Call for Curatorial Proposals

Venue: 1131 Mission Street

NEXT DEADLINE IS November 1, for exhibitions in 2019 and beyond! 

Thank you for your interest in curating an exhibition at Root Division!

Root Division's Second Saturday Exhibition Series annually showcases the work of over 300 artists, and offers up to eight emerging curators the opportunity to explore conceptually rigorous group exhibitions in our galleries.

Strong proposals to our curatorial program are innovative, engaging, and conceptually driven group exhibitions. 

Part of Root Division's mission is to provide opportunities to as many emerging and mid-career artists as possible. We are currently only accepting guest curated proposals for group exhibitions. On average group exhibitions range from 8-20 artists. 

Our exhibitions series aims to reach a diverse range of Bay Area audiences, and we value the opportunity for these public events to forge organizational partnerships and cross promotional educational programming. 

While Root Division does not exclude artists and curators from outside the Bay Area, our primary focus is developing opportunities for local artists. Strong proposals will include tangible relevance to the Bay Area if the curator or proposed artists are not local.

Root Division is a visual arts non-profit that connects creativity and community through a dynamic ecosystem of arts education, exhibitions, and studios. The gallery is at the center of the organization's facility, and as such, this space serves many needs and provides a unique environment in which to curate a show. We strongly encourage that you visit our space and our website, familiarize yourself with our past and current exhibition program, and understand the mission of the organization before submitting a proposal. 

Review Process:
Our Curatorial Committee of established Bay Area arts professionals meets in March, July & November to review submissions. We have an Initial Review & a Follow-Up Review Process. The Initial Review is a great opportunity to submit the kernel of the curatorial idea, presenting a limited number of images and writing materials. Once the Curatorial Committee completes the Initial Review, we will request additional materials from a select number of applicants for a Follow-up Review.
 

Submit your Application

Deadline for Submission: November 1, 2018

Please submit the following for INITIAL REVIEW:

Curatorial Proposal Submission Form: please submit the ONLINE APPLICATION FORM 

Images: Up to eight (jpgs, 1200px in largest dimension) labeled to correspond with the inventory numbers listed on application (i.e. 01_ShowTitle). If there is video it should be submitted as a still and as a link to a web-hosted video viewer.

Curator’s Resume: (2 pg. max) Please do not submit all exhibiting artist resumes for Initial Review

SASE for return of materials, if desired

Email submissions can be sent to submissions@rootdivision.org. Submissions will also be accepted via USPS & can be mailed to: Root Division, Attn: Curatorial Proposals, 1131 Mission St., San Francisco, CA 94103. If your submission is mailed, we prefer that all documents are saved as either word docs (.doc) or PDFs (.pdf) and burned to a CD with your images rather than printed.

Please call 415.863.7668 or email samantha@rootdivision.org with any questions.

Submission Fee

Please note that Root Division has eliminated the curatorial submission fee to allow for a broader range of applicants. Donations to support our free public programs can be made on our website. 

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