Functional Art at Sandy Spring Museum
The published Phase I application deadline was September 18, 2026. The next scheduled milestone is applicant notification on November 2, 2026. Phase II is anticipated to begin in winter 2027.
Illustrative examples of outdoor functional art.
Functional art for the Museum campus
Sandy Spring Museum’s functional art initiative brings together public art, environmental stewardship, and regional storytelling. The Museum plans a growing collection of permanent artworks that combine artistic expression with everyday use and invite visitors to interact with the campus.
Part of the Museum’s Master Plan, the project connects new walking trails and gathering spaces with the stories, traditions, landscapes, agricultural history, immigrant communities, and living cultural heritage of Sandy Spring and Montgomery County. Works may include seating, bike racks, interpretive elements, trail features, landscape structures, or other useful artworks. The call gives particular attention to works encountered along the new trails.
The Museum plans to install at least one work each year over the next several years. Commissioning and installation depend on funding and the selection process described below.
What happens next
Applicant notification
The published schedule sets November 2, 2026 for notifying all applicants of the Phase I results. The Museum’s Master Plan Committee is responsible for reviewing applications and selecting artists to invite to Phase II; its decisions are final.
Phase II: a site-specific proposal
Phase II is anticipated to begin in winter 2027. Artists selected through Phase I will be invited to develop a site-specific proposal and will receive a $1,000 honorarium for completing this phase. Proposals will be due approximately six weeks after invitation.
Invited artists will have access to the Museum’s archives, staff expertise, and historical resources to help connect their designs to place, community, or history. Phase II submissions will include:
- A developed concept with drawings, sketches, renderings, or other visuals that communicate the proposed artwork.
- Proposed location, dimensions, materials, function, and approach to fabrication and installation.
- A description of the work’s connection to place, community, or history.
- A proposed approach to community engagement, if applicable.
- A project timeline.
- A detailed budget including artist fee, research and community engagement, materials, fabrication, transportation, site preparation, and installation.
The Museum anticipates total project budgets of $15,000–$25,000; larger budgets may be considered for exceptional proposals.
Final selection, fabrication, and installation
After reviewing Phase II proposals, the Museum may select one or more projects for fabrication and installation. The number selected and the timing depend on available funding and other considerations; some projects may be commissioned in a future year. The Museum plans to commission multiple works over the next several years but is under no obligation to select projects.
Artists whose proposals are selected will enter into a contract to fabricate, deliver, and install their completed works on Museum property within six months of the contract award. The works will become the property of the Museum.
For questions about the 2026 call or its next steps, contact Programs & Exhibits Coordinator Yu Jie by email or call (301) 774-0022.