Critical Ground: Art and Environmental Justice

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Monday, December 8, 2025 (11:59pm EST)

Applicants must submit submissions through EntryThingy (www.entrythingy.com) Critical Ground: Art and Environmental Justice will be juried from digital images submitted through EntryThingy. There is a $5 submission fee. No entries will be accepted by mail or email.

ELIGIBILITY
-- The exhibition is open to members of the WSG only. Artists who are not already members may join WSG by paying annual dues of $45 ($15 for full-time students) during the EntryThingy checkout process.
-- Prospective members may also join WSG through the website here. (Payment by PayPal) or may print and mail a membership form with a check payment. Note that Payment by PayPal is preferred. If you are a new member and mailing a check, please notify [email protected] when you submit your EntryThingy application.
-- Existing WSG members must renew their dues for 2026 to be eligible for submission.
-- Question about your membership? Contact [email protected]
-- There is a $5 submission fee.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
-- Individual artists (or teams) may submit freestanding sculpture, wall-hung sculpture, and outdoor public sculptures that fit the show theme. Note that Glen Echo Park is a public space and not a museum. The ability to accommodate oversize, fragile, high-value, or multimedia items is limited and special requirements should be noted in your application.
-- Artists or teams may submit up to three (3) works, with up to four (4) images per work (maximum of 12 images).
-- Accepted work must be delivered in person on Tuesday, February 17, 2026 (10am-6pm).
-- Please note that the park closes at 6 pm and there cannot be any activity (delivery or installation) after 6 pm.
-- Artists are required to deliver and install their own work in coordination with the exhibition manager and GEPP staff. Basic technical and installation support will be provided by GEPP. Video, sound or other technical equipment must be provided by the artist.
-- All work accepted and exhibited must remain on display for the full duration of the show.

Exhibit Locations
-- Artwork will be displayed indoors in the Popcorn Gallery and selected public outdoor locations in the park. Artists not familiar with the park are highly encouraged to visit before submitting an installation proposal and can visit any day of the week when Glen Echo Park is open. A plan of the park, showing possible locations for outdoor sculptures and the Popcorn Gallery can be found on the WSG website.

Optional Exhibition Programming
-- Glen Echo Park is very busy on the weekends with families participating in the various events in the park. To expand the audience interested in the exhibition theme, Accepted artists will be encouraged, but not required, to propose an activity with a strong audience-participation component.

Popcorn Gallery (indoor)
-- Artists may submit three-dimensional freestanding sculpture, wall-hung and ceiling-hung sculpture, installations, as well as new media and performance-based works that fit the theme.
-- The maximum weight for the drop-down ceiling is 25 lbs.
-- The maximum weight for drywall is 75 lbs, using anchors in the wall.
-- Installation proposals should describe in detail how the artist intends to install their work. Safety is a primary concern. For example, if the artwork contains broken glass, the installation description should detail how it will be presented.

Outdoor Spaces
- Works should be suitable for outdoor exposure, as well as fabricated and installed in a viewer-safe manner. Artists are responsible for any maintenance of the work. There are no restrictions on media/materials.
-- Artwork must be freestanding and sturdy enough so that it is not easily knocked down and doesn't risk harming people, or damaging structures or objects of nature.
-- Artwork cannot be attached to trees, buildings, light poles, bushes, etc. -- Artwork cannot be bolted into the ground. Stakes cannot be inserted in the grass.
-- Installation proposals should describe in detail how the artist intends to install their work.
-- As a public park Glen Echo Park cannot ensure the absolute security of the work. All public outdoor artwork is displayed at the artist's own risk. The Glen Echo Park Partnership (GEPP) and the WSG shall not be held responsible for any loss or damage to the work.
-- The Artist understands the risk of loss or damage to the public artwork. The Artist shall take such measures as are reasonably necessary to protect the artwork from loss or damage. The GEPP agrees not to remove or relocate the artwork.
-- In the event the artwork is damaged, GEPP staff will notify the artist within 2 days regarding the damage. The Artist agrees to make best efforts to repair or replace the work. The artist may also choose to remove the work.

-- To download Indoor and Outdoor Site Plan/Sculpture Locations go to https://washingtonsculptors.org/

INSTRUCTIONS FOR ENTRYTHINGY
-- Please view this instructional video on using EntryThingy if you need help and feel free to contact [email protected] with questions.

-- Artists or teams may submit up to three (3) works, with two images per work (maximum of six images).
-- All submissions must be anonymous. Remove any identifying labels from titles, file names, images, text, etc. Submissions that are not anonymous will be disqualified.
-- Submit all images with a resolution of 300 dpi and a maximum of 4MB each. Video files must be smaller than 50MB each (maximum running time: 5 minutes).
-- To submit several views of a piece and detail shots, use the ?add views? option when you upload the primary image of a piece
-- Files should be named with only the title of the work (no first or last names). Use the actual title for each work. Example:
Title 1.jpeg
Title 2.jpeg
Title 3.jpeg

-- If you are submitting a proposal for an installation, describe it in a one page pdf document and upload that in the same way that you would upload an image.

