Each year, the Museum of Fine Arts celebrates the holiday season with a Holiday Tree placed in the middle of our Great Hall, decorated by members of The Stuart Society. The Museum of Fine Arts is excited to carry on this holiday tradition, with a contemporary spin!

Artists from the Tampa Bay area (Hernando, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pasco, Pinellas, and Sarasota counties) are invited to propose design for an artistic holiday display based on the theme of Harmony, with ornaments to be fabricated for purchase in support of the MFA.

The Museum will provide a stipend of $10,000 which will cover artist fee and fabrication costs. Artists working in any medium are invited to apply as long as the design remains within the fabrication budget and all ornaments and decorative elements created hang safely on the Holiday Tree, which measures approximately 15 feet high by 84 inches wide across at the base. The ornaments will be displayed on the Museum’s Holiday Tree, situated in the Great Hall. We want to see what you can do, so please also consider the Great Hall in its entirety for an immersive design or installation in keeping with the theme of Harmony! (Room dimensions provided at the bottom of this page.)

A jury composed of Museum representatives will select one artist for the holiday display.

Application Materials:

• A 150-word description of the holiday display and its relationship to the theme of harmony, as well as a brief production/fabrication plan
• Sketch of design (JPG or PDF)
• CV
• Up to 5 examples of past work, no more than 1MB each

Timeline:

June 12 – call is announced

July 22 – entries due

August 4 – selection announced

August 18– approval of final design; fabrication to begin

November 19 – drop-off and installation of Great Hall holiday design and Holiday Tree

November 29 – unveiling of Holiday Tree during MFA Community Open House, 6-8PM

Please email all materials and any questions to deckthegreathall@mfastpete.org

In your email, include all application materials listed above, as well as contact information.  Good luck!