Art League Houston Open Call for Exhibitions

Art League Houston selects EXHIBITIONS AND VISUAL ARTS PROGRAMMING using a hybrid of traditional approaches employing a combination of: open call in an effort to be open and democratic; artist advisory board input to ensure ALH is reflective, relevant and responsive to the local community; and focused curatorial vision to foster a thoughtful and critical exploration of current issues. Additional annual exhibitions at ALH are ancillary to our community and educational programs (ALH Teen, Student & Instructor Show; and The MARTY: Healing Arts Benefit & Exhibition), as well as our award exhibitions featuring the Texas Artist of the Year (annual) and Lifetime Achievement Award in the Visual Arts (biennial) recipients.

OPEN CALL proposals are reviewed by the ARTIST ADVISORY BOARD, comprising artists and arts professionals from the region. Houston artist Sophie Asakura, is ALH’s current Artist Advisory Board chair. The proposal selection process is highly competitive, as Art League Houston receives numerous submissions each year. Artists are selected on overall quality and innovation. The Artist Advisory Board selection process will take place between December - February of 2024. Once selections have been made, all artists will be notified by email and updated on the status of their proposal (by the end of February 2024). Selected exhibitions will be programmed into the 2024-2025 seasons. Please do not call or email to inquire about the results.
 

 OPEN CALL DATES AND DEADLINES
Accepting proposals from September 1 - November 30, 2023
 

• Have a question? We want to help! We would love to hear from you, and are happy to help answer any questions you might have about our open call process and your proposal application. Email Zhaira Costiniano, Exhibitions and Curatorial Projects Manager, if you have any questions regarding the process or your proposal documents (Zhaira@artleaguehouston.org). Please contact Zhaira by the end of day Friday, November 10, 2023, to allow adequate response and inquiry/proposal review time).
   

PROPOSAL REVIEW CRITERIA
The Art League Houston Artist Advisory Board will consider proposals by local, regional, national, and international (emerging and established) artists and curators in all media that include the following:
 

• Artworks and projects that have not been previously shown in Houston,
• Clarity and articulation of a central idea,
• Strong artistic quality,
• Artworks and projects that address social, political, and cultural issues relevant to the local community,
• Relevancy to current dialogues in contemporary art,
• Opportunities for compelling ancillary programming such as performances, film, lectures, panel discussions, round tables etc.,
• Availability of curator and artist(s) to play an integral role in the execution of exhibition and events, and
• Platform artists/curators who reflect the local community.

PROPOSAL & SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Exhibition proposals are accepted online through www.Submittable.com. We do not accept hard copies or CD's of your proposal under any circumstances. Follow this link to submit a proposal and create a free Submittable account.
All proposals must include the following information:
 

• Artwork Examples:

Visual Artists — 10 digital images of work. Image files must be in a .JPG format. Please provide a corresponding list of images including title, year, medium and dimensions for each piece.
Video and performance artists — for video, include a YouTube or Vimeo link. Videos must not exceed more than 3 minutes. Please provide a corresponding list of video clips including title, year, medium and dimensions for each piece.
 

• Proposal:

Proposal Requirements — Up to 500 words including the following information: title and description of proposed project; special requirements (if any); and specify your preferred ALH gallery location (Main Gallery, Front Gallery, Hallway Space or Sculpture Garden).
 

• Working Budget:

Working Budget with Descriptions — include estimated expenses and descriptions for: travel; lodging; shipping; supplies; installation; and other. Follow this link for an example budget template.
IMPORTANT — If selected for an exhibition, exhibiting artists will receive the Artist Stipend based on your exhibition space (paid the night of the opening reception - see below for stipend amounts). The amounts included in your working budget, however, are additional expenses you anticipate incurring and do not include the Artist Stipend. While ALH can not fully guarantee that we will be able to cover all of these additional expenses, we will work with each artist on a case by case basis in securing financial support.
 

• Artist Paragraph Biography:

Biography Requirements — Up to 500 words about yourself, your practice and your work. Artist bio must be saved as a PDF, text file (.txt), or Microsoft Word document (.doc, .docx). When proposing a group exhibition, save and submit all artist paragraph bios in one document.
 

• CV:

CV/Resume Requirements — must be saved as a PDF, text file (.txt), or Microsoft Word document (.doc, .docx), not to exceed two pages. When proposing a group exhibition, save and submit all artist resumes in one document.

ARTIST STIPENDS
ALH’s commitment to supporting the growing needs of artists has been a driving force of the organization since its inception.  In 2014, ALH was the first arts organization in Texas to become W.A.G.E. Certified, a program operated by Working Artists and the Greater Economy in New York.

• Main Gallery: $2,400
• Front Gallery: $1,500
• Hallway Space: $600
• Sculpture Patio: $1,500

W.A.G.E. Certification is a voluntary program, which publicly recognizes nonprofit art organizations that have made a commitment to operate ethically in relation to artists. A W.A.G.E. Certified organization signals that it stands in solidarity with artists as part of an equitable community no matter what their material practice or reputation might be.

ART LEAGUE HOUSTON MISSION + VALUES + HISTORY + EXHIBITIONS

The MISSION of Art League Houston is to connect the community through diverse, dynamic, and creative experiences that bring people together to see, make, and talk about contemporary visual art.

The CORE VALUES of Art League Houston are: INCLUSIVITY - We welcome all members of our diverse community and seek opportunities for interaction and access. Art - and therefore Art League Houston - is for everyone; CREATIVITY - We are passionate about the power of creativity to inspire individuals to action and to facilitate understanding among people. Creativity is at the heart of everything we do; LEARNING - We provide opportunities for people to learn about art, themselves, and each other. Learning permeates all of our programs; SERVICE - We exist to benefit the Greater Houston community. We enrich people's lives, improve quality of life and contribute to the vitality of our city; and EVOLUTION - We change and grow with our city and the arts landscape. We look to the future while celebrating our past.

FOUNDED in 1948, Art League Houston has radically evolved beyond the parameters of traditional art leagues. While keeping the core of the art league model—a robust membership deeply committed to the value of visual art in contemporary life—Art League Houston embraces contemporary approaches to curatorial programming, community-building, art education, and outreach to under-served communities.