40th Anniversary Martin and Doris Rosen Sculpture Competition & Exhibition

Established by Martin and Doris Rosen, this nationally recognized juried competition has long served as a point of pride for Appalchian State Univeristy. Presented annually by An Appalachian Summer Festival and the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts, 10 sculptures are selected for installation in outdoor public settings across campus. Cash prizes are awarded for first, second, and third place and Best in Show. Rosen Award winners are selected by the invited juror and are announced at the Annual Sculpture Walk in July.

The Rosen Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition is made possible by generous support from The Martin and Doris Rosen Giving Fund — courtesy of Debbie Rosen Davidson and David Rosen — and The Charles and Nancy Rosenblatt Foundation

2026 Competition Timeline

• Online Registration System Opens: January 20
• Deadline for Entries: March  6
• Artist Notification: April 1
• Installations on App State campus: May 21-22
• Rosen Sculpture Walk and Reception: July 11 at 10am

For more information, please contact Mary Anne Redding, Senior Curator | reddingm@appstate.edu

About the Juror: Sam Spiczka

Inspired by natural bone forms, rural technology, and geometric structure, Sam Spiczka has produced a distinctive body of work that is both modern and intensely primal, public, yet deeply personal. Born and raised in rural Minnesota, Spiczka became captivated by metal at an early age working in his family’s welding shop. Though he briefly studied art and philosophy at Gustavus Adolphus College in St Peter, Minnesota, his true education has come from nature, the example of past sculptors, and the craftsmanship taught to him by his father.  Spiczka’s award-winning sculptures have been exhibited internationally – including at the Seolbong International Sculpture Park in Icheon, South Korea, the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park in Lincoln, Massachusetts, and the Franconia Sculpture Park in Taylors Fall, Minnesota.