Built on Belief 2026 - OPEN CALL

The Common Ground: Community and Sacred Futures

A call for artists, designers, and interdisciplinary practitioners to reimagine a historic sacred site in Woodlawn through activating space, responding to historic architecture, and collaborating through design. 

Presented by The Arts Program at The First Presbyterian Church of Chicago (Arts at First) and the Chicago Architecture Center as part of Built on Belief [CAC hyper link], this project invites artists and designers to explore the intersections of architecture, sacred space, and community on Chicago’s South Side.

Contact: Gaozhe Max Li & Arts at First Team -  arts@chicagofirstchurch.org

Contact Phone: 619-792-8171

Call Timeline:

Application Opens: 02/28/2026 at 8a.m.. CST

Application Closes: 04/03/2026 at 11:59 p.m. CST

weekly open office hours at 2-3PM CST on 03.05/03.12/03.19/03.26/04.02  (office Hour Zoom Link)

Selection Notification: 05/15/2026

Site Visit & Orientation: 05/25-29/2026

Design & Fabrication: 06/01-09/30/2026

Opening Event: October tbd

2026 Open House Chicago: 10/17-18/2026

Installation Anticipated Close Date: 04/01/2027

Worksample Requirements: 10 media files (limited to 3 projects, media files open to images, PDF, videos or audios)

Call Type: Architectural Design & Build, Public Art, Performance

Neighborhood: Woodlawn, Chicago

Artist Honorarium: $3,000

Budget:$3,000 - $9,000 (based on proposed budget)

Apply Now

Summary of the Opportunity

The Chicago Architecture Center, supported by Lilly Endowment Inc. through its Religion and Cultural Institutions Initiative, is launching a series of place-based activations through its multi-year Built on Belief initiative. These projects engage communities by exploring how architecture and the built environment intersect with religion, spirituality, and ideas of sacred space.

This year, CAC is partnering with Arts at First—the community-centered arts program at The First Presbyterian Church of Chicago (First Church)—to realize a site-specific initiative on church grounds that will open to the public in October in conjunction with Open House Chicago 2026. Other Built on Belief collaborators include the Narrow Bridge Arts Club, which is hosting a season of community-centered programming at their Chaplain Ave site in Woodlawn; learn more from Narrow Bridge Arts Club website.

This open call invites artists, designers, and interdisciplinary practitioners to propose site responsive works that explore the intersections of architecture, religion, and spirituality.  Selected projects will animate the historic First Church campus at 6400 S Kimbark in Woodlawn through outdoor installations and interior activations that reimagine sacred and public spaces through the lenses of architecture, community, and spiritual resilience.

Selected proposals will receive honoraria and fabrication funds. Selected partners will work closely with Arts at First, Chicago Architecture Center staff and an advisory team to finalize project budget, design specifications, fabrication schedule, marketing and other areas to ensure the project’s success. 

Site Information
Site Reference

Project Goals

  • Commission local South Side and BIPOC creatives to create public activations that engage communities by exploring how architecture and the built environment intersect with religion, spirituality, and ideas of sacred space.

  • Celebrate the architectural legacy of The First Presbyterian church site and advance the ongoing, century-long conversation about how this building and surrounding grounds embody the values and needs of its community(s).

  • Interpret contemporary issues related to how diverse communities engage with religious architecture, sacred space, and the built environment.

  • Bridge personal, public, and faith-based narratives through site-responsive works that reflect lived stories and collective memory. 

Jurors

to be announced (2 sacred spaces, 2 architectural, 2 chicago arts & cultural)

Selection Process

After the RFP deadline, a selection jury composed of arts professionals, church elders, community members, designers, and project stakeholders will review all eligible submissions. The jury will select two or three exterior installation proposals and one interior activation to receive production funding and programming support. Selected works will be developed for presentation on the church campus, with a public launch planned for October 2026.

Selection Criteria

  • Excellence and Vision: Demonstrates originality, craftsmanship, and a strong body of past work that aligns with the project's ambitions.

  • Relevance and Responsiveness: Thoughtfully engages the site, community, and themes of architecture, sacred space, spirituality, and public life with cultural sensitivity and contextual awareness.

    Feasibility and Impact: Clearly executable within the project’s budget, timeline, and site conditions, with potential for meaningful community engagement and lasting resonance.

  • Thematic alignment: All selected projects must explore intersections of architecture, built environment, religion, spirituality, and sacred space.

