Artist Proposal Guidelines

Thank you for your interest in Eastern State Penitentiary's artist proposal process!

Click here to download the artist proposal guidelines.

Art Orientations
We strongly recommend that applicants begin the proposal process by attending an art orientation. These informal tours/conversations give artists a chance to learn about the space, discuss what makes a proposal successful, and ask questions. There is no charge for attending an art orientation.

Due to COVID-19, all in-person art orientations have been cancelled. Instead, we are offering three virtual art orientations via the video platform Zoom. There’s no need to RSVP for these virtual orientations. You can join by clicking the respective Zoom link.

2022 Virtual Art Orientation Dates:

~~Thursday, March 24 at 6:00 pm EST~~ [CANCELLED]
~~Saturday, April 23 at 9:30 am EST~~
Friday, May 27 at 12:00 pm EST – Zoom link

If you are unable to attend a live, virtual art orientation, you can watch a pre-recorded orientation here.

You do not need to have a Zoom account to join these orientations, but you will have to download Zoom onto your computer, tablet, or smartphone before joining the meeting. Zoom has a one-minute video about how to join a meeting here. Due to our limited staff capacity, Eastern State cannot provide technical assistance with Zoom.

Proposal Deadline & Submission

Proposal Deadline (for all funding and approvals):
Wednesday, June 15, 2022, 11:59 pm

Proposals can be submitted electronically via our online submission portal.

If it is difficult or impossible to access the internet or submit a proposal online, please write, call, or email us. Exceptions are possible, evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Damon McCool
Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
Artist Proposals – 2023 Season
2027 Fairmount Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19130
215-236-5111 x227
[email protected]

Grace Period: There is a 1-day grace period for all proposals. The online submission portal will close at 11:59 pm on Thursday, June 16, 2022, and no further submissions will be possible.

Additional Resources