The new Lexington Market is looking for artists!  

As part of the development of a new Lexington Market, including a new plaza, two Calls for Artists have been released seeking permanent, site-specific, integrated artworks. Both calls are open to artists living and working in Maryland and its contiguous states: Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Artists living and working in Baltimore and across Maryland are especially encouraged to apply. Artists may apply individually or as a team. 

The full application with additional information is available here and is due by Tuesday, March 23, 2021.  

The Calls for Artists are supported by the Municipal Art Society of Baltimore City, Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts, Lexington Market, and Seawall. 

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS 

Applications must be submitted online through the Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts and only complete applications will be shown to the Artist Selection Committee. The full list of requirements for the Request for Qualifications is available here. 

Please note that no artwork proposals are to be submitted at this stage. 

MORE INFORMATION 
For any questions about the Calls for Artists, please contact Peter Doo petercdoo@gmail.com.

TENTATIVE PROPOSED TIMELINE 
Entry Application Deadline: March 23, 2021 
Semi-Finalists Announced & Notified: April 16, 2021 
Site Visits/ Virtual or In Person: Last two weeks of April 
Community Engagement: Begin the last two weeks of April 
Semi-finalists’ Proposal Development: May 1, 2021 – June 30, 2021 
Semi-Finalists Presentations: June 30, 2021 
Finalists Notified and Announced: July 30, 2021 
Proposal Development Phase: August 15, 2021 – October 15, 2021 
Final Design Phase and Fabrication: October 15, 2021 – September 2022 
Installation: September 2022 

PROJECT BACKGROUND 
Lexington Market has hired Baltimore community developer Seawall to build a new market building and plaza for the iconic institution which for more than 200 years has been a staple of Baltimore life and is the longest continuously operating public market in the country. The city-owned market sits in the heart of Baltimore City and has always served as a hub for community, culture, health, and wealth building. Along with the new Market building filled with 50+ vendors from all across the city and state, Lexington Market expects these two new public artworks to be on every Baltimoreans’ and tourists’ list of most beloved destinations in the city. 

A new Lexington Market building is being built on the Market’s existing south parking lot, and a new plaza will connect between Eutaw and Paca Streets, making historic Lexington Street a walkable, urban green space. When completed in early 2022, the transformed Lexington Market will be home to approximately 50 vendors – and the plaza will be a site for countless community gatherings.