2027 Sculpture Walk - Lee's Summit, MO

Call for Artists Summary

The City of Lee’s Summit (MO) Cultural Arts Division is accepting applications for the Downtown Sculpture Walk. The exhibit will run from Late April 2027 – May 2028. The submission deadline is the end of day on January 22, 2027.

Six (6) artists will be selected to install 3D sculptural works appropriate for the one-year outdoor display.

Lee’s Summit is a southeast suburb of Kansas City, Missouri. The Downtown Sculpture Walk is open to professional artists at least 18 years of age. Artwork must be of original work and be complete by the time the application is submitted. Design concepts will not be accepted.

Selected artists will receive an all-inclusive $2,000 stipend to offset costs associated with installation, travel, and per diem.

Artists receive 100% of the sale of artwork sold.

Downtown Sculpture Walk 2027, Project Description

The City of Lee’s Summit (MO) Cultural Arts Division is accepting applications for the 2026 Downtown Sculpture Walk, an outdoor, temporary public art exhibit. Sculptures must be available for exhibition between Late April 2027 through May 2028.

Submission deadline is January 22, 2027.

Lee’s Summit is located approximately 20 miles southeast from the heart of Kansas City, Missouri. It is a fast-growing suburban community with a population of approximately 107,000 residents, making it the fifth largest city in the state of Missouri and the Kansas City metro region. Lee’s Summit is a composite of rolling farmland, award-winning parks systems and growing neighborhoods. This unique dynamic enables our community to celebrate our agricultural roots and humble beginnings while embracing progress, growth and cultural vitality.   

About Downtown Lee’s Summit: Downtown Lee’s Summit is comprised of 11 square blocks that echo the original 1865 plat that established the City’s founding boundaries. Downtown Lee’s Summit has won numerous state and national awards for excellence in downtown revitalization and management, including the Great American Main Street Award from the National Trust Main Street Center. Most recently in 2019, the American Planning Association designated our downtown as one of America’s Great Neighborhoods. Boasting a near 0% vacancy rate, our downtown is home to locally owned retail shops and restaurants, unique co-working spaces and an eclectic mix of small businesses. Downtown Lee’s Summit is the City’s primary cultural and entertainment district which hosts over 100 community and family-oriented events each year that bring thousands of residents and tourists to the area. The district is also home to the Lee’s Summit History Museum and numerous commercial buildings; homes and neighborhoods are listed on both state and national historic registries.

EXHIBIT OVERVIEW
The Downtown Sculpture Walk seeks to increase walkable access to public art in Lee’s Summit. The exhibit contributes to current revitalization efforts taking place in our downtown district and to the long-term vision of creating a vibrant community. The award-winning Sculpture Walk complements our well-established Fourth Fridays Art Walks that are held from April through August. It is also a focal point for the many downtown events that are organized by various community organizations including the Downtown Days Festival, Oktoberfest, Mayor's Tree Lighting and annual Halloween, Veterans Day and St. Patrick's Day parades. The Downtown Sculpture Walk is a collaboration between the City of Lee’s Summit Cultural Arts Division and Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street, Inc. 

For the 2027 season, six (6) artists will be selected to install 3D sculptural works appropriate for long-term outdoor display. Selected artwork may be installed at any of the designated locations in Downtown Lee’s Summit that includes concrete pads. The Cultural Arts Division will determine the final location of each sculpture. 

SELECTION PROCESS
Entries will be juried by a Selection Committee. The Selection Commission is comprised of Cultural Arts Division staff, Cultural Commission members, and members of the Downtown Lee's Summit Main Street Cultural Arts Committee and Design Committee.

Artwork will be selected based on artistic merit, artistic context, maintainability and suitability for public display. 

The Selection Committee reserves the right to reject any applications that do not meet eligibility requirements and/or are incomplete, or instances in which the artwork does not appear suitable for long-term outdoor display.

Artist can expect to be notified of selection results by February 1, 2027.

COMPENSATION
Selected artists will receive a stipend of $2,000 to offset costs associated with installation, travel and per diem. Stipend will be payable after completion and sign off on the installation process. 

