Nature Quest Arts Contest: East Coast Adventures! Calling all youth ARTIST!

Explore your backyard, a local park, or other outdoor environments and tell your nature story by drawing, painting, photography, or poetry. Highlight plants, animals, and habitats that are all along the East Coast! The Eastern Coast of the United States offers a massive diversity of stunning natural environments, with Maryland being one of the few states where you can genuinely experience all four distinct seasons and a unique mid-Atlantic geography that packs diverse lands from rugged granite coastlines, ancient mountain ranges, and dense maritime forests. Explore the eastern coasts and share your views of these beautiful landscapes and native animals with the Nature Quest art contest!

Artwork Submission Deadline: Sunday, November 1, 2026

Finalists must drop-off their artwork to a designated location (TBD) any day between November 30 - December 11, 9am-4pm. Location for artwork drop-off will be sent directly to winners and finalists.

Eligibility Requirements:

• This contest is open to Prince George's County residents that are 18 years old and under. No purchase is necessary.
• Entries must be inspired by nature.
• Content of the work must be original. Use of another artist’s work is not eligible.
• You may enter as many categories as you want!   

Awards

For the drawing/painting, photography, and poetry categories 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place prizes will be chosen from each age group. 1st place is awarded $300, 2nd place is awarded $200, and 3rd place is awarded $100

*Drawings & Paintings are all in the same category. Elementary School: K - Grade 5 Middle School: Grades 6 – 8 High School: Grades 9 - 12

Important Dates & Deadlines:

Submissions Open: July 1 – November 1, 2026 

Artwork Deadline: Sunday, November 1, 2026 

Winners & Finalists Announced: November 23, 2026 

Artwork Drop-off: November 30 - December 11, 2026 

Opening Reception Date: Friday, January 8, 2027 6:30-8:30pm  

Exhibit Open from January 8 – 21, 2027 

Questions? If you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact Shaiday Dancy (Shaiday.dancy@pgparks.com)

The 2027 Nature Quest Art Contest is a program of The Maryland-National Capital Park & Planning Commission, Department of Parks & Recreation, Prince George’s County, Arts and Cultural Heritage Division. 

Public Art Opportunity

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS 

Prince George’s County, Maryland

Good Luck Community Center

8601 Good Luck Road, Lanham, Maryland 20706

SUBMISSION OF MATERIALS ACCEPTED AT: https://m-ncppc.submittable.com 

UNTIL: 12 MIDNIGHT, EASTERN STANDARD TIME ON MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2026. 

I. PROJECT OVERVIEW & CONTEXT

The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George’s County invites professional visual artists and design teams to submit qualifications for two major exterior public art opportunities at the new Good Luck Community Center. 

This project represents a complete, modern transformation of the site. The existing facility, parking layout, and playgrounds are being razed to clear the way for a brand-new, single-story, approximately 25,000 gross square foot (GSF) state-of-the-art community center and gymnasium. Sited deliberately near the northwest corner of the lot closer to Good Luck Road, the new facility utilizes an open "L" configuration that creates a generous, highly visible front entry sequence. 

The public art pieces are envisioned as critical neighborhood anchors that will sit within this main entrance threshold. Highly visible to westbound vehicular traffic on Good Luck Road and active pedestrians entering the site, these works will establish a profound sense of place, welcoming multi-generational families to a space dedicated to recreation, equity, and sustainability. 

Artists or artist teams may submit credentials for either one or both opportunities outlined below. However, selected semi-finalists will ultimately be commissioned to execute only one project. 

II. ABOUT M-NCPPC PRINCE GEORGE’S DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) is a celebrated bi-county agency established in 1927 to oversee park development and land-use planning across Prince George's and Montgomery Counties. 

The Department of Parks and Recreation, Prince George’s County is a six-time National Gold Medal winner for excellence in park and recreation management. Managing over 27,000 acres of parkland, the Department provides top-tier community centers, athletic complexes, historic sites, and cultural art programming designed to enrich the lives of all county residents. Through its Public and Visual Arts Unit, the Department champions strategic place-keeping initiatives that weave professional contemporary artwork directly into civic infrastructure. 

III. TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS & ART OPPORTUNITIES Opportunity #1: Exterior Public Art Piece (Entry Plaza Sculpture)

• Budget: $200,000 maximum allocation (all-inclusive of design, engineering drawings, fabrication, structural footings, transport, installation, and artist fees).
• Location & Footprint: To be installed within a designated area situated on the primary front entrance plaza, directly framed by the building's main approach sequence. 
• Scale & Geometry: Abstract forms are highly preferred. The final sculpture must be multi-dimensional and dynamic, presenting an impactful composition from all viewing angles. The vertical height must not exceed 18 feet, and the physical structure must safely clear all pedestrian pathways, maintaining required sightlines for vehicle circulation and primary building signage. 
• Materiality & Landscape Integration: To match the facility's low-maintenance, biophilic design approach (which features vertical metal siding, split-face concrete block, and natural wood-look phenolic rain screen panels), steel is designated as the primary sculptural material, with concrete acceptable as a secondary medium. Other permanent, climate-resilient exterior materials may be proposed. 
• Thematic Directions: Proposals during should creatively address or interpret one or more of the following core project themes: 

                     o      Movement (celebrating active recreation and dance) 

                     o      Community Center Identity (e.g., creative interpretations of "Good Luck") 

                     o      Neighborhood History and Local Heritage

                     o      Sportsmanship, Unity, and Equity

                     o      Sustainability in Form, Concept, or Execution

                     o      Safe, Passive Interactivity

• Site Color Palette: The architectural design centers on a sustainable palette of blacks, deep greens, and natural woods. To contrast and complete this layout, community stakeholders have expressed a strong historical affinity for red, black, and green. Artists are encouraged to utilize red or vibrant greens as an eye-catching, celebratory pop of color to highlight the main entrance. 

