Open Call: Emerging Curators

Smack Mellon seeks proposals from Emerging Curators based in the New York City area for their annual Emerging Artists Summer Group Exhibition. The exhibition will take place across Smack Mellon’s two gallery spaces and is slated to open during the summer of 2027.

Emerging Curators are independent or institution-affiliated individuals who are in the early stages of their curatorial careers. In addition to providing a curatorial framework, the selected curator will collaborate with Smack Mellon staff to develop an open call for artists announced in fall 2026. Curators must select more than 70 % of their artists from the open call, and exhibitions must include at least 60 % artists who identify as women (inclusive of trans and nonbinary individuals).

Smack Mellon expects curators to be familiar with its mission and programs and to engage with projects addressing relevant political, social, or environmental issues. Curators are expected to be present at the gallery throughout installation and designated lead‑up times. Artists are responsible for the execution, installation, and de‑installation of their work; the curator must explain these responsibilities to all participants. Curators may not include their own artwork in the final exhibition.

• August 15, 2026 – Open Call for Curators closes
• Early September 2026 – Curator selected and notified
• October 2026 – Open Call for Emerging Artists announced and open
• June–August 2027 – Exhibition open to the public (specific dates to be confirmed with the curator)

• Must live within New York City’s five boroughs or within reasonable commuting distance.
• Must have a history of at least three prior curatorial projects successfully presented to a public audience.
• Must be able to commit to on‑site presence repeatedly throughout the process; this is not a position with regular work hours.
• Current enrollment in a degree‑seeking program disqualifies candidates.
• If the candidate has an artistic practice, they may not include their own work in the final exhibition.

• Curatorial Statement (350 words maximum): A narrative describing your research interests, curatorial methodology, and how you envision your work fitting into Smack Mellon’s programming. Include discussion of your relationship to the artists you work with.
• Brief Proposal Idea (350 words maximum): Outline the overall idea, stakes, relevance to the current moment, and reasons for its inclusion at Smack Mellon. A confirmed artist list is not required; include the language and framework you would use as a starting point.
• Curatorial CV: Include exhibitions, programs, publications, related projects, and educational background. If you are an artist applying with a curatorial proposal, include only exhibitions you have developed as a curator. PDF only.
• Work Samples: Up to 10 images (.jpeg or .png, maximum 1000 px in any dimension) representative of your curatorial work. Provide up to 100 words of description for each image, including exhibition title, date, location, and names of artists involved.
• Two professional references: List name, phone number, email address, and relationship to you.

Image files may be named as follows: .jpeg, .jpeg, .jpeg, etc.

The Final date to receive applications is August 15, 2026 at midnight, EST
.