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Call for Entries

250 Years of American Style

CELEBRATING

in PALMER ALLEY

Palmer Alley

CALL for ENTRIES

Coneflower Installation by the local artist Phaan Howng

CALL for ENTRIES

In 2026, the United States marks its 250th anniversary. To recognize the moment, CityCenterDC is inviting artists and designers to submit their entries for a public art installation at Palmer Alley as we celebrate 250 Years of American Style.

American style has never been fixed. It takes shape in motion. Borrowed, remixed, worn down, and made new again. From music and fashion to art, innovation, and everyday objects, style is how culture becomes visible. It lives in what people choose, repeat, and recognize at a glance.

We ask you to translate that idea into form. To create a work that feels confident in public, holds attention without explanation, and belongs in the rhythm of the nation.


THE CONTEST

CityCenterDC will select one site specific, temporary public art installation to be installed in Palmer Alley for up to six months.

The work should offer a clear and compelling interpretation of American style. Entries may draw from fashion, graphic language, identity, cultural symbolism, movement, or material exploration. What matters most is a strong visual idea that reads clearly in an open, public setting and holds together at scale.

The winner will be awarded $10,000 and a budget of up to $100,000 for design, fabrication, and materials. The selected artist or team will work with an experienced local fabricator that has produced multiple installations at CityCenterDC. This collaboration allows artists to focus on concept and design while ensuring the work is executed with care and durability.


Past Installations

At the heart of CityCenterDC sits Palmer Alley, a premier outdoor space, attracting more than 1.5 million visitors annually. Known for its seasonal, overhead installations, artists have used it to introduce color, pattern, and light overhead, reshaping how the alley feels as people move through it.

The scale is intimate but architectural. The audience is unfiltered. Installations are encountered casually, experienced in motion, and often remembered visually. This is a space where bold ideas hold their shape.


Meet the Jury

Entries will be reviewed by a panel of voices from art, fashion, design, and the public realm. The panel reflects a range of perspectives shaped by curatorial work, creative practice, and experience bringing ideas into physical space.

The jury will be looking for work that translates cleanly from idea to built form, feels culturally aware, and is right for the setting. Ideas should be clear, intentional, and strong enough to stand on their own in a public environment.

Timothy R. Lowery

Managing Director, Retail and Mixed-Use
Americas | U.S. East & U.S. Sunbelt

Hines

Timothy R. Lowery is a commercial real estate executive and is Managing Director of Retail and Mixed-Use at Hines, the global real estate investment firm. He has overseen more than ten million square feet of projects across U.S. markets. Notably, he led the CityCenterDC project, the acclaimed 2.5 million-square-foot mixed-use development in downtown Washington, D.C. Under his leadership, CityCenterDC received numerous accolades including MAXI® Awards from ICSC, ADDY® American Advertising Awards, and three Emmy® Awards from The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.  

With a background as an internationally published commercial photographer, Timothy brings a creative lens and deep passion for the arts that have been instrumental in establishing CityCenterDC as a leader in urban art and cultural engagement, expanding the presence of the arts beyond traditional venues and into the public realm.

Timothy has been recognized outside of real estate as well, named a top Washington, D.C. Style Setter by Washingtonian Magazine, featured as one of DC Magazine’s Washington Men of Style, and a Washington Life Magazine Trendsetter. He currently holds several prominent board memberships including The Kennedy Center National Symphony Orchestra, The Washington Ballet, and Children’s National Hospital.

Robin Givhan

Fashion Editor and Pulitzer Prize Winning Writer

Robin Givhan the former senior critic-at-large for The Washington Post. Her work has also appeared in Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue, New York, the New Yorker and the New York Times. She’s the author of “The Battle of Versailles: The Night American Fashion Stumbled into the Spotlight and Made History” and “Make It Ours: Crashing the Gates of Culture with Virgil Abloh.”

In 2006, she won the Pulitzer Prize in criticism for her fashion coverage. In 2024, she was the recipient of the Rabkin Prize for her arts writing. She lives in Washington, DC.

Concetta Duncan

Head of Communications & Marketing

Smithsonian
National Portrait Gallery 

Concetta Duncan specializes in external affairs for cultural brands and institutions. She is currently Head of Communications and Marketing at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery where she has directed record-setting campaigns including the unveiling and multi-city tour of the Obama Portraits and the Portrait of a Nation Gala. She has coordinated with stakeholders including former Presidents and First Ladies, heads of state, celebrities, and thought leaders. She has served on pan-institutional branding committees for the Smithsonian’s American Women’s History and America’s 250th initiatives.  In New York, Concetta played an integral role in developing the U.S. office of a global communications agency following her time at Pace Gallery.

Throughout her career she has directed communications campaigns and events for numerous cultural organizations across the U.S., Europe, Brazil, Dubai and Hong Kong. Concetta has served as a board member of STABLE Arts, ArtTable’s Executive Committee and PERFORMA Biennial’s Advisory Council, and is a representative for the Downtown Arts & Entertainment Coalition. She is currently a member of Meridian International’s Cultural Diplomacy Leadership Council. She has a BA from Connecticut College. 

Caitlin Berry

Director, Irene and Richard Frary Gallery

Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center

Caitlin Berry is the inaugural Director of the Irene & Richard Frary Gallery at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center. Berry brings a depth of experience working with artistic communities across the museum, commercial, and academic sectors in Washington, D.C., and New York City. Before joining Hopkins, she was the inaugural director of the Rubell Museum DC, where she oversaw the launch of the new museum and established it as a hub for community and conversation.

