The Janet & Walter Sondheim Art Prize 2025 Finalists Exhibition

The 2025 Janet & Walter Sondheim Art Prize, which awards a $30,000 fellowship to assist in furthering the career of a visual artist or visual artist collaborators living and working in the greater Baltimore region, opens Saturday, April 19, with a finalists’ exhibition at the Walters Art Museum.

The work of the five finalists—Aliana Grace Bailey, Amanda Leigh Burnham, Lillian Jacobson, Jacob Mayberry, and Wonchul Ryu—will be on view through Sunday, July 20. The finalists will participate in an artist talk at the Walters on May 8. The winner of the 2025 Janet & Walter Sondheim Art Prize, chosen by a panel of jurors—Jaqueline Cedar, Mike Cloud, and Jennie Goldstein—will be announced during a special reception and award ceremony at the museum.

The Sondheim Art Prize is named in honor of Janet & Walter Sondheim, both of whom were instrumental in furthering arts and culture in Baltimore City. Janet Sondheim danced with the pioneering Denishawn Dancers, a legendary dance troupe founded by Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn. Walter Sondheim, Jr. was one of Baltimore’s most important civic leaders for over 50 years. He was deeply involved in the development of Charles Center and the Inner Harbor and continued to be civically active until his death in 2007, serving as the senior advisor to the Greater Baltimore Committee.

This year marks the 20th edition of the Sondheim Art Prize, one of the region’s most prestigious honors. The $30,000 prize is awarded annually to a visual artist or visual artist collaborators living and working in the Baltimore region. Learn more about the 2025 Janet & Walter Sondheim Art Prize by visiting promotionandarts.org and following BOPA on social media (@promoandarts).