Houston Endowment – Jones Artist Awards Program 2025

Request for Proposals

Jones Artist Awards Program at Houston Endowment Inc.

Response Deadline: September 8, 2024

Call Summary

Weingarten Art Group invites artists who live in or are originally from the Greater Houston area to submit artwork for Houston Endowment’s 2025 Jones Artist Awards Program. The Program, entering its third year, was created by Houston Endowment in 2023 to recognize local artists and reflect the many stories and perspectives of Greater Houston’s residents. Jones Artist Awards recipients receive the opportunity to exhibit their work on a temporary basis in Houston Endowment’s headquarters, along with compensation for the loaned work.

Houston Endowment hosts three art exhibitions annually that are curated by Weingarten Art Group. A prime space in the building’s lobby has been set aside for this purpose. The exhibition is shared through online platforms and seen by visitors to the building throughout the year.

Houston Endowment’s mission is to improve the quality of life for everyone in Greater Houston. Houston Endowment has long supported and admired the vibrant arts community in Greater Houston, which celebrates our diversity and strengthens our connections to one another. Houston Endowment views the Program as an extension and component of its mission. The Program will complement Houston Endowment’s permanent art collection with a curatorial vision that celebrates acclaimed local artists, lifts emerging artistic talent, and reflects the diverse stories and perspectives of Greater Houston’s people and communities.

Learn more about the program and its past recipients in this story and video.

Award & Compensation

In 2025, the Jones Artist Awards Program will feature one solo exhibition and two group exhibitions. Up to four artists may be selected to participate in the group exhibitions.

Payments to artists range from $4,000 to $12,000, depending on the number of artists and artworks selected.

In addition to the loan payments, funds are available to cover exhibition expenses such as framing, art transport, installation & deinstallation, signage, professional photo documentation, and artist headshots. These expenses are managed and administered by WAG.

Artworks will be returned to the artist at the end of the exhibition.

Annual Theme

As the Program enters its third year, we invite applicants to respond to the theme of “rituals.” This theme aims to highlight the many ways rituals shape our experiences in both personal and communal contexts.

Submissions may explore a wide range of rituals, from daily habits such as self-care routines or the meditative processes of artmaking to more deeply spiritual or religious traditions. Artists are encouraged to consider how these practices provide structure, foster connections, and imbue our lives with meaning and purpose.

Exhibition Location

The exhibition space is approximately 30 ft wide and 11 ft tall. See Resources at the end of this document for site info and dimensions.

Artist Eligibility

This opportunity is open to artists 18 years of age or over who live in or are originally from the Greater Houston area.

The Program has an emphasis on (but is not exclusive to) early career, underrecognized, or underrepresented artists. Artists in Houston Endowment’s permanent collection and/or previous Jones Artist Awards recipients are not eligible.

Artwork specifications

Artists may submit existing artworks as well as proposals for new commissions (either for the entire wall or a single artwork).

The first exhibition will only include existing artworks. The second and third exhibitions will consider both existing works and proposals for new commissions.

The following media will be considered: Paintings, photography, works on paper, sculpture, site-specific multi-media installations, lightworks, painted murals, digital designs that can be printed as vinyl wall covering, and video & new media. For video and new media, a 50” video screen is available. Sound may only play on headphones, also available.

Application Components

For existing artworks: Submit up to 20 artworks for consideration
For proposals of new artworks: Submit renderings or preliminary sketches
- Proposals of new work may be for the entire wall or single artworks for a group exhibition
Image list including artwork titles, media, dates, and dimensions. You may also include here 1-2 sentence descriptions of specific artworks, if further explanation is needed
Artist Statement (400 words maximum) to include:
- Narrative about artist’s practice generally
- Narrative about the artworks or proposals submitted and their relation to the prompt
- Please describe your connection to Greater Houston if not currently residing here (only if applicable)
Examples of past work (up to 5 most relevant)
Resume

Application materials may only be submitted via the Submittable platform. If applicants encounter any technical issues, please address this with WAG during the period open for questions.

The deadline for questions is Wednesday, September 4, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. and the deadline for submissions is Sunday, September 8, 2024, at 11:59 p.m.

Selection Process & Criteria

Each artist proposal will be reviewed by Weingarten Art Group, in consultation with Houston Endowment, and assessed based on the criteria established below.

Quality of artist statement and its relation to the prompt
Quality of proposed artwork and its scale, safety, and feasibility for the site
Artist’s connection to the Greater Houston area

We are committed to a policy of providing opportunities to people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, veteran status, or physical ability.

Submission Instructions

Please submit all materials via Submittable at this link: https://weingartenartgroup.submittable.com/submit/297977/houston-endowment-jones-artist-awards-program-2025

The deadline for submissions is Sunday, September 8, 2024, at 11:59 p.m.

Timeline

Dates subject to change

RFP released: Monday, July 15, 2024

Questions due to [email protected]: 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, September 4, 2024

RFP due: 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, September 8, 2024

Artist(s) selected & notified: Monday, November 18, 2024

Exhibition 1 artwork delivered to WAG: Monday, December 16, 2024

Exhibition 1 installation: Monday, January 27, 2025

Exhibition 1 opens: Tuesday, January 28, 2025