About

The President’s Commendation for Achievement in the Arts is a service award established in 1989 by former Johns Hopkins President Steven Muller to honor a graduating senior who has contributed extensively to the arts by service to the Homewood and/or Baltimore communities. The winner of the President’s Commendation receives a $500 award, a certificate, and recognition in the commencement program.

Eligibility

  • Graduating undergraduate seniors in the Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, the G.W.C. Whiting School of Engineering, or the Peabody Institute who are in good standing and on track to receive a degree at commencement may apply for the commendation.
  • All art forms are eligible for consideration.
  • Only individual students may apply. Group applications are not accepted.
  • The winner of the President’s Commendation for Achievement in the Arts will have made significant and lasting contributions to the arts by service to the Homewood and/or Baltimore communities. The materials submitted in competition for the award should provide evidence of quality in performance or execution of service to the arts.
  • Students who wish to be considered for both the President’s Commendation for Achievement in the Arts and the Sudler Arts Prize must submit two separate applications.

Deadline

11:59 p.m. EST, Sunday, March 22, 2026

All applications must be submitted online via the link by 11:59 pm EST, Sunday, March 22, 2026. Late applications cannot be accepted, and all requested materials (including recommendations) must be submitted by this time.

2026 Submission Guidelines

Required Materials

  1. Completed online application form
  2. Recommendation from a faculty member or other teacher knowledgeable about your artistic achievement while at Johns Hopkins
  3. Examples of documentation of your service accomplishments that must have been done during the period of your matriculation at Johns Hopkins.

Selection Procedure

Members of the Sudler Arts Prize Committee, composed of faculty and administrators from the Homewood campus, the Peabody Institute, and the School of Medicine, review all materials submitted in competition for the President’s Commendation for Achievement in the Arts and the Louis Sudler Prize in the Arts, a $1,000 prize awarded for excellence in performance, execution, or composition in one of the arts. The committee recommends candidates to the president, who makes the final selections and notifies the winners.

Questions?

Direct all questions to sudlerprize@jhu.edu.