Emerging Curator Program 2027

Institution: Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions (LACE)
Deadline: Not specified (Call opens March 24, 2026)
Location: Los Angeles, United States

The 2027 Emerging Curator call for proposals will open on March 24, 2026 via Submittable. Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions (LACE) is hosting an information session on March 11 at 1PM PST via Zoom.

The Emerging Curator Program is designed to discover curatorial talent in Los Angeles and offers emerging curators the opportunity to partner with LACE. For its 12th edition, one project will be selected for presentation in 2027.

This year’s call specifically invites proposals centered on performance art works presented as a single program or programming series, rather than a traditional exhibition format.

Programme Format

Selected curator(s) will receive:

• Project budget of $6,000 (including curatorial and artist fees)

• Curatorial mentorship and administrative support

• Exhibition/programming space

• Technical and installation support

• Communications and marketing support

• Ongoing collaboration with the LACE team throughout the planning year

Projects are developed collaboratively and are expected to evolve over an extended planning period.

Eligibility Criteria

Open to:

• Los Angeles-based emerging curators and recent graduates

• Individuals or curatorial teams (all members must be based in the Los Angeles region)

Applicants must:

• Not be currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program

• Apply as curators (not artists submitting their own work)

• Not submit their own artistic work if they have an artistic practice

Only one submission per applicant/team is permitted.

Application Requirements

Applications must be submitted online via Submittable and include:

• Brief professional biography (max. 200 words)

• Proposed project title

• Curatorial proposal (max. 300 words)

• Work samples (images, video, links, etc.)

Additional guidelines:

• Visual materials are strongly encouraged

• Video samples must not exceed 5 minutes total (maximum of 2 videos)

• Artists/artworks do not need to be confirmed at the time of application

• No submission fee

• No in-person submissions accepted

Project Focus

LACE seeks ambitious and experimental curatorial proposals aligned with its tradition of supporting innovative practices. While the format may include exhibition, performance, or moving image, the 2027 call prioritizes performance-based programming.

Selected proposals must be feasible within a $6,000 budget framework.