The 2021 Socrates Annual awards ten artists–selected through an open-call application process by a curatorial jury–with the funding, technical assistance, and administrative support needed to realize ambitious public art projects for dedicated exhibition in the Park’s landscape. Rather than adhering to a specific theme, The Socrates Annual program seeks to showcase each Artist Fellow’s unique vision and practice.
Since its inception in 1986, Socrates Sculpture Park has been referred to as a sanctuary for both the public and artists. Applicants to The 2021 Socrates Annual fellowship & exhibition program are encouraged to submit proposals focused on the idea of sanctuary in its various manifestations–with the goal of presenting public artwork for a fall 2021 group exhibition.
The word “sanctuary” derives from the Latin “sanctus” meaning, “holy” and signifies a sacred or holy place. The word’s secular meanings are now more frequently employed, such as the broader “place of refuge or safety” or the more specific “nature reserve”. In Medieval times, political fugitives and debtors sought sanctuary at the church as a place of immunity and asylum, and the word today retains some of the connotations of spirituality from this early connection to religion. Sanctuary is not just a place of shelter and protection but also a place of reverence imbued with the energy of social generosity.