JANET & WALTER SONDHEIM ARTSCAPE PRIZE CELEBRATES 10th YEAR
Finalist Exhibition Returns to the Baltimore Museum of Art for 2015
The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts are excited to announce the 10th annual Janet & Walter Sondheim Artscape Prize. Applications are now being accepted for the prestigious competition which awards a $25,000 fellowship to a visual artist or visual artist collaborators living and working in the Baltimore region. The deadline for submission is Monday, January 12, 2015. An application prospectus is available at www.artscape.org. In 2015, the annual finalist exhibition returns to the Baltimore Museum of Art. An award ceremony and reception takes place Saturday, July 11, 2015 at 7pm at the Baltimore Museum of Art, located at 10 Art Museum Drive. The prize is held in conjunction with the 34th annual Artscape, America’s largest free arts festival.
Approximately six finalists are selected for the final review for the prize. Their work is showcased in the special exhibitions gallery at the Baltimore Museum of Art from Wednesday, June 24 through Sunday, August 9, 2015. Additionally, an exhibition of the semifinalists’ work is shown in the Decker, Meyerhoff and Pinkard galleries of MICA on Thursday, July 16 through Sunday, August 2, 2015. An opening reception for the semifinalist exhibition takes place July 16, 2015 from 6pm to 9pm at MICA, located at 1303 W. Mount Royal Avenue.
The fellowship winner is selected from the Baltimore Museum of Art exhibition after review of the installed art and an interview with each finalist by the jurors. Jurors are announced in January 2015. Artist collaborators, if chosen as the winner or finalist, receive a single $25,000 prize that is equally divided among the members of the group.
Janet & Walter Sondheim Artscape Prize Timeline
Application deadline: Monday, January 12, 2015
Announcement of semifinalists: Late-February, 2015
Announcement of finalists: Mid-April, 2015
Finalists Exhibition at Baltimore Museum of Art: Wednesday, June 24-Sunday, August 9, 2015
Award announcement: Saturday, July 11, 2015, 7pm (Doors open at 6pm)
Semifinalist Exhibition at MICA: Thursday, July 16-Sunday, August 2, 2015
Semifinalist Exhibition opening reception: Thursday, July 16, 6-9pm
Artscape: Friday, July 17- Sunday, July 19, 2015
Janet & Walter Sondheim Artscape Prize
The Artscape prize is named in honor of Janet and Walter Sondheim who have been instrumental in creating the Baltimore City that exists today. Walter Sondheim, Jr. had been one of Baltimore’s most important civic leaders for over 50 years. His accomplishments included oversight of the desegregation of the Baltimore City Public Schools in 1954 when he was president of the Board of School Commissioners of Baltimore City. Later, he was deeply involved in the development of Charles Center and the Inner Harbor. He continued to be active in civic and educational activities in the city and state and served as the senior advisor to the Greater Baltimore Committee until his death in February 2007.
Janet Sondheim danced with the pioneering Denishawn Dancers, a legendary dance troupe founded by Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn. Later, she turned to teaching where she spent 15 years at the Children’s Guild working with severely emotionally disturbed children. After retirement, she was a volunteer tutor at Highlandtown Elementary School. She married Walter in 1934, and they were together until her death in 1992.
Artscape
Artscape is America’s largest free arts festival, attracting more than 350,000 attendees over three days. Artscape features 150-plus fine artists, fashion designers and craftspeople; visual art exhibits on and off-site, including exhibitions, outdoor sculpture, art cars, photography and the Janet & Walter Sondheim Prize; incredible live concerts on outdoor stages; a full schedule of performing arts including dance, opera, theater, film, experimental music and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; family events such as hands-on projects, demonstrations, competitions, children’s entertainers and street theater; and a delicious, international menu of food and beverages that is available throughout the festival site. Artscape’s total economic impact on Baltimore City is $25.97 million.
The 2015 Janet & Walter Sondheim Artscape Prize is made possible through the generous support of the the Abell Foundation, Alex. Brown & Sons Charitable Foundation, Charlesmead Foundation, Ellen Sondheim Dankert, France-Merrick Foundation, Hecht-Levi Foundation, Legg Mason, M&T Charitable Foundation, Henry & Ruth Blaustein Rosenberg Foundation, John Sondheim and The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company.
For more information on the Janet & Walter Sondheim Artscape Prize, call 410-752-8632 or visit www.artscape.org, application available at www.callforentry.org.