The Create Baltimore is excited to announce the 21st edition of the Janet & Walter Sondheim Art Prize.
Donor Name: Create Baltimore
State: Pennsylvania, Virginia
County: Adams County (PA), Arlington County (VA), Chester County (PA), Delaware County (PA), Fairfax County (VA), Franklin County (PA), Lancaster County (PA), Loudoun County (VA), Prince William County (VA), York County (PA)
Type of Grant: Awards and Prizes
Deadline: 01/05/2026
Size of the Grant: $1000 to $10,000
Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned
Details:
The prize to a visual artist or visual artist collaborators living and working in the Baltimore region. Though a multi-tiered approach to reviewing artists, jurors are working to identify an artist or artist team whose work is in conversation with contemporary art nationally and internationally, is an original vision and is on the cusp of making a leap in their work that this award would support.
Prize
- The prize will be awarded $30,000.
- All Sondheim Prize Finalists will be awarded a Finalist Award of $3,000 each.
Eligibility Criteria
- Artists living and working in Maryland; Washington, D.C.; Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William counties and the city of Alexandria in Virginia; Delaware and Adams, Chester, Franklin, Lancaster, and York counties in Pennsylvania are eligible to submit for this award.
- Artists may not be full-time students at the time of the exhibition and during the granting period. Students who will have graduated by the time of the exhibition and granting period may apply.
- Artists must live and work in one of the geographic areas listed above during time of application and during the entire granting period.
- Artists who work in collaboration may apply as a group. Each artist’s name and contact information should be listed on the application form. A one-page resume for the collaborative group and a single set of support materials should be submitted. Each individual member of the collaborative group must meet all other guidelines.
- Artists who apply as individuals must submit original artwork that is principally created by them. It is understood that sometimes individual artists may employ the work of another artist to complete a larger scale project.
- Upon Eventeny’s receipt of application materials, artists will be sent an automatic email confirmation.
- The award will be paid in monthly installments: $8,000 will be paid for the first month and $2,000 will be paid for each of the following 11 months. If artist collaborators are selected the above payments will be equally divided between the collaborating artists.
- Winners of the Sondheim Prize will be responsible for paying all applicable federal, state, and local taxes.
- Artists’ work included in the Semifinalist Exhibition will be insured during the exhibition duration by Create Baltimore; artists’ work included in the Finalists exhibition at the Walters Art Museum will be insured by that organization while the artwork is on the premises of the Walters Art Museum.
- Winners of the Sondheim Art Prize will be required to file a final report by June 30, 2027. This report should include an explanation of how winning this prize has enabled the artist or artist collaborative group to further develop their work, as well as an explanation of any additional opportunities that may have arisen as a result of winning this prize.
- Create Baltimore reserves the right to reproduce images of applicants’ work for printed or internet publicity, catalogue, or marketing purposes. The Walters Art Museum also will have the right to reproduce work relating to the 2026 Sondheim Art Prize.
- The decisions of the jurors are final. Jurors may change without notification.
- Finalists will be required to meet with Walters Art Museum curators to finalize their installation needs; these needs must meet the exhibition guidelines set forth by the Walters Art Museum.
- Artists chosen as finalists will be required to take primary responsibility for installing and deinstalling their work at the Walters Art Museum.
- Artists chosen as finalists must provide a complete list of materials used in artworks at the time of the initial site visit by Walters Art Museum curators and staff. Artists’ materials will be reviewed by the Walters Art Museum’s Conservation Department. Artists will additionally accommodate requests by Conservation team members to inspect work in person.
- Any material (including but not limited to salvaged lumber, food stuffs, other unstable organic materials, objects that off-gas fumes, and objects stored outdoors) that may introduce insects or present a risk to the Museum’s environment and collection will not be permitted inside of the Museum.
- Finalists are strongly encouraged to attend the press preview for the Finalist exhibition.
- Finalists may be required to make presentations at the Walters Art Museum at some time during the duration of the exhibition, including during the awards ceremony.
- Photography by the public will be allowed in the Finalist Exhibition at the Walters Art Museum and in the Semifinalist Exhibition.
- Previous winners of the Sondheim Prize are not eligible to apply. Previous finalists and semifinalists may apply. Create Baltimore board members, employees and/or relatives (defined as children, spouse, domestic partner, or parents) are not eligible to apply for the Janet & Walter Sondheim Artscape Prize.
For more information, visit BOPA