First-time exhibitors are required to provide a W-9 to the City of Lee’s Summit at the time of contract signing.

Artists will receive 100% of the sale for any artwork sold during the exhibition. Any purchased artwork must remain on display throughout the program year.

MARKETING AND PROMOTION
This program will be promoted throughout Lee’s Summit and the surrounding Kansas City Metro Region. The City of Lee’s Summit reserves the right to reproduce and distribute artwork images through print and electronic media for the promotion of the exhibit. This includes images submitted through the application process, as well as photos taken of the piece throughout the exhibition year. The artist retains the copyright for the work.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

• Artists may submit up to three (3) existing, completed three-dimensional sculptures for consideration. Each sculpture entry requires its own application.
• Up to three images from different perspectives of the entry may be submitted. The base should be visible in at least one image. Images should accurately depict the artwork. Image size should follow the requirements identified on CAFÉ.
• Provide a brief written description of each sculpture submitted for entry. Please include title, medium, dimensions, weight, date of construction, and sale price for each submission.
• Provide a brief description of how the artwork will be installed by the artist. Please keep in mind that you are expected to install artwork on your own or with a team.

Eligible Artists: 

• Professional three-dimensional sculptural artists.
• At least 18 years of age.
• Artists must own the rights to all works submitted.

Eligible Artworks and Conditions:

Artwork must be available for public display from late April 2027 through May 2028. Artists should tentatively plan to install artwork between April 23- May 1, 2026, and de-install during that same time period the following year.

• Professional quality and construction and not the result of instructional guidance.
• Must be built of safe design and can be securely bolted to a concrete pad with anchor bolts.
• Durable for long-term outdoor exhibition, able to withstand public interaction and able to withstand extreme temperature and weather fluctuations common in Missouri (i.e. high wind gusts, freezing rain, snow, high humidity levels, and extreme temperature fluctuations.)
• Artwork must be of original work and be completed by the time the application is submitted.
• Selected artists will be required to sign an exhibition agreement with the City of Lee’s Summit.
• Artwork that is submitted on the application must be the same as the artwork that is delivered for installation in size, color, edition, etc. The Selection Committee retains the right to reject works differing markedly from the work depicted in the digital image submitted.
• If the artwork selected is no longer available, the Selection Committee may choose to negotiate with the artist to have another one of their pieces on display. The Selection Committee may also choose to select another artist’s work.
• No shipped artwork will be accepted. Due to our limited staffing and capacity, artwork that must be shipped to or from Lee’s Summit cannot be accepted at this time. Artists are responsible for delivering and installing their own work at the designated site. Limited labor and equipment support will be available. Artists must indicate the type of labor equipment needed for installation on application.
• Artists are responsible for all costs incurred by the artist associated with installation and de-installation.
• All selected works must be delivered to the site designated by the Cultural Arts Division on the date and time agreed upon by the artist and Cultural Arts Division. The Artist and Cultural Arts Division will also select an agreed-upon pickup time and date for the piece at the end of the exhibition.
• Submitted artwork must be of professional quality and should require no maintenance during the exhibition period. The City of Lee’s Summit is not responsible for the maintenance of any artwork on display.
• Artwork placed on concrete will be bolted to 4’x4’, 5'x5', or 7'x7' concrete pads with 3/8” to ¼” anchor or expansion bolts.
• The City of Lee’s Summit will not be responsible for damage, or cover the cost of repairs for damage, to artwork during installation, exhibition, or de-installation.
• All artwork must be for sale and remain at the same price throughout the exhibition as submitted on the entry form. All artwork must remain on display throughout the exhibition period. This includes any artwork sold during the exhibit.
• The City of Lee’s Summit reserves the right to reproduce and distribute images of artwork through print and electronic media for the purposes of promoting the exhibit. The artist retains the copyright for the work.
• Liability.  Artists are responsible for insuring their artwork during transportation, installation, and de-installation. During the exhibition period, the City of Lee's Summit will provide coverage for property damage to the loaned artwork for the value of the sale price stated on the application in instances of vandalism or accident. The City of Lee’s Summit will not be held responsible for property damage due to weather, poor construction by artists, or poor installation by artists.