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The Burlington Public Arts Committee is seeking innovative and interactive submissions for its 2026 installation.

Since its inaugural set of sculptures in 2020, the Committee has refreshed its public art offerings every two years, leasing large pieces that bring excitement and visual interest to the Town Center. During each two-year cycle, the Committee selects five sculptures from the submissions and returns three from the previous installation whose leases have ended. What happens with the other two? The Committee fundraises in an effort to purchase fan favorites and build up the town’s inventory of public art. This year, they hope to purchase Dream Manifesting and Edwin the Hungry Dragon.

The Public Arts Committee hopes to purchase Edwin the Hungry Dragon (left) and Dream Manifesting (center at the Sculpture Park, right at its current location in front of the Burlington Town Hall Annex) this season.

This year’s call for artists will only result in three new sculptures for the town rather than five – a response to the changes you might have noticed in the Town Center.

From 2020 to 2025 the artwork was showcased at the Sculpture Park, which sat between the police station and Grandview Farm. With plans in place to build a new police station, the sculptures needed to be moved – at least temporarily. The new “Sculpture Walk” is spread out along Center Street, both on the Town Common and the Municipal Campus side.

The process to move the pieces involved a good bit of negotiation among the Public Arts Committee, Select Board, and Recreation Department, and Public Arts Committee Chair Barbara L’Heureux said the Committee doesn’t want to push it by adding more sculptures, which would need more space and additional concrete pads for installation. “The Select Board was really generous and we’re happy we’re there,” she said. “We don’t want to push the envelope trying to increase the number of sculptures on the Common.”

L’Heureux is excited to see this year’s submissions and hopes they will include the qualities emphasized in the call: entries that are interactive, include movement in some form, and/or have a musical component. These qualities have been on the Committee's wish list from the beginning, aligning with the town's initiatives to bring interest and engagement to the Town Center. “We don’t know if we’ll get any entries that fit that bill,” she said, “but we’re hopeful.”

Once the Committee filters out submissions that don’t fit the audience or would pose a safety hazard, they hand over the submissions to the high school and the town’s four elementary schools, said L’Heureux. Students at these levels vote on their favorites, and the Committee chooses the final winners. She added that the selection process aims to showcase variety in materials and styles and emphasize community engagement. Selected artists receive a stipend and installation support.

The submission window is open now and closes March 2, though an extension may be offered. Notice of acceptance will be delivered on April 15, and installation will begin in June. Works must be no taller than 12 feet. View more technical specifications in the prospectus below.

Get more details and enter here.

Check out the new location of each sculpture at the Sculpture Park website.

Donate here to support the town in keeping the popular sculptures Dream Manifesting and Edwin the Hungry Dragon

Burlington Sculpture Park Round 4 (2026-2028) prospectus
Burlington Sculpture Park Round 4 (2026-2028) prospectus .pdf
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