Call Description

Exhibition dates: January 21, 2026 – January 31, 2028 (2 years)

Deadline: Monday, August 25, 2025

Honorarium: $4,000

Delivery: in person, no shipping

Location: Tuscawilla Park and Art Park, 829 NE Sanchez Ave, Ocala, FL 34470

The City of Ocala Cultural Arts invites artists to submit existing sculptures for the 8th Biennial Ocala Outdoor Sculpture Competition. This outdoor exhibition offers established and emerging sculptors an opportunity to display their work at Tuscawilla Park and Art Park in Ocala, Florida. Up to ten works will be selected for display from January 2026 to January 2028. Selected artists will receive a $4,000 honorarium to help offset transportation and installation costs.

Description:

 The City of Ocala Cultural Arts creates opportunities for public art to transform ordinary spaces into destinations.  The goal of our Public Art Program is to increase accessibility of the arts as well as to foster creativity, discovery, and thoughtfulness among our citizens and visitors.  The selected sculptures will be displayed in Tuscawilla Park, considered the “crown jewel” of Ocala’s parks spanning 45-acres, and the adjacent Tuscawilla Art Park, bridging Ocala’s downtown and midtown areas.

 The Tuscawilla Sculpture Stroll will celebrate these newly installed works on Saturday, February 21, 2026. An awards jury will select Best in Show, Second Place, and Honorable Mention and present the respective awards of $2,000, $1,000, and $500. Attendees of the event will also vote for their favorite work and grant the People’s Choice Award of $1,000.

Timeline:

Applications due: Monday, August 25, 2025 (11:59 p.m. PT)

Notification of Acceptance: Monday, October 13, 2026

Installation: January 12 – 21, 2026

Opening Reception and Tuscawilla Sculpture Stroll with awards: Saturday, February 21, 2026

Deinstallation: January 31 – February 4, 2028

Artist Responsibilities:

Selected artists must send sculpture’s weight, anchoring system, and specific installation instructions for coordinating with City of Ocala staff for installation/deinstallation. City of Ocala staff will be able to assist and supply concrete pads along with some equipment during installation/deinstallation. Artists are responsible for transporting and delivering their sculptures to the specific site on the specified date. Artists will be responsible for any repairs needed due to fabrication defects or reasonable wear and tear of the object in a public location.

Insurance:

The City of Ocala will provide insurance for the work up to its stated value or $15,000, whichever is less, for theft or total loss once installed. Artists are encouraged but not required to secure liability insurance. Artists without liability insurance will be required to complete an insurance waiver with the City of Ocala.

Sales:

Sales of work are encouraged during the display period. The City of Ocala will retain 30% commission from sales of artwork. All sculptures must remain on site for the entirety of the two-year exhibition duration.

Application Requirements

• Artists may submit up to three sculptures for consideration.
• A minimum of three high-quality images (180 dpi) of the work is required, and a maximum of twenty preferably showing different angles of the work without any people, artist names, or watermarks.
• Artist resume (.docx or .pdf)
• Artist statement corresponding to submitted work (.docx or .pdf)
• Document (.docx or .pdf) of submitted work to include its title, date of creation, medium, dimensions, weight, and value.

Selection Criteria:

Works not meeting all the stated criteria will not be considered for selection.

• Work is fully completed or guaranteed to be completed three months prior to installation date. Any work in progress will be required to submit proof of completion 3 months prior to installation.
• Work is structurally sound, safe, and able to withstand an outdoor environment in an unsupervised, high foot traffic, public family park area.
• Work must be able to withstand Ocala’s subtropical climate including high humidity, high temperatures and UV index, heavy rains, and hurricane force winds for two years.
• Work must be maintenance free for the two-year loan duration and avoid potential issues of rust and fading.
• Work must have been completed in the last five years (no earlier than 2020).
• Work must not have been previously displayed in this competition.
• Work must be delivered and retrieved in person by artist or artist representative.
• Work must be firmly secured to provided concrete pads with either 5/8” anchor bolts or another City approved anchoring system.

Selection Process:

Up to ten sculptures will be selected by a jury comprised of art professionals, arts and culture agency representatives, community representatives, and artists. Works will be selected based on quality, creativity, artistic excellence, site appropriateness, durability, and safety.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must be United States residents with experience designing, fabricating, and installing large outdoor public art (excluding Alaska and Hawaii).
• Applicants must be at least 18 years of age.
• Applicants must contract with the City of Ocala.
• Applicants must obtain liability insurance or complete a waiver with the City of Ocala while on site.