Open Call for Exhibitions

The Boulder Public Library and Boulder Recreation Centers invite artists to apply for the 2023 Open Call, which includes an Activist Artist-in-Residence opportunity.

Exhibition spaces are available for a variety of work, including 2D, 3D and interactive art. For inspiration, take a look at previous exhibitions.

How to Apply

The open call and artist-in-residence application was open August 1 – 31, 2022 and is now closed.

To ensure a good fit, review the gallery guidelines for an overview of requirements, responsibilities and available equipment.

Applications should include:

• A completed application form
• A CV for the project leader
• Up to 10 pages of sample work
• Activist Artist-in-Residence applicants should follow the additional requirements below

Sample work should be related to the proposed project or demonstrate the applicant’s ability to create it.

Honorariums may be available for library spaces depending on the scope of the project. If you need funding assistance, please outline those needs in your application.

Exhibition Spaces

This joint open call includes the opportunity to present artwork at the Main Library‘s Canyon Gallery and Arapahoe Ramp, Meadows Branch, East Boulder Community Center and North Boulder Recreation Center. Artists can select their preference in the application.

View gallery guidelines for exhibit maps.

East Boulder Community Center and North Boulder Recreation Center

These centers each provide multiple exhibition spaces to present artwork on a monthly calendar basis. Please review the location-specific guidelines.

Main Library and Meadows Branch

The library is a place where people, ideas and knowledge come together. It calls for an innovative space where ideas meet action.

The Canyon Gallery at the Main Library is for large exhibitions that encourage these interactions. Here, artists experiment with new ways of sharing around community-driven topics, merging visuals with conversation and civic-related content.

In 2023, one slot for an exhibition in the Canyon Gallery is reserved for a climate Activist Artist-in-Residence.

The Arapahoe Ramp in the Main Library also highlights local issues and/or the work of local artists. The hallway contains a gallery wall for hanging art and built-in shelves for 3D works or 2D works with easels.

Protected display space is available at the entrance of the Meadows Branch. It is suitable for individual artist shows or smaller shows of 2D and 3D works.

Shows at all three library locations are typically two months in length. Please review the location specific guidelines.

Call for Activist Artist-in-Residence

Artists play key roles in provoking dialogue, expanding perspectives and calling for action. The library piloted the Activist Artist-in-Residence program to create space for art activism and the dialogue it sparks.

The library is seeking an artist-activist working in the field of climate change, with a preferred focus on climate justice, to produce a climate-related exhibition at the Canyon Gallery.

Applicants should:

• Be local to the Front Range
• Focus their proposals on climate change/climate justice
• Refer to the City of Boulder’s Climate Commitment and Racial Equity Plan goals in their proposal

Flexible, creative partners interested in collaborating with the library to innovate the program are encouraged to apply.