Open Call for Exhibitions

** CALL CLOSED. ** Review our past Summer/Fall application guidelines below to prepare for the next open call!

Main Gallery – Summer/Fall 2023 Guidelines


This public open call invites artists, organizers, curators, and collaborators to propose exhibitions for Waterloo Arts Gallery’s Summer/Fall 2023 schedule. Upon review and acceptance, applicants will be assigned one of three available slots:
June 2 – July 22, August 4 – September 23or October 6 – November 11

ABOUT:
Waterloo Arts (15605 Waterloo Road) hosts 7-8 exhibitions in its main gallery per year, with a limited number of shows originating from the organization’s larger programming objectives and seasonal thematic interests. The organization as a whole celebrates art’s connection to culture, and it strives to provide opportunities for people to access and appreciate art at all levels.

SELECTION:
Exhibitions at Waterloo Arts Gallery are selected by a volunteer committee of local artists, arts educators, and emerging curators. The Gallery Committee prioritizes exhibition proposals: 1) that feature artworks or creative projects that have not been formally exhibited before, and 2) whose content shows potential for re-engagement, re-activation, or further exploration through public event(s) during the course of the show.

Upon acceptance, artists will be required to propose at least one public event to occur over the duration of their exhibition, with organizational and marketing support from the gallery. This event could take the form of an artist talk, a demonstration, a discussion, a lecture, a listening party, a performance, a video screening, a makers’ session, a walking tour, a charity drive, or another creative engagement.

DEADLINE: March 1st, 2023 by 11:59pm. 

Applicants will be notified of their acceptance or denial by March 30, 2023.
For additional information about the gallery and what to expect as an exhibiting artist, please direct your questions/concerns to info@waterlooarts.org. Thank you!

Waterloo Arts Gallery floorplan
Images of Waterloo Arts Gallery (left: back facing front, right: front facing back)


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To submit an application via email:
send the following information to kayli@waterlooarts.org with the subject line “Open Call Application”. Single .pdf preferred!

– Your Name, Email, and Phone Number
– Whether you are applying as: an artist, a collaborator, or a curator
– Names of Participating Artists/Collaborators 
– City and State of Artist(s) Residence
– Exhibition Title
– Project Proposal (250 words max) ex. What will be displayed in the gallery? What themes are the artists/curator pursuing? Is there a programming element that is crucial to the experience of the exhibit?
– Link to Artist Portfolio, if available (social media/website)  
– Up to 10 images of specific works, or 3 min of video (YouTube/Vimeo link preferred). Indicate title, medium, size, and year for each artwork included, and whether or not the work submitted may be the exact work exhibited.
*For video, performance, installation, social engagements, and new media, provide no more than 60 words of context for each piece.
– Indicate whether the proposed project has been exhibited locally in the past year, or if the artist may have additional exhibition commitments planned for early 2023.