Artist Proposal Guidelines

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

Due to budgetary constraints caused by the temporary closure of our historic site (due to COVID-19), we’ve had to limit art proposals to the $7,500 funding level. We will not be accepting any proposals at the $15,000 funding level this year.

Click here to download the 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 ongoing public health concerns related to the novel coronavirus, all in-person art orientations have been cancelled. Instead, we are offering virtual art orientations via the video platform Zoom.

2021 Virtual Art Orientation Dates:

Thursday, March 18, 2021 - 4:00 - 5:00 pm ET
Monday, April 12, 2021 - 12:30 - 1:30 pm ET
Friday, May 21, 2021 - 3:00 - 4:00 pm ET

Please sign up for these virtual art orientations by emailing us at least two days in advance at the following address: [email protected]. We will reply with the link for the Zoom meeting. 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

The deadline to submit proposals is Wednesday, June 16, 2021, 11:59 pm ET.

Proposals can be uploaded electronically. A link to the submission portal will be available on this page by May 1, 2021.

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 – 2022 Season
2027 Fairmount Avenue
Philadelphia, PA 19130
215-236-5111 x227
[email protected]

Additional Resources