Call for Public Sculpture

The Avenue Concept invites submissions for its 2019 public sculpture exhibition held in Providence, Rhode Island. Artwork will be on view for up to one year on one of the Avenue Concept's prominently located sculpture pads throughout Downtown Providence. Prior years have seen international artists as well as artists from New England and across the country. Thousands of viewers see the artwork daily, and many pieces have been placed in other exhibitions after leaving Providence or have sold.

Eligibility is open to sculptors in the Northeast United States: Rhode Island, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Artwork must be fully completed at the time of application and installation ready. It must be built in a durable, stable fashion, able to withstand four seasons of outdoor display in New England, including extreme temperatures, high winds, rain, hail, and snow. Artwork will be installed on a 6' x 6' concrete pad and must have anchor points within that footprint. Artists are responsible for crating or skid building required for transportation. Artwork must not pose hazards to viewers.

Artists are encouraged to submit work that is dynamic and thought provoking. Artwork that raises issues related to the environment, social awareness, creates opportunities for dialog, or draws inspiration from interesting sources will be given priority consideration. The entry fee is $15 per artwork submission, with a maximum of 3 submissions per artist. Submissions require an artist's bio (minimum 3 paragraphs, maximum 1 page), CV, artist statement, narrative description of sculpture, artist's website, purchase valuation, and 3 to 5 images of artwork including size, medium, date of completion, and current location.

Artwork selection notifications will be made by March 30th, 2019. Artwork pickup and installation will occur between summer and early fall of 2019. Artists whose work is displayed will receive a payment of $1,500. The Avenue Concept will transport artwork or coordinate transportation to Providence, install artwork (with large cranes available), and carry liability insurance. Selected sculptures will be located on prominent sculpture pad sites throughout Downtown Providence with informational plaques containing QR codes. The Avenue Concept provides professional photography, high quality video interviews with artists (if available and within regional proximity), promotion through its website and social media, inclusion in its digital archive, and inclusion in an annual public art periodical. Unless otherwise indicated, all work on display is available for purchase, with The Avenue Concept requiring a 20% commission and the artist receiving 80% of the sale. Any artwork sold must remain on display for the duration of the agreement.