Budget

Up to four selected proposals (two to three exterior works and one interior intervention) will receive between $3,000-$9,000, depending on the proposed budget and project needs. Each selected artist or team will receive a production funding and a $3,000 honorarium. The budget is inclusive of all costs, including design, engineering, fabrication, site preparation, transportation, insurance, and installation.

The production funding budget for each project will be determined based on the scope, design and fabrication needs of that project.

Eligibility Criteria

This opportunity is open to both emerging and established professional artists, creatives, designers, or creative teams currently based in Chicago. We strongly encourage applications from South Side-based artists, particularly those with meaningful ties to the Woodlawn neighborhood. Priority will be given to BIPOC practitioners and to those whose work engages deeply with community, place, and cultural storytelling—especially work that intersects with sacred space, spirituality, religion, and the built environment.

FAQs

  • This opportunity is open to emerging and established professional artists, designers, and creative teams based in Chicago. Priority will be given to South Side and BIPOC practitioners, and to those working at the intersection of sacred space, architecture, and community engagement.

  • No. Applicants must be Chicago-based, though meaningful ties to Woodlawn or the South Side are strongly encouraged.

  • Yes. Collectives and teams are welcome to apply. Please designate one lead applicant and clearly outline team roles in the submission materials.

  • Proposals should demonstrate a clear conceptual direction, site awareness, and preliminary material strategy. Fully engineered drawings are not required at this stage.

  • We welcome site-responsive installations across media, including sculpture, light, sound, spatial design, text, projection, and interdisciplinary approaches. Interior proposals must focus on light-based or spatial interventions.

  • Projects should meaningfully engage the architecture, history, and community context of the site rather than being works that could be placed anywhere.

  • Up to three exterior installations and one interior installation will be selected. Each will receive an honorarium and production funding.

  • The total built project budget is $50,000, distributed across selected projects. Each selected artist/team will receive an honorarium plus a production allocation inclusive of all costs.

  • Limited logistical and coordination support will be provided by Arts at First and CAC. Artists are responsible for executing their projects within the allocated budget.

  • Yes. Open office hours and scheduled site visits will be available. Please contact us to arrange access.

    weekly open office hours at 2-3PM CST on 03.05/03.12/03.19/03.26/04.02  (office Hour Zoom Link)

    email: arts@chicagofirstchurch.org

  • All works must be temporary, freestanding (no permanent alterations), and safe for public interaction. Exterior works must account for weather durability.

  • No. This is a temporary installation project. All works must be removable at project conclusion.

  • Exterior proposals may incorporate performance elements; however, the primary expectation is a built or spatial intervention. Interior proposals must focus on light-based or spatial installations.

  • Applicants must submit a CV, statement of interest, work samples, project concept (max 12 pages), and preliminary team/budget outline.

  • Yes. Collaborative projects are welcome if your role is clearly identified. Student work may be included if it demonstrates professional-level practice.

  • This opportunity is well-suited for artists working in site-specific, socially engaged, architectural, or sacred-space practices who are comfortable working within defined budgets and timelines.

  • The jury will evaluate submissions based on artistic excellence, site responsiveness, feasibility, cultural awareness, and alignment with project themes.

  • Selected artists will be notified in May 2026, with design and fabrication taking place June–September. Installations will open in October 2026 and remain on view through early 2027.

  • Yes, coordinated access will be arranged in collaboration with church leadership and project staff.

  • Yes. Community engagement is encouraged where appropriate and feasible.

  • No religious affiliation is required. Artists of all backgrounds are welcome. Projects may engage spirituality broadly, including secular interpretations of sanctuary and sacred space.

  • Yes. Installations will launch publicly in October 2026 in conjunction with Open House Chicago. Opening event detail will be announced.

  • Please contact arts@chicagofirstchurch.org. Questions may be added to the public FAQ.

  • We welcome diverse interpretations of spirituality and sacred space, including secular, interfaith, and experimental perspectives that respect the church’s ongoing spiritual life.

  • Performance elements may be included, but proposals must include a spatial or built component aligned with the project framework.

  • Proposals should focus on the listed sites. Alternative site ideas may be considered but must be discussed with the project team prior to submission.

  • Selected installations will open in October 2026 and be featured as part of Open House Chicago programming through the Chicago Architecture Center.

  • Applicants must be 18 years or older at the time of submission. However, proposals that meaningfully involve youth participants in the research, design, or fabrication process are welcome, and we encourage intergenerational collaboration where appropriate.

Thank you for your interest

February 2026