Art in the Park, Worcester in partnership with the Arts and Business Council of Boston and the City of Worcester’s Parks Department presents “Love in Action: Joy, Community, Creativity”, AIPW  2023 Exhibition.  Since 2008 a dedicated volunteer committee of cultural arts presenters, sculptors and community supporters have presented this juried exhibition. AIP was one of six projects to receive the Gold Star Award in 2009 – a statewide award given by the Massachusetts Cultural Council to recognize exemplary cultural programs funded by a local cultural council and in 2017 received Gateway Cities’ Innovation award. The exhibit continues in Elm Park, a National Registry public park with both Olmsted designed and inspired elements. 

Exhibitors accepted to exhibit and install at Elm Park will each receive a $800.00 stipend. One stipend per artist regardless of number of pieces accepted at Elm Park.

In addition to Elm Park, four sculptures or installations will be selected for display at Anna Maria College in Paxton, MA. Additional sites may include Worcester Academy and UMASS Medical University. These additional display opportunities take place at the beginning, during or at the end of the exhibition period and may include an artist talk at the receiving institution. The stipends at these sites range from $400.00 to $800.00.   

The exhibit space, Elm Park, is twenty acres bound by Park Avenue, Highland, Russell and Elm Street. The Park is listed in the National Register of Historic Places as one of the earliest public parks in the United States. Its cultural landscape features include Frederick Olmsted Firm designed and inspired elements; meandering paths; three interconnected Mere Ponds; two arched bridges; a boathouse; and playground.

Anna Maria College is a spacious venue known for its natural beauty and the human scale of its architectural landscape located in Paxton, MA. 

SELECTION AND INSTALLATION:

Nafis White, Interdisciplinary Public Artist; Ann Hirsch, Sculptor and Instructor, Rhode Island School of Design: and Haley Clouser, Curatorial Fellow at deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum will review and select from submissions. David Wackell artist and Anna Maria College's Director of Arts and Culture, will select for the college. 

While color is desired, works chosen will be based on quality, design, durability, scale, suitability for an outdoor environment, safety to the public, and stable mounting. Sculptures should be able to be well anchored to a base platform, into the earth or securely suspended from trees. Art in the Park’s organizer(s) will site the sculptures in the grounds and trees around the perimeter of Elm Park or in the ponds within guidelines set by the Supervisor of the Worcester Public Parks Department. 

Lifting Equipment: will be available at specific times to assist with unloading and setting up sculpture at Elm Park. 

INSURANCE AND SECURITY:

The Art in the Park organization and the City of Worcester will exercise all practical care of the sculptures while in Elm Park.  Artists should be aware that the Park is a non-gated public park and while park staff and police patrol it periodically and there are lights, it does not have 24-hour surveillance.

The property-owner, Arts & Business Council of Boston, panelists or the Art in the Park Committee cannot be held responsible for damages. AIPW will provide liability insurance for sculptures in Elm Park.

Proposal Deadline:  March 10, 2023 at 11:59CST. 

Application Requirements

♦ Artists may submit up to three existing and/or proposed site-specific sculptures.  Artists are encouraged to visit the park prior to submitting the application and may specify potential location(s) for a sculpture. Organizers cannot guarantee the location, but every effort will be made to consider the applicant’s request.

♦ Proposal Content: A drawing with key and scale information, description of the proposed work and the materials.

♦ Works: Artists may submit up to 3 sculptures for consideration or 1 proposal and 2 existing sculptures. For each sculpture up to three images with if desired one being a detail of works completed in the past five years. Proposal Content: A drawing with key and scale information, description of the proposed work and type of material(s).  A minimum of 1 and no more 3  clearly labeled digital images in JPEG format (max 3 images per piece) of original work. Follow CaFE image requirements: JPEG format only, 1200 pixels on the longest side, less than 5 MB in size. Visit the CaFE Help Page for more information on image requirements or for help resizing images. 

No more than 1 optional video per piece. 

♦ JPEGS image identification on each: lastnamefirstnameimagenumber.jpeg

♦ Application Due Date:  Applications are to be submitted by 11:59 CST March 10, 2023. Apply online at CAFÉ. 

 ♦  Date of work: Preference will be given to work produced by the artist or collaboration within past three years. 

 ♦ Ownership:  All work must be the property of the artist.

  ♦ Size:  Proposed works and existing sculptures should be of an appropriate scale and size and able to be well anchored in a tree, to a 
base platform or in the ground.

 ♦ Lifting Equipment: will be available at specific times to assist with unloading and setting up sculpture.

  ♦ Safety:  Sharp, pointed pieces of the sculptures should be avoided below 
4 feet to prevent injury to viewers.

  ♦ Media:  All media should be suitable for outdoor installation, safe for viewers and 
appropriate for extended outdoor exhibition and exposure to weather.

  ♦ No substitutions:  Sculptures accepted by the jurors cannot be substituted with other work without contacting the Art in the Park organizers.

 ♦ Artists are encouraged to submit pieces with strong color or bright metal so as to stand out in the Park. However, pieces will not be judged on the basis of color.

KEY DATES:

¨ Proposal Deadline:  March 10, 2023

¨ Sculptors notified: March 31, 2023

¨  Installation of sculptures:  June 6 & 8, 2023 (lift equipment available)

¨ Opening Day of exhibition:  June 10, 2023

¨    Removal of Sculptures:  October 10 & 12, 2023 (lift equipment available)

Eligibility Criteria

All practicing US sculptors of medium to large-scale works are eligible to apply.