Hospice Cup is pleased to announce Annapolis artist Bill Sutton as the winner of the 2026 Hospice Cup Art Competition with his watercolor painting Windward Douse. Sutton will also serve as the event’s 2026 Artist in Residence.

Presented in partnership with the Maryland Federation of Art, the annual Hospice Cup Art Competition highlights exceptional regional artists while supporting the mission of Hospice Cup to raise awareness and funds for hospice and palliative care organizations. The collaboration brings together the sailing and arts communities in a shared celebration of creativity and compassion.

An architect and painter, Sutton is widely known for his luminous watercolor depictions of the Chesapeake Bay and Annapolis waterfront. Often painting from his balcony overlooking Spa Creek, his work captures the movement, light, and atmosphere of sailing life with a distinctive sense of place. In addition to his artistic practice, Sutton is an active sailor and longtime supporter of the Hospice Cup regatta and the charities it benefits.

Like many of Sutton’s paintings, Windward Douse depicts an active maritime landscape, but it also represents a departure from the works typical of his oeuvre with the intentional inclusion of human subjects—something he rarely incorporates. At a reception honoring this year’s finalists, Sutton spoke about his decision to include the figures, noting, “Hospice, after all, is about people.”

As Artist in Residence, Sutton’s work will be featured in 2026 Hospice Cup materials, programming and merchandise, helping to visually represent the regatta and its impact. His selection continues a long-standing tradition of partnering with artists whose work reflects the energy, purpose, and humanity of the event.

For more information about the Hospice Cup and the 2026 Art Competition, visit hospicecup.org.