Call for Artists • 2024 Great Lakes Bay Summer Outdoor Public Art Exhibition

The Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum, located on the campus of Saginaw Valley State University, invites artists from the Great Lakes states to submit their artwork of outdoor sculptures and public art installations for the 2024 Great Lakes Bay Public Art Passport Exhibition.

The 2024 Public Art Passport summer exhibition will be held throughout Michigan’s Great Lakes Bay Region and will run from June through August 2024.

Public Art Passport is a centralized online hub with goals of enhancing the existing public art landscape while promoting and increasing visibility and tourism to the Great Lakes Bay Region. Working with community partners in Michigan’s Great Lakes Bay Region (specifically Bay, Midland, and Saginaw Counties) Public Art Passport serves residents and tourists through temporary art exhibitions in each county as well as at the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum throughout summer 2024 and ongoing through the web portal www.publicartpassport.com.

“To complement the summer exhibition, Public Art Passport will also highlight art programs, festivals, and events across the Great Lakes Bay Region,” adds Megan McAdow, Director of the Marshall M. Fredericks Museum. “Public Art Passport will a one-stop shop for residents and tourists alike to find all things public arts and culture for the region.”

To view the ever-growing Public Art Passport portal which includes information about the region’s public artwork through virtual tours, images, maps, and links, simple visit https://www.publicartpassport.com/ on your smartphone or other online device. To be informed about upcoming events simply follow Public Art Passport on Facebook or Instagram.

“Public art provides opportunities for community members and tourists to actively engage with their surroundings,” states Ashley Ross, Associate Director of Collections & Impact at the Marshall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum.

She continues, “Public art instillations, including those featured in Public Art Passport, not only enhance the aesthetic appeal of neighborhoods and public spaces, but play a pivotal role in celebrating diversity and inclusivity by showcasing various artistic styles, traditions, and narratives. Our hope is that this exhibition will help individuals feel connected to and prideful of their community.”

Artists from the Great Lakes states (Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, New York, and Pennsylvania) are encouraged to submit their artwork for the exhibition.

Entries are being accepted now through March 30. Submissions will be reviewed and accepted by the Public Art Passport committee. After the committee reviews the entries, artists will be notified by April 10, 2024, if they are a finalist and their final acceptance status by April 15, 2024.

Selected artists will receive stipends of $3,000. Exact site locations will be determined in conjunction with the artwork selection process. In addition to the stipend, artwork and artist information will be included in media promotions for the summer exhibition. Artwork will be promoted alongside all Public Art Passport programs and events and selected submissions will be added to the Public Art Passport website.

Interested artists can submit their entries and view additional eligibility guidelines online at www.publicartpassport.com/callforartists. Public Art Passport does not discriminate based on race, religion, color, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical impairment, disability, or veteran status.

For further questions about Public Art Passport, contact Associate Director of Collections & Impact Ashley Ross at amross13@svsu.edu.