Sculpture Walk

2026 Oak Park Sculpture Walk – GUIDELINES 

Call for Artists

On behalf of the Village of Oak Park, the Oak Park Area Arts Council (OPAAC) is seeking artists to temporarily display their work in the Oak Park Sculpture Walk.

Sculptures or installation works will be part of the outdoor exhibits in the Oak Park Arts District, the Downtown Oak Park Business District and the Pleasant District. 

At the conclusion of the event, the Village may consider the purchase of a piece for its permanent collection. The Village of Oak Park has purchased art work from participants of its previous sculpture walks. Sculptures must remain in place for the duration of the exhibit – May 16, 2026 through April 10, 2027. All participating artists will receive an honorarium of $2,000. Half will be paid upon signing the contract and the balance will be paid at installation. The extended deadline for submission is March 2, 2026. Otocast (a free phone app) will be used to encourage self-guided tours of the exhibit.

Submission Criteria

• Concepts must be submitted by March 2, 2026 

• Open to all professional 3-D artists 18 years and older

• Artists may submit no more than two (2) works for consideration

• Artists must own the rights to their artwork

• Artwork must be original creations by the artist or fabricated under their direct supervision

• Work must remain in the exhibit from May 16, 2026 through April 10, 2027

• Each work must meet standards of public safety and be of the highest quality materials that hold up to sometimes harsh weather conditions including heat, rain, wind, snow and cold. 

• Artwork must demonstrate structural soundness, safety and stability for an unsupervised general audience

• Each artwork will be assigned to the installation site based on size, shape and appropriateness

• Artwork must be guaranteed against defects and deterioration

• Artwork must fit into a dense, urban/suburban setting

• Artist will be required to provide a Certificate of Insurance

Installation/Removal Guidelines

Selected artists will be responsible for delivering, installing and removing his/her work of art, working closely with the Oak Park Area Arts Council. The Village of Oak Park will not provide equipment such as cranes, boom trucks or generators, but can provide a list of local sources. The Village will provide a steel base, but the artist is required to attach his/her work to the base via tack welding. Artists must be sure to use a generator that has sufficient power in order to weld the sculpture to the steel base. Installations will occur on dates listed below in the project timeline. Installation times must be coordinated in advance with the Oak Park Area Arts Council. An OPAAC representative must be present for the installation. Exhibiting artists must provide the Village of Oak Park with a certificate of liability insurance that is valid for the duration of the exhibition before installing sculptures and receiving payment. All sculptures must remain in place for the duration of the entire show!

Project Timeline

• Call for Art: January 23, 2026

• Extended Submittal Deadline: March 2, 2026

• Juried Selection: March 6, 2026

• Artist Notification: March 13, 2026

• Installation Dates May 2 - 16, 2026

• Exhibition Opening Date: May 29, 2026

• Exhibition Close: April 10, 2027

• Artwork Removal: April 11 - 17, 2027

About the Sculpture Walk Site

The Oak Park Arts District is a vibrant hub for arts, music, and culture, with unique art galleries, retail shops, dining, and wellness offerings along Harrison Street from Austin Boulevard to Ridgeland Avenue. The Downtown Oak Park Business District is a bustling commercial area on Lake Street from Forest Avenue to Harlem Avenue. Visitors and residents enjoy shopping locally in this wonderful neighborhood filled with great stores and dining experiences waiting to be discovered.

About the Village of Oak Park

The Village of Oak Park is known as a progressive, culturally rich community, convenient to Chicago, but with its own unique identity. Each year, thousands of tourists come to Oak Park to explore our culturally rich and architecturally beautiful community. Oak Park enjoys an international reputation as the home to the world’s largest collection of homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and the Prairie School architects as well as Wright’s Unity Temple and Home & Studio. Creative figures such as novelist Ernest Hemingway, dancer Doris Humphrey, actress Betty White and Tarzan creator Edgar Rice Burroughs also have called Oak Park home. In addition, world renowned scientist Dr. Percy Julian lived in Oak Park for many years.

GUIDELINES

Before recommending approval of public artwork on Village or other approved public property, the Oak Park Area Arts Council (OPAAC) or selection committees will consider the following: 

Artistic quality: The artist’s concept, vision and craftsmanship for the artwork are of strong artistic quality. 

Site: The artwork and site are appropriate in scale, materials, form and content for the immediate, general, social, physical environments with which they are to relate. 

Public Safety: Each work shall be evaluated to ensure that it does not present a hazard to public safety.

Feasibility: Proposals shall be evaluated relative to their feasibility and convincing evidence of the artist’s ability to successfully complete the work as proposed. Factors to be considered include, but are not limited to, project, budget, timeline, artist’s experience, soundness of materials and zoning/construction/design guidelines.

Duplication: Artists are required to warrant that artwork is unique and an edition of one or part of a limited edition, and to warrant artwork is not infringing on copyrighted materials.