must include framed and unframed options. The City reserves the right to negotiate the final price.

Applications must include: up to five image files, artist bio (one to two paragraphs), letter of interest describing how the artwork expresses "Natural and Urban Systems" (one to two paragraphs), and a two-page artist resume. Selection criteria include artistic excellence, artwork conveying a strong sense of "Natural and Urban Systems," artist bio, letter of interest, resume, appropriateness of artwork for display in City public spaces, and cost of artwork based on funding availability. Finalists will be notified in late May, with artwork delivery on Saturday, June 9. The City Hall exhibition runs from June through September 2018. Returned artwork pickup is scheduled for late September 2018.