Calls for Art 

Call for Artists

TIMELINE

Philadelphia Sculptors at Laurel Hill Mansion

Submission Deadline:  March 3, 2025 

Philadelphia Sculptors, in collaboration with Women for Greater Philadelphia, invites artists to apply to our upcoming outdoor sculpture exhibition Timeline, with either preexisting artworks or proposals for new work. The exhibition will take place from July 18 – October 17, 2025 on the grounds of the Laurel Hill Mansion which sits on a high bluff overlooking the Schuylkill River in East Fairmount Park in Philadelphia. Timeline takes an expansive view of the panoramic property and its history. As Philadelphia prepares to celebrate the Semiquincentennial in 2026, this call asks for artists to reflect on the Timeline of American history. Some topics fitting for the historical site may include land acquisition, women’s rights to property, architecture, commerce, farming, Quakerism, colonial American history in all its complexity, or simply a stunning scenic view. Artists selected for the exhibition will receive a $100 stipend.

There is no application fee, but all applicants need to be current members of Philadelphia Sculptors or Women for Greater Philadelphia to be eligible to apply. PS has a sliding membership scale and new members are welcome to join either or both organizations.

Jurors: Nancy Agati and Rachel Zimmerman.

Brief History of Laurel Hill Mansion

Laurel Hill Mansion (LHM) sits on lands that were for millennia inhabited by the Lenni Lenape. Acquired by William Penn in 1682, the land where the house stands was purchased in in 1760 by Francis Rawle, a prosperous Quaker merchant. Laurel Hill Mansion was built by his widow Rebecca in 1767. Between the construction of the house and its purchase in 1869 by the City of Philadelphia, the mansion was occupied by a varied group of inhabitants and had multiple owners who left their marks on Philadelphia and the young nation. LHM was one of the first properties acquired by Philadelphia to protect its water supply in what was to become Fairmount Park.  Since then, it has served multiple purposes.  Beginning in 1976 it has been open to the public with the nonprofit organization, Women for Greater Philadelphia serving as the steward for the property.

Additional information about the history of Laurel Hill Mansion is available at:

Laurel Hill Mansion and The Historical Society of Pennsylvania 

Click HERE for prospectus and application instructions.