Opportunity #2: Artistic Seating Element

• Budget: $50,000 maximum allocation (all-inclusive of design, fabrication, delivery, anchorage hardware, and site installation).
• Physical Description: A functional, permanent public art bench seating element designed to serve patrons utilizing the exterior plaza and perimeter walkways. 
• Technical Parameters: The seating must be constructed of exceptionally durable, vandal-resistant, weather-hardened materials suitable for multi-generational public use (e.g., cast concrete, sculpted stone, treated metals, or heavy-duty composites). It must strictly adhere to universal accessibility codes and municipal structural requirements. 
• Coordination: The artist will collaborate directly with CGS Architects, Bradley Site Design, and MCN Build to review subterranean grading, foundation anchoring requirements, and structural site utility lines prior to installation. 

Design Development Stipend: The Artist Selection Committee will select three (3) semi-finalists for each opportunity to advance to the formal proposal phase. Semi-finalists for the Opportunity #1- Exterior Public Art Piece, will receive a $2,000 stipend, and semi-finalists for the Opportunity #2- Artistic Seating Element, will receive a $1,000 stipend, to offset design development, presentation renderings, and travel expenses. 

SITE IMAGES

IV. ELIGIBILITY & CRITERIA

Artist Eligibility

• This opportunity is strictly open to professional visual artists and design teams who reside or maintain an active, verifiable professional studio space within Maryland, Washington, D.C., or Virginia (DMV region). 
• Applicants must be at least 21 years of age or older at the time of submission. 
• Applicants must demonstrate a successful professional history of executing durable, permanent public art installations of a similar financial and structural scale. 
• M-NCPPC employees and immediate family members are ineligible to apply. 

Selection Process & Criteria

An Artist Selection Committee consisting of cultural arts strategists, project architects, public art professionals, and local community stakeholders will evaluate all eligible submissions across three distinct phases. 

• Phase 1: Qualifications Review: Submissions will be evaluated based on the artistic excellence of past work samples, proven technical capability to work with outdoor media, and the clarity of the initial Statement of Interest. The committee will select three (3) semi-finalists for each opportunity. 
• Phase 2: Proposal Development: Semi-finalists will receive detailed architectural construction drawings, a comprehensive site briefing, and a $2,000 design stipend. Over a one-month period, semi-finalists will develop site-specific design concepts, technical material specifications, and accurate scale renderings. Finalists must submit three (3) professional references at this stage. 
• Phase 3: Final Presentation: Semi-finalists will make a formal presentation of their design proposals and mockups to the Selection Committee. One final artist or team per opportunity will be selected to enter into a contract for fabrication and installation. 

V. SUBMISSION PROCEDURES & REQUIREMENTS

All application materials must be uploaded digitally via Submittable.com. No physical sketches, design mockups, or formal proposals should be submitted during this initial request for qualifications phase. 

Required Application Components

1. Contact & Team Profile: Full legal name, studio address, email, telephone number, and website for the primary artist or designated team lead. 
2. Statement of Interest: A written statement (maximum 1,000 words) clearly indicating which opportunity (Opportunity #1, Opportunity #2, or both) you are pursuing. Outline your artistic philosophy, interest in this community, and how your technical experience positions you to address the project's core themes. 
3. Digital Portfolio (Work Samples): Up to ten (10) high-resolution digital images of completed, permanent original artworks. Detail shots or alternate viewing angles of a single project count toward the 10-image maximum. Each image must be accompanied by detailed metadata: Project Title and Location, Exact Materials and Fabrication Methods, Physical Dimensions, Total Project Budget (inclusive of all fees), Year of Completion 
4. Professional Resume / CV: A current professional curriculum vitae (maximum 3 pages per individual) highlighting public commissions, relevant exhibitions, and awards. Teams must compile individual resumes for all active members into a single PDF document. 

VI. PROJECT TIMELINE & BENCHMARKS

Currently, the project is approaching the initiation of the construction phase with final completion scheduled for June 2027. All selected project semi-finalists will be given an updated project timeline for key public art benchmarks to coordinate with the overall construction project schedule.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 

12 MIDNIGHT (EASTERN STANDARD TIME) MONDAY, August 17, 2026.

https://m-ncppc.submittable.com

CONTACT:

Brittney McGowan

Public Art Specialist

Arts and Cultural Heritage Division

M-NCPPC Prince George’s Department of Parks and Recreation

brittney.mcgowan@pgparks.com