Request for Proposals (RFP): APSU Public Sculpture Loan Program

Overview

Austin Peay State University (APSU) is launching a Public Sculpture Loan Program to bring large-scale, outdoor sculptural works to the Art + Design Quad on campus. Selected works will be displayed for a two-year loan period, in partnership with the Tennessee Arts Commission.

This initiative offers artists the opportunity for a professional, public installation on a collegiate campus, along with an honorarium of $4,000 for the duration of the 2-year loan. This is all-inclusive (to cover the loan fee, shipping both ways, and installation). 

Objective

The goal of this project is to create a dynamic and engaging environment that enriches the daily experience of APSU students, faculty, and visitors. We seek sculptures that are:

• Thoughtful, visually compelling, and professionally executed
• Suitable for a college campus and public setting
• Conceptually strong, challenging traditional notions of public art and its role in communal spaces

Eligibility and Artwork Requirements

• Eligible Artists: Open to all professional artists aged 18 and older.
• Type of Work: Only completed, original works will be considered. Models, proposals, or uncompleted projects will not be accepted.
• Condition: Work must be structurally sound, installation-ready, and capable of withstanding outdoor exposure, including heavy wind, rain, ice, and snow.
• Safety: All artwork must be safe for public interaction, non-hazardous, and maintenance-free for the full two-year period.
• Mounting: Work must be able to be securely anchored safely and securely to a concrete pad. 
• Dimensions of concrete pads:  
  • Two pads are 4’ x 4’ 
  • One pad is 3’x 5’

   

• The artist must confirm that the pad dimensions are appropriate for their work prior to installation.
• Transport and Installation: Artists are responsible for transporting their sculpture to campus and leading the installation process. APSU faculty, students, and grounds staff will assist, but the artist must arrive with a clear and safe installation plan.

Selection Criteria

Submissions will be reviewed by a committee composed of APSU Art + Design faculty, and CECA (Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts) representatives. Selection will be based on:

• Artistic merit and conceptual strength
• Craft and durability
• Appropriateness for a public university environment
• Feasibility of installation and maintenance requirements

Support Provided

APSU will provide:

• A pre-poured concrete pad for installation
• Assistance from Art + Design and APSU Grounds during installation
• Publicity through university and community channels
• On-site coordination with APSU students to support professional engagement and learning

Honorarium

Selected artists will receive an honorarium of $4,000 for 2 years. This is all-inclusive (to cover the loan fee, shipping both ways, and installation). 

Submission Guidelines

Interested artists should submit the following materials:

1. Artist Statement (up to 500 words)

2. Description of Artwork (title, dimensions, materials, year completed)

3. High-Resolution Images (3–5 views of the work)

4. Installation Plan (brief description of how the work will be secured)

5. Artist CV or Resume (2 pages maximum)

In collaboration with Humanities Tennessee, Austin Peay State University is the proud home of the Tennessee Young Writers' Workshop. The Tennessee Young Writers' Workshop provides high school students ages 14-18 with a unique overnight summer camp experience focused on creative writing.

This year's camp will be hosted at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, Tennessee from June 21-27, 2026. Students will spend the week on campus, enjoy evening activities and events, and learn from engaging, professional instructors who will lead workshops in a wide variety of creative writing styles and genres, all while interacting with peers who share the same passions and goals. The summer camp vibe will also include various summer camp activities (poetry line friendship bracelets! tie-dye!) in addition to writing workshops.

Applications are awarded acceptance on a competitive basis, and students are required to submit a creative writing sample. Additionally, students must be between the ages of 14-18 during the time of summer camp; no exceptions will be made to the age requirements.

The fee for this year's camp is TBA. Financial assistance is available and will be decided upon acceptance. The need for financial assistance does not factor into the acceptance decision.

MEMORY is the theme of this year’s festival. We invite proposals for papers, panels, workshops, and creative readings that explore memory as personal experience, collective history, cultural archive, and political force.

This year, festival attendees have the opportunity to attend craft talks and readings led by professional writers, participate in generative writing workshops, attend informational panels on writing and the writing industry, and meet with APSU creative writing faculty.

Suggested Topics:

• Craft Talks
• Conversations on Personal & Collective Histories
• Workshops on Genre, Style, & Form
• Insight to the Writing/Publishing Industry/Digital Publishing 
• Writing in and out of Academia
• Self/Indie Publishing and Marketing
• Writing Pedagogy
• Literature & Memory
• Multimodal Essays
• Tabletop Gaming
• And more!

Submission Guidelines: 

Please include a 300-word proposal—indicating either virtual or in-person—and a 150-word proposer bio with a headshot.

Selected proposals will be announced on February 20, 2026. 

This year's festival is Thursday - Saturday April 16th - 18th, 2026. Join us on Thursday for a reading curated and hosted by Rebecca Makkai. Panels, craft talks, readings, and plenary talks take place all day Friday. Saturday is the celebration of Tennessee's Emerging Creative Writers high school contest.

Entries that do not follow the above guidelines will not be considered. If you have any questions about the festival, please reach out to Joey Grisham (she/her) at grishamj@apsu.edu.

Students should work with their English or Writing teachers on pieces they would like to submit to the contest in fiction, poetry, or personal essay. 

Students in Grades 9 – 11: 

Submissions should be formatted in standard MLA and proof-read.

Graduating Seniors:

Submissions should be formatted in standard MLA, proof-read, and submitted through the APSU Scholarship Portal found here: https://www.apsu.edu/scholarships/. 

Submissions must include:

1: A cover letter that introduces the submission and includes the student’s contact information,

     grade level, high school, and name of English/Writing teacher.

2: The necessary document(s) as a .doc, .docx, or .pdf.

3: Remove any personal identifying information from creative pieces and file names.

4: Files should be named as the title of the submitted work. Example "the_purple_wren.docx."

5: Students are limited to a maximum of one submission per category. For fiction or personal 

    essays, we ask for a 2000-word limit. For poetry, we ask for 2-3 individual pieces.

Finalists and Winners will be announced in March 2026. 

IMPORTANT: Entries that do not follow the above guidelines will not be considered. If you have any questions about the contest or festival, please reach out to Dr. Raymond Deeren deerenr@apsu.edu.