Help us bring art to our community.

A selection panel made up of HoCo Arts representatives, public art professionals, and at least one professional with expertise in planning and zoning, architecture and design, or construction, will convene to review submitted applications and select artist finalists and sites. The panel will provide a pool of selected sculptures to representatives from participating sites; those representatives will choose the sculptures for their sites from the pool.

The competition is open to all professional artists, aged 18 and older, with public art experience that is commensurate with this project’s scope. HoCo Arts will provide a grant to each selected artist to cover the temporary loan, installation and de-installation of the sculpture.

HoCo Arts will provide a name plaque for each work and publicity materials. HoCo Arts will serve as a liaison with artists and site administrators. Sale of installed works will be encouraged; a 20% commission of work sold as a result of the exhibit will go to HoCo Arts. Work must remain on view for the duration of the entire exhibit.

All community, commercial and public sites in Howard County are eligible; HoCo Arts’ goal is to place sculpture at sites throughout the county. Sites that experience high levels of pedestrian traffic are recommended. Sites must be visible and accessible to the public. Sites that have courtyards or other paved pedestrian spaces conducive to the display of outdoor sculpture or sites willing to install a concrete pad will be given preference; some work may be appropriate to place on lawns. Sites should be publicly accessible 24 hours per day or, if they are sited in a park or similar site, be accessible during normal hours of that site’s operation. Sites that contain commercial or political advertising (other than the name and location of the business), or would impede pedestrian traffic, or create a safety or traffic issue will not be considered.

Each year, our ARTsites panel selects the host sites located throughout Howard County and narrows down the artwork submissions to 30 finalists. The individual sites then select the artwork to be installed at their locations from among those finalists.

We’ll provide an identification plaque for each work and promotional support for the exhibit.

To be considered for ARTsites, interested artists must apply online at submittable.www.hocoarts.org. Mailed entries will not be accepted.

The ARTsites Site Application asks for the following information:

Contact Information

• Business Name
• Address
• Phone
• Fax
• Email
• Name of business owner or agent
• Primary Contact Name
• Primary Contact Info

Site Statement

Upload a statement describing the following: 

1. Location and description of proposed site.
2. How the site will be maintained during the duration of the exhibit.
3. Limitations or challenges of the site.

Site Details

The entry form will ask with the site is a lawn or concrete surface or whether the site will install a concrete pad at their own cost. It will also ask for details on the level of assistance the site is willing and able to provide.

Additional Information

Provide any additional information about what sort of construction equipment you are willing and able to provide or elaborate on what other resources your site will provide.

Privately owned sites must carry General Liability Insurance in the amount of $2,000,000, personal property insurance covering vandalism or theft, and provide proof thereof. 

All sites selected to exhibit sculpture will be required to:

• Appoint a site administrator who will provide logistical and administrative support during installation, de-installation, and the duration of the exhibit.
• Monitor the work and notify HoCo Arts immediately of any damages or vandalism. 
• Install a concrete pad or other anchoring construction if the sculpture the site selects requires it. 
• Install the name plaque provided by HoCo Arts in the area where the sculpture is sited.
• Enter into an agreement with HoCo Arts regarding these requirements and willingness to host the sculpture for the duration of the exhibit. 
• Have representatives available to attend meetings as necessary and be available for publicity purposes.

Public art should ideally:  

• Be placed at a site where it will enhance and activate the space or at least not detract from it (e.g. creating a “blind” spot). 
• Be sited where it will be highly visible, in a location that experiences high levels of pedestrian traffic or creates a place to congregate. 
• Be placed at a site where it is not overwhelmed by, nor competing with, the scale of the site or adjacent architecture, large retail signage, billboards, etc.
• Not block windows or entranceways, nor obstruct normal pedestrian circulation in and out of a building, nor be a safety hazard. 
• Not be placed at a site if the landscaping and maintenance requirements of that site cannot be met.

Artists selected to exhibit their sculpture will be responsible for:

• Signing a contract with HoCo Arts and site
• Transportation and installation of the sculpture
• Maintaining general liability insurance during the installation/de-installation process and any applicable insurance limits for themselves or any subcontractors including, but not limited to, worker’s compensation, automobile, etc. during the installation of the artwork
• Insurance to cover the artwork for vandalism or theft for the duration of the exhibition (or sign an agreement that the work is on display at the artist’s own risk)
• Being available for public information, interviews, etc.
• Removing work promptly at the end of the exhibit.

Participating artists retain sole ownership and copyright of the artwork but must agree to grant the Howard County Arts Council and participating site a royalty-free, world-wide perpetual license to use any depictions of the work for educational, documentary, and non-commercial promotional purposes.

HoCo Arts reserves the right to refuse any or all submissions, sites, and any finalists; to waive informalities in proposals or procedures; to withhold the selection award should it be determined that the site or submissions are not adequate, or for any other reason prior to a written contractual arrangement. HoCo Arts also reserves the right to re-issue the call for entry, which may revise selection timeline, or ask sites to submit proposals for review. HoCo Arts reserves the right to accept or reject, at any time, any or all proposals or any part thereof submitted in connection with this call for entry, to waive any defect or technicality, and to advertise for new proposals, where the acceptance, rejection, waiver or advertisement would be in the best interest of HoCo Arts, or to terminate the selection process at any time for any project. If, regardless of the reason, the contract for the project is not executed within thirty days after submittal to the site, HoCo Arts reserves the right to withdraw the selection of the site. HoCo Arts reserves the right to negotiate unacceptable provisions incorporated within an otherwise acceptable proposal. A proposal which is late, incomplete, unclear, conditional or which contains irregularities of any kind, may be rejected without evaluation. Submission of an application constitutes an understanding and agreement of the conditions set forth herein.

• December – Entries Open
• February – Artist & Site Applications Due
• April – Entry & Site Review
  • Notifications of Acceptance
• May – Contract Execution
• July – Deinstallation of Previous Exhibit
  • Second Award Payment
• August – Installation of New Exhibit
  • First Award Payment