Submission Guidelines & Call Information

Submission Guidelines & Call Information

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must:

  • Be 18 years of age or older;
  • Currently reside in the Washington, D.C.–Baltimore metropolitan areas inclusive of the District of Columbia; Alexandria, Fairfax, and Falls Church cities, VA; Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William Counties, VA; and Baltimore City, MD; Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Frederick, Harford, Howard, Montgomery, Prince George's, and Queen Anne's Counties, MD
  • Work in any visual or time-based media, including painting, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, mixed media, performance, animation, video, sound, and film.

The Phillips Collection trustees, staff, volunteers, and their immediate families will not be eligible to participate.

Artwork & Submission Requirements

  • Number of Artworks: You may submit up to two artworks.
  • Artwork completion date: Artwork must have been completed after November 2024.
  • Originality: Artwork must be original in concept, design, and execution. Limited edition prints must be numbered.
  • Artwork description: Each work submitted (including 2D, 3D artworks, time-based media, and performance) must be accompanied by an artwork description (1800-characters max). This description should be written in the third person and specifically address the work submitted. This text will be adapted for the artwork’s extended label and online publication.
  • Artist's statement: Each artist must submit an artist statement (1200-characters max). Please describe your overall artistic practice, style, and key themes or concepts explored in your work. This section is not a Curriculum Vitae or professional biography. Please write in third person and in narrative form.
  • Media restriction: All artworks should comply with the list of prohibited media listed below.
  • Submission Fee: There will be a fee of $25 for submission of one artwork or $35 for the submission of two artworks. Submission Fees are nonrefundable. If the fee poses a financial barrier to submitting, please use code PHILLIPS to have the fee waived. 
  • Incomplete submissions: Incomplete submissions or those not meeting the stated requirements including media specific requirements will be disqualified.

Submission Requirements by Media

For 2D and 3D works (painting, works on paper, sculpture, etc.):

  • Each submission must include one high-quality jpeg or png of the artwork in its entirety plus two detailed images of the work. Submitted images will be used for the exhibition’s publication and promotion. 
  • Image specifications:
    • 300 dpi
    • 960 px (minimum) and 4800 px (maximum) on the longest side.
  • Size and weight limits of artworks:
    • 2D works should not exceed 48 inches wide and 60 inches high, inclusive of frame, and weigh up to 100 lbs.
    • 3D works can measure up to 6 feet in height and 4 feet in width and depth, inclusive of all components, and weigh up to 150 lbs.

For Time-Based Media/Video Artwork:

  • Videos must be hosted by a third-party video hosting service, such as YouTube or Vimeo, for submission.
  • Artist must provide a brief written description of the work’s installation requirements, including information on: (i) use of headphones, (ii) closed vs open captioning, (iii) required display equipment, (iv) any additional installation elements (please include installation images and/or sketches in this case).
  • Equipment availability: standard projectors and monitors (40-60 in.) may be provided, subject to availability. If the work requires a different media setup, the artist must be willing to provide their own media equipment.
  • Space limitations and technical feasibility will be considered during the jurying process.
  • If accepted, The Phillips Collection will contact the artist to discuss installation and technology needs if necessary.

For Performance Art:

  • In addition to the artwork description, which should include the performance concept, script (if any), participation elements (if any), and any other information that helps explain the use of space, technology, props, etc., artists submitting performance art must also include: (i) a brief written production description of the performance, such as spatial requirements, technology requirements, involvement of additional performers, and performance props (to be provided by the artist); (ii) sketches and/or reference images for the work; (iii) if the work has been performed in the past, provide photographic documentation and/or recordings of previous performance of the work
  • Equipment availability: standard sound equipment may be provided by The Phillips Collection, subject to availability and institutional capacity. If the work requires a different media setup, the artist must be willing to provide their own media equipment.
  • Based on the performance description and logistical feasibility, the institution will determine the most appropriate space for the performance to take place.
  • If a performance work is accepted, the work will be performed once, exclusively as part of a public program related to the exhibition.

Prohibited Media (including but not limited to)

  • Plant material
  • Soil
  • Food
  • Liquids
  • Materials that produce vapor, smoke, and mists
  • Flammable, toxic, volatile, and/or explosive materials
  • Weapons
  • Animals and fungi
  • Works created solely using artificial intelligence (AI) software are not eligible. If your work engages with AI as a theme, please describe the conceptual approach and clarify how AI was used in the creation process 
  • Reproductions of your art in another medium (e.g., an offset lithograph of your painting, or a “giclée” print of your watercolor) will not be considered

The Phillips Collection reserves the right to reject artwork that contains materials that might pose a risk to the museum, its collections, its staff, and/or the public.

Requirements for Accepted Work

Delivery and pick up:

  • Artists are responsible for the delivery and pick up of their artwork to and from The Phillips Collection during a designated time. 
    • Time-based media: Time-based media artwork must be delivered online following the museum's guidance.
    • All other media: Artworks may not be shipped or mailed to The Phillips Collection.
      • Scheduled delivery and pick-up: Each accepted artist will be assigned a date and time during business hours to deliver and pick-up their artwork in person to The Phillips Collection, 1600 21st Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009.
        • Deliveries: between July 20th - 24th, 2026 (approximate dates)
        • Pick-ups: between September 23rd - 25th, 2026 (approximate dates)
    • Artwork labeling: Each artwork must have a label securely attached to the back or bottom of the work with the following information: (i) artist's name; (ii) artwork’s title; (iii) artist’s contact information (email and phone).

