New Art Center Curatorial Opportunity Program 2015

The New Art Center is accepting curatorial proposals for 5- to 6-week group exhibitions from September 2015 – May 2016. Proposals must include works by two or more artists and must include at least one public presentation with an educational component. The Main Gallery is approximately 2,500 square feet with 25-foot vaulted ceilings, substantial natural light, and movable modular wall panels. A visit to the gallery prior to application is advised.

Proposed exhibitions can include works in a single medium or several media, from painting, drawing, sculpture, photography and video to installation art, performance art and sound art. They can be organized around medium or process, or investigate social, cultural, historical, theoretical or political concepts. Artist/curators wishing to include their own work should note that their work should not be the main focus of the exhibition.

For each exhibition, the New Art Center provides a $1,000 curator stipend to be applied to exhibition-related expenses, a set budget for printing a postcard invitation, public relations support, advertisements and listings, insurance up to $150,000 for artwork, physical assistance in preparing the space, an opening reception with refreshments, and a gallery talk or public program with refreshments. The NAC does not provide transportation of artworks or pay for unusual installation construction. The NAC receives a 50% commission on sales of any works in the exhibitions.

Proposals are evaluated on the quality of the work, clarity and power of the underlying concept, proposed public presentations with educational components, and the curator's capability to carry out the project. All artists are eligible regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, belief, national origin, sexual orientation or physical abilities. While artists and curators from the greater Boston area are encouraged to participate, there are no geographic restrictions. The NAC does not pay for travel expenses. Proposals will not be considered for one-person exhibitions, if they lack a statement of concept, require financial support beyond the usual stipend, are late or incomplete, are inappropriately scaled for the Main Gallery, or have highly unusual installation requirements.

Submissions must include a curator's statement of concept (1-3 pages or 300-1,000 words), proposed public presentation(s) with educational component (up to one page or 300 words), an image list for digital submissions, resumes for the curator and each participating artist, and contact information for 3 professional or academic references. A maximum of 30 images will be reviewed, with a maximum of 12 images per artist. A maximum of 6 audio files and 6 video files can be uploaded online; additional audio and video files can be mailed on CD postmarked by April 6, 2015 or shared via Dropbox. All artists in the proposal must have secured participation prior to submission.