Sylvester Manor issues call for sculptures: 3rd year of outdoor art exhibit

Sylvester Manor has announced “[R]evolution,” the third annual exhibition of outdoor sculpture and installations on the historic property. 

Following the resounding critical and public success of the Inaugural Exhibition and that of “Paradise Lost” in 2025, Sculpture @Sylvester Manor is inviting artists whose practices have drawn meaning from the East End of Long Island to submit proposals for selection in the 2026 summer exhibition.

As in the past, artists are encouraged to submit works that are studio-created and installed, created on site for the duration of the exhibition and then removed, or with leave-no-trace materials that bio-degrade back into the environment.

Curated by artworld veteran Tom Cugliani, the 2026 theme of [R]evolution commemorates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, paired with those groundbreaking theories of evolution developed by Charles Darwin in the mid19th century.

The exhibition will be loosely organized around their mutually radical texts: “The Origin of Species” by Darwin published in 1859 and “Common Sense” by Thomas Paine published in 1774.

Sylvester Manor has a significant pre-colonial heritage with a documented history dating to the 1651 arrival of Europeans to Manhansack Aha Quash A Womak  —  the Island Sheltered by Islands. Today it is one of the very few properties of its size, topographic and cultural diversity made available to the public after having been privately passed through 11 generations of the Sylvester family. As a venue for public art, Sculpture @ Sylvester Manor features sites of pastoral meadowlands, old growth forest, waterfront estuary and formally designed gardens.

Owing to a life-long association with Shelter Island, Tom Cugliani is uniquely positioned to bring a contemporary artworld sensibility and native sensitivity to the development of Visual Arts Programming at Sylvester Manor. Sculpture @ Sylvester Manor has demonstrated a growing attendance that includes visitors of all interests, from the casual to the artworld professional. This singular forum of art, culture and history has a devoted media following with support in the print, digital, radio and virtual sectors.

Sculpture @ Sylvester Manor provides a self-guided walking tour complete with catalogue descriptions of the artworks in the exhibition, curatorial commentary and links to the artists’ websites and social media platforms. Additionally, a digital catalogue that memorializes the exhibition is available online and for the further promotion of the artists’ works after the exhibition closes.

For more information, including how to submit proposals, visit sylvestermanor.org/sculpture/