The Stamp Gallery is pleased to announce an open call for workshop proposals as part of our 2025 Family Saturday Arts at Stamp Program, inspired by the themes and works in the Contemporary Art Purchasing Program (CAPP) collection. We seek enthusiastic, creative, and experienced artists, writers, art educators, and art historians from the UMD community to design and lead activities and workshops that foster meaningful art experiences for children and their families. The proposed programs are expected to introduce participants to contemporary art practices, using interactive and hands-on activities that spark curiosity, encourage critical thinking, and celebrate artistic expression.
About Us
The Adele H. Stamp Student Union Arts Center is formed by the Stamp Gallery, the Contemporary Arts Purchasing Program, and Studio A.
The Stamp Gallery is dedicated to the exhibition of contemporary art with an emphasis on the work of emerging and mid-career artists. The gallery supports contemporary art that is challenging and/or academically engaging and that addresses broad community and social issues. Through meaningful exhibitions and programming the gallery offers an outside-of-the-classroom experiential learning opportunity. Our space can be used as a laboratory for emerging artists and curators to experiment and work through their ideas, emphasizing the importance of the process to contemporary artistic practice. The gallery serves by providing exhibitions of social responsibility and artistic substance, as well as by offering an educational forum in which dialogue between artist and viewer and art and community is encouraged.
The Contemporary Arts Purchasing Program (CAPP) was developed by the University of Maryland College Park Stamp Student Union with the mission to educate and inspire by exposing the campus community to thought-provoking contemporary art. Now, in its eighteenth year, the program provides a student committee with the opportunity to interact with the art world by researching, discussing, and purchasing artwork by emerging and established contemporary artists. CAPP operates on a biannual basis and students of diverse majors are selected to participate through a competitive application process. Together, they embark on a rigorous research and training program, including extensive visits to galleries and artists’ studios across Baltimore, New York, and Washington, DC.
Studio A is an interactive center encouraging the self-expression and self-development of the UMD community. We offer a creative outlet for students, faculty/staff, and community members via non-credit courses in the arts. Through weekly classes and frequent workshops, we provide the opportunity to learn new skills, explore a topic, or pursue a creative passion. In addition, we serve as a creative partner for student groups, campus organizations, and departments by offering a physical space and environment for people to come together and create. Studio A offers a pottery studio, darkroom, dance/movement studio, and multipurpose arts studio. We encourage people to engage individually and as a team with different modes of perception and expression.
Program Overview
Your proposal should be designed primarily for children, but as they will be accompanied by a parent or care provider, they could also be taken into consideration in your program.
Selected activities and workshops will take place between May and June 2025, with dates and times to be determined based on each instructor’s availability and scheduling needs.
Each workshop should be between 1–2 hours long, and balance engaging but manageable activities with focused learning outcomes for young audiences.
Each selected instructor will receive an honorarium of $250 per workshop.
Workshops should reflect themes, concepts, or specific works from the CAPP collection. We invite proposals that do one or more of the following:
- Offer hands-on art-making or interactive activities that resonate with young minds and align with contemporary art themes.
- Foster a meaningful connection between participants and the themes of the CAPP collection, whether through art history, critical thinking, or creativity.
- Are unique in approach, using methods that are accessible, inclusive, and responsive to diverse learning styles and backgrounds.
What to Include in Your Proposal
Workshop Title and Description: Provide a clear and engaging summary of theme and proposed activities. Please share what, why, and how this program would benefit the young members of our community. Additionally, describe how you will engage both children and their accompanying adults, fostering a relevant and memorable experience.
Connection to CAPP Collection: Briefly explain how your program relates to one or more artworks in the CAPP collection. What are participants likely to experience or explore that ties directly to this collection? Feel free to name or link to specific artworks in the collection, viewable at https://contemporaryartumd.artinterp.org/omeka/
Learning Outcomes: State the primary learning outcome you wish to achieve with participants. What concepts, skills, or insights will participants gain?
Expected Budget for Required Materials: Provide a list of materials and expected budget needed per participant. The Stamp Gallery has up to $100 to purchase materials for each workshop.
Professional Reference: Provide contact information (name, email, and/or phone number) for a professional reference who can attest to your teaching, facilitation, or artistic experience.
Additional Support Needs: If applicable, indicate any special equipment or setup needs to assist in realizing your workshop. If you have any questions about equipment that may already be available, please email jsodre@umd.edu
How to Submit a Proposal
Please submit a single PDF file with all your materials through the following Google Form: https://forms.gle/gb3dWhKV5mfZRsHt7
Selection Criteria
Proposals will be reviewed by the Stamp Gallery team, prioritizing workshops that:
- Demonstrate a clear and thoughtful connection to the CAPP collection.
- Provide an enriching, fun, and educational experience for young participants.
- Reflect accessibility, inclusivity, and innovation in engaging a young audience.
Important Dates
Submission Deadline: February 16th, 2025
Notification of Acceptance: March 14th, 2025
Workshop Dates: May through August 2025 (exact dates to be coordinated with selected artists)
We look forward to receiving proposals that will make contemporary art accessible, enjoyable, and inspiring for our youngest audiences and their families. Thank you for your interest in contributing to the creative community at the Stamp Gallery!
Please note that the Stamp Gallery is committed to equitable access and will work with selected artists to accommodate specific needs to facilitate inclusive and accessible workshop experiences.