Loan agreement and loan period commitment:

  • Accepted artists are required to sign a loan agreement. The artwork shall remain in the possession of the Phillips Collection from the time the artwork is delivered through the duration of the
    exhibition. Each artist commits to lending their artwork to the Phillips Collection for the full extent of time and cannot withdraw artwork during the designated period.
  • Insurance coverage: The Phillips Collection will insure artwork under its own policy while it is onsite at the museum.
  • Image accuracy: The Phillips Collection reserves the right to reject work that differs from submitted images.

Artwork condition, readiness and Install:

  • All artwork must be ready for exhibit at the time of delivery. Materials must be dry and stable.
  • 2D work must have secure hanging devices and be structurally stable.
  • If the artwork is glazed, glazing should be limited to acrylic (not glass).
  • 3D artworks must be seismically stable and able to stand freely without mounts and/or other interventions. To facilitate a smooth and safe installation, artists agree to allow Phillips staff to secure objects with earthquake wax, tethers, and/or other removable mounting materials.
  • 3D and time-based work must be suitably prepared with instructions for installation.
    • Unless the pedestal is part of the sculpture, artists will supply plain, white platforms and/or pedestals for the display of three-dimensional artworks.
    • If the work requires protective covering, artists must include acrylic bonnets
  • Phillips staff will install the work without the artist present.

Sale of Artwork

Artists may indicate a monetary value for their artwork in US dollars. If the work is for sale, this amount will be listed as the purchase price.

To allow the public to contact you regarding potential sales, you must provide an email address, website, or other contact information during the registration process. This information will be made publicly available.

The Phillips Collection will not facilitate the sale of artwork and will not receive any commission or percentage from potential sales.

Photography and Permissions

  • The Phillips Collection reserves the right—and each artist agrees—to use images of the submitted artworks provided by the artist or their representatives. Additionally, the Phillips Collection may photograph, film, or otherwise reproduce the artworks for purposes related to documentation, publicity, publication, education, and other exhibition-related uses, in both print and digital formats.
  • The Phillips Collection assumes the right to reproduce images of the works on its digital channels, including but not limited to its website and social media accounts for documentary, educational, and promotional purposes.
  • The general public is permitted to take photos for personal, non-commercial use only.

Other Terms & Conditions

With the submission of artwork, the artist agrees to all the terms and conditions set forth in this call.

By submitting any artwork, artists will be deemed to have certified that they are the creator and owner of the artwork being submitted and that nothing they submit will infringe on the rights of others.

Artists will also be deemed to have granted The Phillips Collection a royalty-free, worldwide, perpetual license to display their image, images of their artworks, and textual elements related to the artist and artwork, in whole or in part, without further review or participation, in any medium now existing or subsequently developed, in promotional or trade uses on The Phillips Collection websites and social media platforms, and format it to fit the website specifications, without any compensation.

The Phillips Collection’s issuance of these guidelines does not constitute an agreement that a work will be selected for exhibition and/or that an artist is in any way otherwise associated with it.

The Phillips Collection expressly reserves the right at any time to:

  • Waive and/or correct any defect and/or informality in these guidelines;
  • Reject any submissions;
  • Reissue these guidelines; and/or,
  • Prior to the submission deadline, modify these guidelines.

The Phillips Collection will treat all information provided by an artist when entering according to the Privacy Policy posted at http://www.phillipscollection.org

With the submission of artwork, the artist agrees to all the terms and conditions set forth in this call.  

Limitations of Liability:

The Phillips Collection reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to (1) cancel, terminate, suspend, and/or modify these guidelines, or any part, at any time, without notice, and (2) to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the invitational in whole or in part, at any time, without notice and award prizes using eligible entries received as of the termination/suspension date, if any infection, computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other cause beyond The Phillips’ control, affects the integrity or proper conduct thereof. The Phillips Collection reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual who tampers with the entry process (if applicable) or the operation of the invitational or to be acting in violation of these guidelines or any other promotion or in a disruptive manner. The Phillips Collection is not responsible for (1) entries that are lost, late, incomplete, illegible, incorrect, delayed, garbled, undelivered, or misdirected; (2) theft, destruction or alteration of, or unauthorized access to, entries; (3) failures or malfunctions of phones, phone lines, or telephone or data transmission systems; (4) interrupted or unavailable network, server, or other connections; (5) any error, omission, interruption, defect or delay in any transmission or communication; (6) traffic congestion on the Internet or any technical problem, including but not limited to any injury or damage to any person’s computer or computer system related to or resulting from participation; (7) typographical, printing, or other errors or omissions in these guidelines, in any advertisements, or other materials; or (8) other problems or errors of any kind whether computer, network, mechanical, human, electronic, typographical, printing, or otherwise relating to the invitational, including, without limitation, errors or problems which may occur in connection with the administration of the invitational, in the processing of entries, in the selection or announcement of winners or in the awarding of prizes. The Phillips Collection’s failure to enforce any term of these guidelines shall not constitute a waiver of that provision.

Questions?

Contact: opencall@phillipscollection.org