38th Rosen Sculpture Competition and Exhibition

The Rosen Sculpture Competition and Exhibition is a national juried competition presented annually by An Appalachian Summer Festival and the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts. Since its establishment by Martin and Doris Rosen in 1987, the Rosen Competition continues a tradition of showcasing contemporary American sculpture in outdoor settings across the beautiful campus of Appalachian State University.

The competition, in its 38th year, has become firmly established as a cultural treasure and a significant point of pride for Appalachian State University and our entire region. The competition has garnered national praise for the free access to the “best of the best” in contemporary sculpture it offers for countless residents and visitors across North Carolina and beyond.

The Rosen Family proudly continues the legacy of Martin and Doris by generously supporting this important program dedicated to sharing the power and joy of public art, creating a fascinating glimpse into the world of contemporary sculpture, and building new audiences for the visual arts.

This program is made possible by the generous support of the Martin & Doris Rosen Giving Fund/Debbie Rosen Davidson and David Rosen and the Charles & Nancy Rosenblatt Foundation.

THE 38th ANNUAL ROSEN OUTDOOR SCULPTURE COMPETITION & EXHIBITION 2024-25

PROSPECTUS

This nationally recognized juried competition, established by Martin and Doris Rosen, has long served as a point of pride for Appalachian State University and is presented annually by An Appalachian Summer Festival and the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts. Each year, ten sculptures are selected for installation in outdoor, public settings across the university campus. Cash prizes are awarded for first, second, and third place. This year a new prize will be awarded for Best in Show. The Rosen Award winners are selected by the juror and are announced at the Annual Sculpture Walk in July, a highlight of the summer festival season.

The Rosen Outdoor Sculpture Competition is made possible by the continued generosity and support of the Rosen Family: The Martin and Doris Rosen Giving Fund/Debbie Rosen Davidson and David Rosen/Charles and Nancy Rosenblatt Foundation. 

Awards and Honoraria

Ten finalists will be selected to install their artwork on the campus of Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. All artists whose works are installed will receive a $1700 honorarium to offset round trip transportation, lodging, and incidental expenses. Any additional costs are the responsibility of the artists.

The Rosen Sculpture Competition & Exhibition will cover the material costs of installation and de-installation. The 38th Annual Rosen Competition & Exhibition will feature four cash prizes and all winners will be designated the Martin & Doris Rosen 38th Anniversary Award Winners. The top three artists will receive the following cash prizes: $4,000 for First Place, $3,000 for Second Place and $2,000 for Third Place. The new Best of Show Award recipient will receive $5000. The Rosen Sculpture Competition & Exhibition offers a sales program, brochure/map, and extensive promotion as a featured exhibition in conjunction with both the Turchin Center for the Visual Arts and the Appalachian Summer Festival, as well as permanent archiving on the competition’s website.

2024-2025 CALENDAR

About the Juror

This year’s competition juror is Christopher Meyer. He is a native South Dakotan and Associate Professor of Sculpture at the University of South Dakota where he received his B.F.A. visual art in sculpture. Meyer earned his M.F.A. emphasizing in sculpture from the University of Montana in Missoula, MT. Meyer’s work ranges from non-objective to representational sculptural objects, sculptural installations, and cast-iron performance work; often focusing on the interaction between the viewer and the work. The work may evoke a tool or a toy but without a stated purpose, or it may simply imply a raw emotional state; his objective is to create work that is humanist in nature. Christopher’s studio practice tends to emphasize material and process and is made from a large variety of materials including cast metals, carved or fabricated wood and steel, fibers, mixed media or “whatever the piece needs to be.” 

Since 2012, Meyer has made a deeper investment in cast iron; building a furnace and equipment necessary to make iron, bringing cast iron to the University of South Dakota and hosting an annual iron pour event at his home studio in rural South Dakota called the “Little Pour on the Prairie” each spring. He annually travels thousands of miles to cast iron.  Meyer currently serves on the board of the Western Cast Iron Art Alliance and in October 2022 he hosted the 7th Biennial Western Cast Iron Art Conference. Meyer’s work has been published in several visual art publications regionally to internationally and has exhibited in over 100 regional and national exhibitions since joining the University of South Dakota in 2006. He has also been awarded the Belbas-Larson Award for Excellence in Teaching, the highest award given to faculty at the University of South Dakota as well as the Knutson Distinguished Professor Award for Creative Research, the highest award given in the University of South Dakota’s College of Fine Arts. 

The Turchin Center is proud to welcome Christopher Meyer as our distinguished juror for the 38th ANNUAL ROSEN OUTDOOR SCULPTURE COMPETITION & EXHIBITION 2023-2024. 

2023 Exhibition Winners