CALL FOR ENTRIES
Sculptors living in the District of Columbia, Virginia, and Maryland are invited to participate in the inaugural Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition in the gardens of Hill Center on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. All Artists who work in durable materials suited for long-term, outdoor display are welcome to apply.
Located in the Old Naval Hospital (commissioned by President Lincoln and opened in 1866), Hill Center (hillcenterdc.org) is now a vibrant center of community life, learning and the arts. Since its opening in 2011, Hill Center Galleries has presented continuous rotating exhibits of wall hung artwork throughout the year and is now delighted to present contemporary sculptures in its gardens.
Five sculptures will be chosen for an outdoor exhibition to run from October 1, 2025 until March 27, 2026. Artists chosen for exhibition will receive an honorarium of $500 each. In addition, a Best in Show Prize of $1,000 will be awarded. Hill Center will retain a 30% commission on sales of sculptures. Hill Center’s insurance covers up to $150,000 in value.
Selected artists will be responsible for delivering their ready-to-install-works to the installation site on Hill Center’s grounds and for assisting in the installation under the supervision of Hill Center’s Sculpture Coordinator. Artists will also be responsible for assisting in the deinstallation and removal of their sculptures at the conclusion of the exhibition.
All Sculptures must be designed to be low or no-maintenance, using durable materials suitable for long term outdoor display. Sculptures must be presented ready to be attached with mechanical fasteners to a 48” or 60” round concrete pad. Artists will work with the Sculpture Coordinator to determine if any modifications to the sculpture’s base are required before installation. A high voltage electric plug will be available at each sculpture pad. All artwork must not pose any risk of injury to the viewing public and will be safe for viewers of all ages.
Hill Center’s schedule of programming every day of the week, as well as concerts, events and gatherings by other organizations and individuals in the building and on the grounds, provide a robust stream of visitors to the site.
Calendar details:
June 15-July 31, 2025 – Artist Submissions through EntryThingy.com
Aug 1-Aug 11, 2025 – Artist Selections
Sept. 15 – 21, 2025 – Delivery and installation
Oct. 1, 2025 – Opening Celebration
March 27, 2026 – Closing of exhibit
Artists are permitted to submit up to 5 works supported by photographs, or proposed works that are strongly supported with renderings or photo examples of other previously completed works. There is a $45 submission fee paid through Entrythingy.
Juror. The Juror for this exhibition is Mary Early
MARY EARLY
BIOGRAPHY
Mary Early (born 1975, Washington, DC) lives and works in Washington, DC. She studied visual art, film, and video at Bennington College, and her work has been exhibited at the United States Botanic Garden, Washington Project for the Arts, the Corcoran Gallery of Art, Second Street Gallery, the Austrian Cultural Forum, Galerie Im Ersten, Kloster Schloss Salem, Kunstlerbund Tubingen, the American University Museum, the Sun Valley Museum of Art, Freight Gallery, and WAS Gallery, among other regional and national galleries.
Early is the director of HEMPHILL Artworks, Washington, DC, and serves on the board of Washington Sculptors Group (2006 – present) and has served on the board of Hamiltonian Artists (2015-2024). She handles the work of contemporary artists including Steven Cushner, Robin Rose, Renée Stout, Julie Wolfe, Workingman Collective, and The Mingering Mike Collection, among others, as well as specializing in the work of William Christenberry (Estate), Jacob Kainen (Estate), Willem de Looper (Estate), Alma Woodsey Thomas, and the artists of the Washington Color School. She works with living artists and artists’ heirs on long-range planning, and with private and institutional collectors to build and manage significant collections. She has a special interest in public art and community engagement, career development for emerging artists, as well as the materials and processes of contemporary sculpture.
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