General Information
The City of Salisbury is seeking public art proposals for viable art projects under a new program titled the Salisbury Prize. The Salisbury Prize is intended to be an annual competition (subject to funding) and artists may submit proposals for public art to be hosted at a specific location. The rules and regulations included here apply to the 2024 Salisbury Prize Art Competition generally. The competition is open to Maryland residents/organizations and artists must be 18 years or older to apply. Artists, architects, engineers, and all sorts of creative teams are welcome to apply, and the selected project will be awarded $10,000 with an additional stipend for materials up to $5,000 (reimbursable).
2024 Salisbury Prize Selection
Thomas Sterner, “Perpetual” stainless-steel sculpture
Below is his sketch of the project:
Sterner is a full-time artist living near Union Mills, Maryland, where he built his Art Factory studio, with a large workshop, welding area, and a painting/printmaking loft, nestled in the forest on the edge of farmland. He works in various materials including metal, wood, paint and ink.
Learn more about Thomas Sterner here and at his website, www.sternerartfactory.com.
Key Dates for the 2024 competition:
- February 1 – application portal opens
- February 29 – competition submissions due by 5 PM EST
- March 14 – Technical Advisory Group will review all application for feasibility and will draft a summary for each project to be presented to the Public Art Committee
- April 1 – Public Art Committee reviews all projects, and recommends their top 3 proposals
- April 11 – 23 – Community feedback
- April 26 – Winning artist notified, agreement signed, funds encumbered by City
- May 1 – Announcement of winning design
- May – Historic District approval (if needed)
- June 1 – Construction and installation commences, completed within 6 months by December 1
Location:
The 2024 Salisbury Prize proposal area is the Downtown Salisbury Riverwalk Games Park at the intersection of South Division Street & West Market Street – denoted in the tax records as Map 0107, Grid 0020, Parcel 1081. This parcel is 14,600 square feet and is owned by the City of Salisbury. The Riverwalk Games Park features fire pits, a bocce ball court, and a table for chess/checkers, as well as a shed for storage and administering activities. The space was created and activated during the Summer of 2022, and has been home to numerous events such as the Hops on the River Beer Festival, Salisbury Riverfest, and Santa’s Village and Jolly Trolley festivities. Additional images and details about the Games Park area are available in this PDF.
Rules
- All designs from Maryland artists/organizations will be considered, but Salisbury/local based artists are strongly encouraged to apply
- All designs must be original art. No trademarked or copyrighted images or phrases should be used. No AI generated art should be used. Any entry that has been copied from an existing photo or image that was created by someone other than the artist or creative team is a violation of competition rules and will not be accepted.
- The winning design will become the property of the City of Salisbury. The City of Salisbury will assume full ownership of the content, as well at the art objects and maintenance.
- Design winner is solely responsible for all applicable federal, state and local taxes, including taxes imposed on their income.
- Artists should bear in mind that the audience will be broad based and of all ages, and designs should be appropriate for public display. Designs that are religious, political or sexual in nature will not be accepted. Additionally, neither corporate logos nor advertising is allowed.
- Up to $5,000 will be budgeted for materials/supplies for the selected winning proposal. A reimbursement will be provided to the winning artist/artist team with proof of purchase.
Recognition of Winning Installation
- The artist whose design is selected will receive $10,000 stipend
- The City will provide press opportunities and an unveiling event after or at the time of installation.
Criteria
Projects submitted will be ranked on the following criteria by the City’s internal Technical Advisory Group
- Technical review
- Is the project’s installation durable, safe, and meet applicable codes? Does it pose any safety or liability concerns?
- Does the project demonstrate structural soundness, surface integrity and inherent resistance to theft, vandalism, weathering and excessive maintenance.
- What are the necessary electrical, plumbing, or other utility requirements that are defined? Are they available at the site?
- Are there any required permits or approvals needed for the project’s installation?
- Does the project advance or align with any City plans or policies?
- Does the project address a priority that has been vocalized by the community?
- Is the project viable, in terms of City support and technical feasibility?
- Is the proposal broad-based and appropriate for public display? Does it have any religious, political, or sexual nature to it? Does it feature any corporate logos or advertising?
Projects submitted will be ranked on the following criteria by the City’s Public Art Committee
- Artistic Merit & Feasibility
- Does the proposal meet the definition of “public art” and does the artist meet the definition of “artist” as included in the City’s Public Art Masterplan
- Does the artist/artist team have enough experience with the artistic medium they are proposing?
- Do you have confidence that they’d be able to execute the project?
- Is the artwork they are proposing unique or innovative? Does it offer a fresh perspective?
- Does the artist reside in Salisbury or have strong ties to the Salisbury area?
- Creativity and Context
- Subjectively, would you enjoy looking at this piece of art? Is it enduring? Does it stand the test of time?
- Does it evoke an emotional response, whether joy, sadness, contemplation, or any other emotion? Is it interactive?
- Does the arrangement of elements within the artwork, in keeping with design principals, include balance, harmony, and visual interest?
- Is the proposal compatible in scale, material, form and content with the proposed location, and compatible with existing approved community or area plans, especially public realm strategies.
- Is the proposal compatible with the architectural, historical, geographical, and social/cultural context of the site or community?
- Community Elevation & Diversity
- Does the proposal result in an improvement of the City’s public art collection as a whole, and does it improve the collection’s reflection of the artistic traditions and practices of the community, including its newest members and those whose cultural traditions are underrepresented?
- Does the project address a priority that has been vocalized by the community?
- Is the proposal broad-based and appropriate for public display?
Each criteria will be ranked on the following grading system:
| Excellent to outstanding | Good to very good | Satisfactory | Fair to marginal |
| 21-30 | 11-20 | 6-10 | 1-5 |
Sorry. This form is no longer available.