Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge, Sherman/Lake Texoma
Sherman Bird Sculptures & Festival
FALL 2025 CALL FOR ARTISTS
​The Sherman Cultural District is pleased to announce a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts to support a sculpture series and Bird Festival in May 2026. SCD invites artists living and working in North Texas to apply for a funded public art opportunity celebrating the native and migratory birds of North Texas. These 3-D works will be displayed throughout the Sherman Cultural District as part of a permanent public exhibition highlighting the beauty and ecological significance of native and migratory birds of North Texas. The goal of the public art is to celebrate nature, biodiversity, and artistic expression through a highly visible outdoor installation, as well as recognize Sherman’s proximity to Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge.
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PROJECT DETAILS:
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Six selected artists will each receive a $2,000 honorarium.
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Each artist will be provided with a metal silhouette, created from the artist's design of their selected bird, as a base for artistic transformation.
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Final artwork dimensions should range from 4 to 6 feet in height, can be painted, adorned, or otherwise modified with treatments that adhere/attach permanently to the metal surface and are durable in all types of weather.
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Completed works will be displayed in the Sherman Cultural District, and will be owned by the Sherman Cultural District.
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Artist applications are open September 20-November 14, 2025. Artists' concepts selected for the project must be completed and delivered by March 20, 2026. Art will be unveiled at the Sherman Bird Festival on May 16, 2026.
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ARTIST REQUIREMENTS:
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Artists must reside within the North Texas Region (including Dallas/Fort Worth) and into Texas-Oklahoma border counties of the Texoma region.
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Artists must be 18 years or older.
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Prior experience with public art is not required but is encouraged.
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Artists submissions must feature one of these bird species as a single bird or grouping of same birds:
Great Blue Heron, Snow Goose, Painted Bunting, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Greater Roadrunner, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Bald Eagle, Mockingbird, American White Pelican, Blue Grosbeak, Ruby Throated Hummingbird. ​
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Artworks will be selected on the basis of creativity and originality of proposed design.
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Download the Prospectus for complete information. Questions? Email us at info@shermanarts.org
This project is funded in part by a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts. Additional funding comes from the City of Sherman, and programmatic support is provided by Friends of Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge.