The Janet & Walter Sondheim Art Prize Finalists Exhibition

Each year, the Janet & Walter Sondheim Art Prize 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. From Thursday, June 25, you can experience the work of this year’s finalists—Thea Canlas, Leigh Davis, Brandon Donahue-Shipp, Curran Hatleberg, and Danni O’Brien—in an exhibition dedicated to their work at the Walters Art Museum. The exhibition will be on view through Sunday, September 13. 

The winner of the 2026 Janet & Walter Sondheim Art Prize is chosen by a panel of jurors and will be announced during a special reception and award ceremony at the museum. This year’s jurors are Lauren Haynes, Jinny Khanduja, and Shellyne Rodriguez.

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 an important civic leader 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 21st edition of the Sondheim Art Prize, one of the region’s most prestigious honors. All Sondheim Prize Finalists will be awarded a Finalist Award of $3,000, and each semifinalist will receive an exhibition at The Peale Museum at Artscape 2026 (May 22–24). Learn more at promotionandarts.org.