Call for Proposals Now Open for Art on the River 2026-27

November 3, 2025

The City of Dubuque, Iowa, is soliciting sculpture proposals for its 20th Art on the River public art sculpture exhibit to be held along the Mississippi Riverwalk in the Port of Dubuque from August 2026 through July 2027.

"Stillness in the Driftless” has been selected by a community planning committee as the theme for the 2026-27 exhibit and is described as follows:

Stillness in the Driftless invites visitors to pause within the quiet beauty of the Mississippi River and the bluffs that cradle Dubuque. This theme reflects on the ways stillness allows us to listen to the landscape, to memory, and to one another. Featured works will explore presence, reflection, and connection, evoking the balance between movement and rest, solitude and community, nature and self. 

Rooted in the distinctive terrain of the Driftless Region, the exhibit calls upon artists to capture moments of calm, contemplation, and belonging. Through form, texture, and light, selected works will encourage viewers to slow down, notice more deeply, and find renewal in the spaces between rolling river and rockface, sound and silence, past and possibility.

With that vision in mind, the City of Dubuque welcomes and encourages submissions for existing and proposed 3D public artworks that reflect and embody the theme of “Stillness in the Driftless.” The exhibit seeks to create an experience of mindful encounter, an invitation to inhabit the present moment and rediscover what endures within this landscape we call home.

Up to 11 sculptural works will be selected for the exhibition to be displayed at the Port of Dubuque from August 2026 to July 2027. There is no fee to apply, and artists can submit completed works or those to be fabricated by the August 2026 installation dates. Artists may submit up to three works for consideration; a separate application must be completed for each artwork. Online applications are due by 11:59 p.m. CST on Friday, January 16, 2026. Access the application form at www.cityofdubuque.org/AOTRapply. 

Selected artists receive a $1,800 stipend for each work included in the exhibition. Additional cash prizes of $1,000 for Best in Show and $200 for People’s Choice are also available. Artworks are encouraged to be for sale as special efforts are made to promote purchasing throughout the year. The City coordinates all financial transactions related to sales of artwork and retains a 25 percent commission of the retail price.

Art on the River is part of the Dubuque City Council’s ongoing efforts to foster diverse arts and culture experiences that will improve the social and cultural vibrancy of the community. Since its inception, the program has featured 187 sculptures representing the work of 126 artists at the Port of Dubuque. This 90-acre riverfront campus welcomes 200,000+ visitors each year with features like the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium, the Grand River Center, Grand Harbor Resort and Waterpark, Diamond Jo Casino, the historic Dubuque Star Brewery, Dubuque Shot Tower, and the Port of Dubuque Marina.

More information is available at www.cityofdubuque.org/artontheriver or by contacting the Office of Arts & Cultural Affairs Manager Bonnie Spurling at bspurlin@cityofdubuque.org or 563-690-6059.

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