Before the Rubell Museum DC, Caitlin was director of the Cody Gallery at Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia, and ran an independent art advisory with international clients. Her experience in commercial art includes Hemphill Artworks, a leading art gallery in D.C. with a focus on local emerging, mid-career, and established artists and the secondary market. Specializing in the Washington Color School, Mid-Century African American Art, and Contemporary Art, Berry has also held positions at Eykyn Maclean and Cristin Tierney Gallery in New York.

She holds a post baccalaureate degree in Gallery Management and a B.A. in Communication and Art History from Wake Forest University. 

Pum
Lefebure

Chief Creative Officer & Co-Founder

Design Army

Pum Lefebure is the co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of Design Army. An award-winning creative director and savvy business leader, Pum has developed numerous international campaigns for high-profile clients such as the Adobe, MORPHE, Netflix, Neenah Paper, The Ritz-Carlton, PepsiCo, Saucony, Hong Kong Ballet, and the Smithsonian. Born in Thailand, she brings a global sensibility to American design—a creative point of view that draws from different cultures and resonates with diverse audiences.

Guided by an entrepreneurial edge, Pum has elevated Design Army’s reputation as a trendsetter, while establishing her own hallmark: a distinctive union of the artistic and the commercial. With a rare balance of creativity, strategic thinking, and industry savvy, she has proven that good design is the cornerstone of good business. Her thought leadership has appeared in Fast Company, the New York Times, Adweek, Entrepreneur, and Forbes, to name a few.

Pum regularly judges elite global design competitions, including Cannes Lions, Clio, D&AD, and Spikes Asia. She has served as jury President for Cannes Design Lions, One Show Design, AdFest, and London International Awards. Her own work has earned a plethora of awards, including D&AD, One Show, ADC, Red Dot, AIGA, SPD, and TDC, and she has lectured and led workshops around the world, from Copenhagen and Durban to Bangkok and Beijing. She currently serves as Chair of the Board at The One Club for Creativity. 

JEFFERY WILKINS

VP, Visual Merchandising

Americas GUCCI

Jeffery rejoined GUCCI in September 2024 as Vice President of Visual – Americas, having previously held similar roles at Prada, Zara and Louis Vuitton.

While at GUCCI, Jeffery oversees and executes the creativity seen in in-store displays, windows and special visual production & pop ins. While at GUCCI, Jeffery has had the pleasure to work in collaboration with his team on a plethora of activations including Dapper Dan, Adidas and The North Face. With over 10 yrs in the fashion industry, Jeffery’s creative passion is driven by collaboration, innovation, the arts and his culture.

As a proud alumnus of Marymount University in Arlington, Va., Jeffery received his B.A and immediately following his M.B.A in Strategy Marketing.

Jeffery enjoys giving back to his community and spending time volunteering at his local church, mentoring fashion school students as they transition to graduates and supporting various charities.

Cory ryan
Frank

CMO & Director of Sales

Design Foundry

Cory Ryan Frank is the CMO and Director of Sales at Design Foundry, where for the past 13 years he has worked at the intersection of experiential design, fabrication, and client-driven storytelling. With an MFA in Theatre Design and Production, Cory brings a sharp understanding of how ideas translate into buildable, impactful structures, including multi-year collaborations with CityCenter and the widely recognized Summer Stream ribbon installation, as well as corporate, social, and nonprofit projects across the country. Cory is excited to bring his eye for craft, innovation, and buildability to this year’s judging panel.


TIMELINE

• Call for Entries Opens: February 24, 2026, at 12:01 AM

• Submission Portal Accepting Entries: March 16, 2026

 Final Submission Deadline: April 15, 2026, at 11:59 PM

• Finalist Reviews and Interviews: April 27.2026

• Selected Artist Announced: April 30, 2026

• Installation Period: June 12, 2026 to mid-November 2026 (subject to production schedule).


ELIGIBILITY &
AWARD

This call is open to professional artists, designers, and creative teams based in the United States. Multidisciplinary practices and fashion-forward perspectives are encouraged.


Submission Requirements

Entries should clearly communicate both the visual and conceptual intent of the work. A short list of finalists will be invited to interviews and further review prior to final selection. Each Submission must include the following materials:

Concept Overview: A brief written description (not to exceed 300 words) outlining the idea, intent, and relevance to the Project (the “Concept”).

Visual Representation: Renderings, sketches, diagrams, or other visual materials sufficient to communicate the Concept. A folder of source materials and renderings, feasibility guidance, and general technical specifications are provided to help craft your visual representation.

Artist or Team Background: Resume or CV and 3–5 examples of relevant past work

Preliminary Considerations: High-level thoughts on materials, scale, and installation approach (final engineering not required at this stage) that follows/meets the provided guidance in the asset download.

Considerations for the Concept: Concepts contained in the Submissions should be adaptable to an urban, outdoor environment and withstand normal public interaction and weather conditions. Each Submission must meet the following requirements:

• The Submission must be in English;
• The Submission must meet all requirements specified by the Portal;
• The Submission must be the original work of the Entrant or Entrant team;
• The Submission cannot have been submitted previously in a promotion or contest of any kind; and

Additional requirements, such as specific locations, footprints, power access, and technical constraints may be shared with Shortlist Submissions

A downloadable PDF with full site specifications, additional project details, and rules and requirements are available below. All inquiries related to this Call for Artists can be submitted no later than April 1, 2026 to CallForArtists@CityCenterDC.com

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