Call for artists: ten trees, ten artists, Wintergreen

SmartyPlants is handing over ten Christmas trees to ten artists and letting them do whatever they want with them. It is the heart of Wintergreen, our first holiday season at the nursery, which runs from Saturday, November 21 through December 31.

We are working with the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County on the call, and applications are open now through Thursday, October 22. Here is everything you need to know to apply.

What Wintergreen is

Wintergreen turns the nursery over to the season for six weeks. Ten 8-foot trees will be installed across the two acres, each assigned to a different artist to decorate. The trees are the center of the event, not a sideline to it. Visitors will walk the nursery, see what each artist made and vote for their favorite throughout the run.

There is no assigned theme. Each artist decides what their tree is about. Around the artist trees, the nursery will be decorated for the season, with Christmas trees for sale, so Wintergreen gives your work an audience of families, plant lovers and holiday shoppers for the full six weeks.

Artists of every kind

We mean artists in the broadest sense. Painters, sculptors and installation artists. Interior designers, floral designers and window dressers. Professional decorators. And the person whose house everyone drives by in December.

If you think you can bring your talent to a Christmas tree, this is for you. You do not need a gallery résumé or a background in holiday decor. What matters is the idea and your ability to carry it out on an 8-foot tree.

What SmartyPlants provides

Each selected artist gets an 8-foot artificial tree, installed and in place, with lights already on it. We provide the stand, the base and the floor space around the tree.

Every tree also gets a placard with the artist's name, a short statement and a QR code that links to the artist's website or social media, so visitors who like your work can find you.

What you provide

Everything else on the tree is yours to bring, along with any props around its base. You install your tree during the installation window, Monday, November 16 through Thursday, November 19, so every tree is complete when Wintergreen opens on Saturday, November 21.

At the end of the run, you remove all of your materials on January 2 or 3, 2027. The trees stay with the nursery. Your decorations and props go home with you.

The rules

The only rules are physical ones. Your work has to hold up outdoors for six weeks in South Florida, and it has to come off the tree at the end of the run. Plan for sun, humidity, wind and the occasional rainstorm, and choose materials and fastenings that will look the same on December 31 as they did on opening day.

Nothing is for sale off the trees. Every tree stays fully intact and on display through December 31, and no pieces come off early, whatever anyone offers. Any commissions or sales that come out of the visibility are yours to arrange directly with the buyer and fulfill after the run.

The $1,000 people's-choice prize

Visitors vote for a people's-choice winner throughout Wintergreen, and the winning artist takes home $1,000 in cash.

This is an unpaid opportunity outside of that prize. You keep full credit and full rights to your work, your placard carries your name and a link to your site, and anything that comes from the exposure is yours.

How to apply

Email trees@smartyplantsfl.com with "Wintergreen" in the subject line and tell us what you would do with a tree. Include either three to five images of past work, whether that is art, design, installations or trees you have decorated before, or a sketch, mood board or written description of your idea if you do not have past work to show.

Also include your name, your phone number, and your website or social media handle if you have one.

Tips for a strong application

Tell us the idea in a sentence or two before you get into details. The applications that are easiest to picture are the ones that lead with what the tree will be.

Show that it will survive outdoors. A line or two about the materials you plan to use, and how you will attach them, goes a long way. And if your past work is in a different medium, help us see how it translates to a tree. A quick sketch is often enough.

Deadlines and selection

Applications are due by Thursday, October 22, 2026. Selections will be made by SmartyPlants in partnership with the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County, and applicants will be notified by Tuesday, October 27. Space is limited to ten trees, so we may not be able to accept every artist who applies.

Key dates: applications close October 22; artists are notified by October 27; installation runs November 16 through 19; Wintergreen opens Saturday, November 21 and runs through December 31; and artists remove their materials January 2 or 3, 2027.

Spread the word

If you know someone who should have a tree, send them this post. Artists, designers and decorators across Palm Beach County are all welcome to apply. You can also find the call on the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County's website.

Questions about the call can go to trees@smartyplantsfl.com. We look forward to seeing what you would do with a tree.

Frequently asked questions