Preparing your EntryThingy Submission
-- In general, you can start your application, sign out of EntryThingy, and return to complete your submission later. However, there is one important exception to this as noted below. So it is better if you prepare the written passages of your submission ahead of time.
-- There are several places in the entry form that ask for written content. It is best for you to prepare these passages using a word processing program before you submit your entry, and paste them (as plain text) into the entry. This will help you give the juror useful information and stay within the length limits of EntryThingy. Before you paste the passages into EntryThingy, use your word processing software to check the number of characters in them.
-- To start your entry, see Submission Steps below. On the first screen, you will be asked for ?General Entry Information? where you can put two written passages. Once you complete these and click ?Save and Continue to the next step? you will not be able to go back and edit these statements.
--One of the passages is ?Description of Work? where you have 260 characters to talk about your media, technique, etc. The second is ?Statement specific to entry? which has a 530 character limit. This is the place where you can explain how the group of works you are submitting relate to the theme. It may help if you think of this as a sort of artist statement for this particular show.
-- Later screens where you upload images of works, ask for a ?Description? and give you up to 400 characters. This is a place where you can discuss why this particular work fits the theme of the show. If, before you finally submit your entry, you can go back and edit these passages.
--Use the descriptions of individual pieces to indicate if the piece is for indoor or outdoor installation. For outdoor pieces, you do not need to say where the pieces should go; however if there is a location that you think is particularly suitable for your piece please indicate that.

--In these written passages be sure not to include your name. If you do, your entry cannot be judged anonymously and will be disqualified.

Insurance for Indoor Sculptures
-- All work is insured by Glen Echo Park Partnership (GEPP) while in the Popcorn Gallery. GEPP is not responsible for transportation or the insurance during transport of the work to and from Glen Echo Park. On-site insurance value will be computed as 70% of retail price.
-- While some situations are covered by the Partnership's property insurance policy, artists or organizations exhibiting may choose to carry additional property insurance. While under the care and handling by Partnership staff, if work is stolen, damaged or broken due to our negligence we will replace or repair the artwork at a value of up to 70% of the posted sales price. Sales prices must be approved by Partnership staff in advance of the show opening. We reserve the right to set a maximum damage/destruction payout value that is below the 70% threshold of pieces over $1500.
-- The Artist shall indemnify, save and hold harmless and defend the United States, Montgomery County and the Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture, Inc. against all fines, claims, damages, losses, judgments, and expenses arising out of any material breach of this Agreement by the Artist, or from any omission or activity in connection with activities under the Agreement.
-- The Artist understands that Glen Echo Park is the property of the National Park Service and will not hold the Partnership liable for any lost revenue in the event of a Park Closing by the National Park Service due to inclement weather, for safety reasons, government shutdown or any other unforeseen circumstance that forces the Park to close.
-- Either party may terminate this agreement with GEPP with thirty (30) days' notice. The Partnership may immediately terminate this agreement due to failure on the Artist's part to comply with any of the preceding conditions.
-- By signing this agreement with GEPP, the Artist acknowledges that Artist has read and understands the information contained in this agreement and agrees to comply with all the terms set forth in this agreement and accepts the policies stated herein as a condition of exhibition.

-- Insurance is NOT provided for Outdoor Sculptures

-- Artwork selected for the outdoors is not insured by Glen Echo Park or WSG. As a public park, Glen Echo Park cannot ensure the absolute security of the work. All public outdoor artwork is displayed at the artist's own risk. The GEPP and the WSG shall not be held responsible for any loss or damage to the work.
-- The Artist understands the risk of loss or damage to the public artwork. The Artist shall take such measures as are reasonably necessary to protect the artwork from loss or damage. The Partnership agrees not to remove or relocate the artwork. In the event of damage to the work, Glen Echo Staff will notify the artist within two days. The Artist agrees to make best efforts to repair or replace the work if possible. The Artist may also choose to remove the work.

EXHIBITION CALENDER
-- Exhibition Dates: February 21 to March 22, 2026 (Popcorn Gallery Open Saturdays & Sundays only, 12-6pm, or by appointment) Outdoor areas open everyday.
-- Call for Entry Posted: Tuesday, October 21, 2025
-- Submission Deadline: Monday, December 1, 2025 (received by 11:59pm EST)
-- Jurying Period: Tuesday, December 2 to Sunday, December 21, 2025
Artist Notification: by Sunday, January 4, 2026
-- Drop-off - Artist Delivery and Installation: Tuesday, February 17, 2026 (10am-6pm)
-- Opening Reception: Saturday, February 21, 2026 (6-8 pm)
-- Additional Reception: a Juror's discussion and an Artist Meet and Greet, date TBD
-- Artist Deinstallation & Pickup: Monday, March 23, 2026 (10am-2pm)

Please contact Julie Zirlin, the Exhibition Manager, with any questions at [email protected]