CITY OF MEMPHIS | UrbanArt Commission
The Public Art Fellowship Program
Release Date: Friday, December 19, 2025
Deadline: Monday, January 19th, 2026 (11:59pm)
Stipend: $1,000 stipend for each participant. Fellows will also receive $25,000 to support fabrication & installation as part of the program.
Timeline: Fellowship program runs February - May.
Fellows will complete fabrication and installation by August 2027.
(Plan for domestic travel June 2026 to New York)
Eligibility: Any artist living and working within the Memphis metropolitan area
PROGRAM BACKGROUND
The UrbanArt Commission (UAC), in partnership with the City of Memphis, is launching the Public Art Fellowship Program to expand opportunities for local sculptors to complete their first permanent public sculpture with UAC. Recognizing the institutional barriers that many studio artists, particularly artists of color and women face when pursuing public sculpture commissions, this city-funded fellowship aims to bridge that gap through training, mentorship, and production support.
Modeled after the success of UAC’s New Public Artists Fellowship and District Mural Program, the initiative will select seven Memphis-based sculptors, one representing each of the city’s seven districts to design and create public sculptures for designated city sites. Fellows will participate in workshops led by experienced public artists and arts professionals, covering topics such as proposal writing, budgeting, fabrication, permitting, and community engagement. Each artist will also work with a mentor to refine their design and navigate the public art process.
At the conclusion of the program, each fellow’s approved design will be fabricated and permanently installed in their assigned district. Selected artists will receive a project grant (amount to be determined) to support the creation and installation of their sculpture, along with the professional training needed to pursue future public art opportunities across Memphis and beyond.
FELLOWSHIP EXPECTATIONS
The Public Art Fellowship Program will accept seven artists to represent each of the City of Memphis’s seven districts. To be considered for this city-funded fellowship, applicants must meet the following requirements:
Residency: Must currently live and work in the Memphis metropolitan area.
Experience: Have not yet completed a public sculpture commission with UAC & must have sculpture experience.
Availability: Must be able to participate in scheduled workshops, mentorship meetings, and site visits throughout the fellowship period (estimated 9–12 months).
Engagement: Be willing to collaborate with community members, mentors, and City partners to develop a permanent public artwork.
Interest: Demonstrate a strong commitment to expanding your artistic practice into large-scale public sculpture.
Previous experience in sculpture is required. Selected artists will develop their designs and proposals during the program through workshops, critiques, and mentorship.
The UrbanArt Commission is committed to equity and inclusion in all its work. Artists of color, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, differently-abled and neurodiverse persons, Indigenous peoples, and emerging artists from underrepresented backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.
APPLICATION GUIDELINES
UAC posts all open opportunities and accepts applications online through Submittable. Follow the steps below to apply to an open UAC opportunity through Submittable:
1. To apply to this call, go to www.uacmem.org/calls-to-artists. Click on the opportunity that you are interested in to view more details.
2. Clicking on the Submit button will redirect you to our Submittable page, which contains all of our current open opportunities. Click the Submit button next to the opportunity that you wish to apply for, or if you are already within an opportunity, scroll down to the Create your account / Have an account? Sign in form.
3. If you already have a Submittable account, click the Have an account? Sign in tab to sign in to your account. If you don’t remember your password, use the Forgot? link. 4. If you don’t have a Submittable account, you must create one to apply. Create your free account by filling out the Create your account form. Fill in all information and click the Create Account and Continue button to continue with the submission process. 5. From there, you will be able to complete and submit your application.
If you have difficulty accessing the website or require any other assistance with your submission, please contact Richard Echols at richard@uacmem.org.
Please submit the following materials online by following the “New Public Artists Fellowship” link at www.uacmem.org/calls-to-artists:
● Cover Letter (1 page or less) Introduce yourself, your artwork, and your interest in pursuing public art and large-scale sculpture.
● Portfolio: Up to 20 images of recent 3D art and design work. Include title, date, and medium.
● Résumé or CV (2 pages or less)
● Optional: Artist Statement (1 page or less)
INFORMATION SESSIONS
UAC will host an information session about this opportunity on January 14th, 2026
Artists may schedule a meeting with a UAC program manager to review their application and portfolio. This is highly encouraged for artists who have not applied to a UAC opportunity before.
DISCLAIMERS
Applicants will be notified as to the status of their application. Commissioning of artists by UAC and the pursuit of all UAC activities are implemented without preference to racial or ethnic origins, gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, disability, or age.
UAC reserves the right to modify this solicitation and to request additional information from participating artists.
UAC reserves the right to accept or reject, at any time prior to the commissioning of a work, any or all proposals when the acceptance, rejection, waiver or advertisement would be in the best interest of the project.
The staff of UAC will be responsible for all correspondence and communication by and between applicants and members of selection panels. Discussion regarding these projects by and between any applicant and any member of a selection panel outside of regularly scheduled meetings during the selection process may be grounds for the disqualification of the applicant. Such determination shall be at the discretion of UAC.
For more information about this project, please contact:
Richard Echols | Program Manager | richard@uacemem.org
View all UAC’s open opportunities and calls-to-artists at: https://uacmem.org/opportunities
