Sculpture at The Mount 2025

Description

Sculpture at The Mount 2025
The Mount, Edith Wharton's Home became the official home of the annual sculpture exhibition formerly known as SculptureNow. Now in its second year, Sculpture at The Mount will feature works of contemporary outdoor sculpture in a range of media against the backdrop of the vibrant woods, gardens, and grounds of The Mount, the historic home of American novelist Edith Wharton. In 2024, the exhibition welcomed 55,000 visitors. Photos of the show can be viewed at: Sculpture at The Mount - The Mount, Edith Wharton's Home
About the Exhibition: The 2025 exhibition, consisting of 20-25 large-scale, juried works, will open on Saturday, May 24, and will run through Sunday, October 19. A $1,000 honorarium will be awarded to each accepted artist. Sculptures may be offered for sale with 70% of the sale price going to the artist, and a 30% commission going to The Mount.  A virtual exhibition on The Mount’s website will accompany the show, and there will be with public programming—including tours, readings, and workshops—responding to the artwork.The exhibition is fully outdoors and is free and open to the public. Given the vastness of our landscape, we recommend that submissions are large-scale (at least 3 ft. in width or height). Artists must ensure that their artwork is stable in the elements (wind, rain, and sun) and safe for public engagement. The Mount will assist in the installation and deinstallation process and will provide a crane as necessary.Application fee: $20; free for those with financial hardship; free for members of The Mount and partnering art organizations (code required). Become a member of The Mount here.

2025 Guest Juror: Sarah Montross, Ph.D., Chief Curator of deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum (Lincoln, MA), The Trustees2025 Theme: Movement 

Movement is an inherent part of the creative process. From the transportation of materials into the studio to the manipulation of tools, movement enables works of art to come to life. In addition to this literal embodiment, movement might describe the proliferation and metamorphosis of ideas behind the creation of a work, as well as the artist’s state of personal evolution. How is movement reflected in your artwork? Themes related to migration, the spread of beliefs, the organic stirrings of the natural world, shifts in personal identity, time travel, and cultural change, might exemplify this framework of movement in art.  The life of Edith Wharton (1862-1937) was shaped by movement. Crossing the Atlantic 60 times, and described by her friend Henry James as "the whirling princess," Wharton lived in a variety of European and American cities. Residential moves bookended the rich experiences of her life; perhaps the most significant, her departure from The Mount in Lenox, Massachusetts to Paris, France marked an emotional new beginning during the crescendo of her career. Soon after arriving in Paris, the outbreak of World War I prompted a passionate humanitarian effort that provided transportation and housing for thousands of Belgian refugees. She established workrooms to employ displaced women, published an anthology of writings to fund civilian aid, and was granted unusual access to the front lines—efforts for which she was awarded the French Legion of Honor. Simultaneously, her writing career continued to flourish: In 1921, she was the first woman to be awarded The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Unafraid of change, Wharton was a transformative figure whose work continues to move others.

For our 2025 Sculpture at The Mount Exhibition, we invite you to consider movement as a creative theme. What moves you, and how is that demonstrated in your art? How have transitions in life influenced your art's evolution? Are there ways your art can arouse a sense of movement in its viewers? We encourage artists to consider the idea of movement broadly. Unique and unexpected interpretations are welcome! We invite you to share what movement means to you, from your individual creative perspective.

About our Guest Juror: Sarah Montross, Ph.D., is Chief Curator of deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum (Lincoln, MA), The Trustees, where she organizes indoor exhibitions and the outdoor sculpture program of the 30-acre park through supporting contemporary artists to engage with the region's landscape, culture, and history. Past exhibitions include Jeffrey Gibson: INFINITE INDIGENOUS QUEER LOVE, Visionary New England, Screens: Virtual Material, Cool Medium: Art, Television, & Psychedelia, 1960-1980, and the New England Biennial/Triennial (2016, 2019, 2022). 

Please see the video below for a quick tutorial on the submission process.