The Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation is excited to announce the first in a series of open calls, giving curators, academics, and art historians a platform to stage an exhibition at The 8th Floor, our gallery and event space, at 17 West 17th St. near Union Square, NYC.
We are searching for emerging or established researchers and cultural presenters to work with us to realize their pre-existing, and as-yet unrealized exhibition concept. Proposals with an experimental and/or pedagogical approach are sought for thematic group, or solo presentations. Applicants should be engaged in research which addresses themes reflecting the Foundation’s mission of art and social justice, championing equity, education, access, and underrepresented narratives and practices.
Selected curators will be given an honorarium of $3000 for their work on the exhibition and $2000 for their essay for the accompanying catalog. In addition to an exhibition budget, they will be guided and supported in their administrative, planning, and promotional endeavors by the curatorial team at the Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation. This commission is open to those listed in the criteria for this application and there is no fee to apply. The chosen curator will engage in all associated programming, in tandem with the resulting exhibition.
Eligibility and Criteria
- Open to Academics, Art Historians, Curators, Graduate students, PhD candidates, and those involved in post-doctoral research
- Not open to undergraduate students
- Applicants must have a visa to work in the US, be permanent residents, or US Citizens.
- Have an accomplished thesis-based plan for their research-driven exhibition, or have extensive existing research to back up their proposal
- Audience-focused educational possibilities should be inherent in the thesis of the exhibition
- A preliminary concept including a checklist of works based on the gallery plan (subject to change)
- The ability to address contemporary issues of sociocultural or sociopolitical change, and imaginatively examine global narratives and histories.
About Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation
The Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation believes in art as a cornerstone of cohesive, resilient communities and greater participation in civic life. In its mission to make art available to the broader public, in particular to underserved communities, the Foundation historically provided direct support to cultural organizations and advocates of social justice across the public and private sectors in the form of grants, as well as exhibitions and programs at The 8th Floor.
