General Information
Second Street Gallery (SSG) invites artists and curators to submit exhibition proposals for consideration for upcoming exhibitions in either the Main Gallery or Dové Gallery. Selected proposals will be considered for SSG's exhibition calendar beginning October 2027 through January 2029.
Founded in 1973, Second Street Gallery is the oldest nonprofit 501(c)(3) contemporary art space in Central Virginia. Our primary mission is to enliven Virginia through access to the best in contemporary art and artists and to inspire new ways of thinking, seeing, and doing through the presentation of 10–14 separate exhibitions each year, with a full calendar of related programming.
Second Street Gallery is committed to presenting contemporary art; supporting artists at varying stages of their careers through exhibitions, public programs, and professional development opportunities; and creating meaningful opportunities for audiences to engage directly with artists and their work.
About the Opportunity
This is a rolling open call, and proposals will be reviewed periodically by SSG's Executive Director & Chief Curator as she develops SSG's upcoming exhibition calendar.
Artists may submit proposals for solo, two-person, or group exhibitions. Curators may also submit proposals for group exhibitions.
Selected exhibitions will be presented in either SSG's Main Gallery or Dové Gallery. Artists should submit work and exhibition concepts that reflect their current practice. In general, artwork proposed for exhibition should have been completed within five years of the scheduled exhibition date, unless the proposal is specifically for a retrospective or includes earlier work for a clear curatorial reason.
Gallery + Exhibition Period Preferences
As part of the application, artists and curators will be required to indicate which SSG gallery space they would like their proposal to be considered for:
- Main Gallery
- Dové Gallery
- Either Main Gallery or Dové Gallery
Applicants should consider the scale, scope, and installation requirements of their proposed exhibition when selecting a gallery. SSG does not accept proposals for exhibitions utilizing both the Main Gallery and Dové Gallery simultaneously.
Gallery preference will be taken into consideration; however, final gallery placement will be determined by SSG based on curatorial fit, exhibition requirements, scheduling, and the overall balance of the exhibition calendar.
Applicants will also be required to indicate all exhibition periods for which they are available:
- October–November 2027
- December 2027–January 2028
- February–March 2028
- October–November 2028
- December 2028–January 2029
Applicants should only select periods during which they can reasonably commit to attending the exhibition opening in Charlottesville and fulfilling the required public programming commitment.
Artist Honorarium
Selected exhibitions will receive a $1,000 honorarium in support of expenses associated with participation in the exhibition, including expenses related to artwork production and preparation, packing and shipping, transportation, travel, and lodging.
For collaborative, two-person, or group exhibitions, the $1,000 honorarium is awarded per exhibition, not per participating artist, and will be divided among participating artists and/or curators as agreed upon with SSG.
Artists are responsible for arranging and covering the cost of shipping or transporting their work to and from Second Street Gallery.
Public programming is compensated separately. Programming honoraria are determined based on the program format and number of participating artists.
Artwork Sales
At least 75% of the artwork included in a selected exhibition must be available for sale, unless otherwise agreed upon with SSG. Installation, video, performance, site-specific, time-based, and other non-object-based works may be exempt from this requirement when appropriate.
SSG retains a 50% commission on all artwork sales, with the remaining 50% paid to the artist.
Participation Requirements
If selected, artists must attend the exhibition's opening reception in Charlottesville and participate in at least one public or community engagement program presented in conjunction with the exhibition.
Artists are also expected to work collaboratively with SSG staff throughout the planning, installation, promotion, programming, and presentation of the exhibition.
Community Engagement
Community engagement is an important part of Second Street Gallery's mission and exhibition program. As part of the application, artists will be asked to describe one or more public programs they could envision developing in conjunction with their proposed exhibition.
Programs might include an artist talk, conversation, hands-on workshop, performance, demonstration, screening, gallery tour, participatory project, community art-making activity, or another format appropriate to the artist's practice and exhibition.
Generative AI Policy
Second Street Gallery does not accept exhibition proposals featuring artwork created or substantially generated using generative artificial intelligence (AI).
What We Are Looking For
Second Street Gallery welcomes ambitious, thoughtful proposals representing a broad range of contemporary artistic practices, media, perspectives, and approaches. We are particularly interested in proposals that demonstrate:
- A clear and compelling artistic or curatorial vision
- A cohesive body of work or exhibition concept
- Strong contemporary relevance
- Thoughtful consideration of how the work might engage SSG's gallery spaces and audiences
- Potential for meaningful public programming and community engagement
- A body of work that is exhibition-ready or demonstrates a clear trajectory toward completion by the proposed exhibition period
Important Information
This is a rolling open call. SSG will begin reviewing applications approximately one month after the open call launches and will continue reviewing proposals as we build the 2027–2029 exhibition calendar. The open call will close once all available exhibition opportunities have been filled.
Submission of a proposal does not guarantee an exhibition. SSG receives more proposals than can be accommodated within its exhibition calendar, and selections are made based on artistic merit, curatorial fit, available space, scheduling, budget, feasibility, and the overall balance of each exhibition season.