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The Allied Arts Council and the City of Saint Joseph, Missouri, seek sculptures for a temporary exhibition in Downtown Saint Joseph. The Council invites regional, national, and international sculpture artists to submit work for this one-year sculpture exhibition scheduled for June 2024-May 2025. Selected sculptures/sculptors will receive a $750 honorarium, and all sculptures selected will compete for up to $10,000 in cash prize awards.

The Allied Arts Council will purchase one of the sculptures to add to Saint Joseph’s public art collection. Only pieces priced at $13,000 or less are eligible for consideration. We actively try to sell displayed sculptures for artists. Please note the Allied Arts Council receives a 25% commission on sold or commissioned sculptures.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: February 13, 2024.
Submission details: Artists must own the rights to the artwork, and the sculpture must be available for the duration of the one-year contract. Acceptable sculptures are professionally constructed of durable materials that withstand the elements. There are no restrictions on size; however, artists should be aware that sculptures are located within well-traveled streetscapes. The installation method should be welded tabs or a similar easy-to-install method. Artists are responsible for the transportation of the artwork to and from the installation site. The artist should install their work when possible. The Allied Arts Council will have the site prepared, and if the Council determines a plinth is required, it will be placed before the artist arrives. If the artist is unable to install the work, the Council will select the method best for installing the work.

The Allied Arts Council will provide up to $5,000 in liability and inland marine (collision and comprehensive) insurance coverage on all sculptures for the duration of the exhibition.

Please submit three images per sculpture that clearly show a front view, side view, and one detail shot. Artists submitting multiple sculptures for consideration must submit a separate application and fee for each.

The artists’ reception and awards ceremony is Wednesday, June 12, 2024. Following the reception, patrons are invited to take the first official sculpture walk with the artists.

ARTIST REQUIREMENTS:
1. St. Joseph Sculpture Walk is open to professional and amateur sculptors of all backgrounds. The entry fee is $15.00 per sculpture.
2. Artist must be at least 18 years of age.
3. Entry requires submission of a brief biography, concise CV/resume, artist statement/description of the sculpture submitted, and directions for installation and removal.

ENTRY CRITERIA:
1. All entries must be fully completed and submitted for this exhibition by February 13, 2024.
2. Proposals and computer renderings are acceptable; however, submissions should be as specific as possible and include a narrative and additional support materials that strongly indicate the appearance of the final work proposed. Entry must be similar to the proposal and finished product submitted for approval. If work arrives and isn’t as proposed, AAC has the right to reject the sculpture.
3. No entries identical to sculptures already placed or to be placed in other similar public sculpture programs within 100 miles of St. Joseph will be considered.
4. Work must be suitable for outdoor installation as follows:
• Able to be structurally secured to a concrete pad with anchor bolts or welded to a metal base.
• Capable of withstanding adverse weather conditions (high winds, below-zero temperatures, heavy rains, ice, snow, storms, etc.)
• Fabricated and finished with non-hazardous materials.
• Maintenance free for the duration of the exhibition.
• Appropriate for an active pedestrian environment (i.e. no sharp edges, no points, no breakable or bendable components, no climbing hazards, etc.).Height shall not create a balance hazard.
5. The selected works are exhibited throughout downtown Saint Joseph, Missouri, from June 12, 2024, until May 12, 2025, and the sculptures are loaned to AAC for the duration of the exhibition as specified and may not be removed or returned until the conclusion of the exhibition.

Selection Committee: The Selection Committee is comprised of City staff, visual artists, and local business and community leaders. The panel makes its selection based on artistic merit, creativity, public safety, and durability in an outdoor setting.