call for curatorial proposals

Descanso Gardens seeks curatorial proposals for the 2026-2028 calendar that will address the following requirements and selection criteria:

· Theme: Water. Water is the lifeblood of Descanso Gardens. It is impacted by policy, history, culture, and science and is reflected in our future planning, wellness practices, and storytelling. Locally and around the world, water is a symbol of wellness and abundance, but also scarcity and disruption. Descanso is looking for exhibitions and cultural programs that are inspired by careful study of water history, policy, culture, science, and art. What is the past, present, and future of water? How can we celebrate water? What can we learn from other cultures, both indigenous and around the world? How does it connect us and protect us, and how do we shape and protect it? What hidden stories can be revealed about water?

· Curatorial Concept: The exhibition/ program concept must closely align with the mission of Descanso Gardens to connect people with nature and one another, reflect the latest knowledge on the subject matter, foster innovation, as well as inspire discoveries and creative contributions that respond to Descanso Gardens’ botanic collections. As an organization located in Los Angeles County, Descanso Gardens prioritizes the inclusion of diverse viewpoints, backgrounds, experiences, and community connections.

· Interdisciplinary Approach: Descanso Gardens seeks proposals that utilize a creative blending of disciplines, media, and diverse points of view.

· Media: The proposal may use any media type (visual art, digital art, outdoor installations, performances, music, projections, virtual reality, text, etc.). The exhibitions and programs must be appropriate in scale material, form, and content for the cultural and physical environment in which they are to be presented. The proposed works, displays, and programs don’t need to be new and may have been presented before. New commissions are encouraged provided that their cost is within the exhibition’s budget.

· Scope: The exhibition may utilize one or all of the spaces below :

• Sturt Haaga Gallery (1750 sq ft in 3 rooms plus the front window area),
• The Boddy House (A historic building with 2220 sq. ft. of exhibition space ranging from a single room at 330 sq ft to 2220 sq ft for all 5 rooms). In 2026-2028, the following spaces are available for exhibition: Foyer, Solarium, Library, Camellia Room. Please note that Living Room and Dining Room are likely to be used to private event rentals.
• Outdoor spaces throughout the botanical gardens. Please note that the Lake Area and the Auxiliary Parking lot will be under construction in 2025-2027, while other outdoor locations need advance approval due to potential overlap with Descanso’s Carved, Enchanted, and other outdoor events in the Gardens.

· Collaborative partnerships: Proposals that establish partnerships with other cultural organizations, educational and botanical institutions, community members, and Descanso Gardens visitors are preferred.

· Audience: Descanso’s visitorship has been growing over the past few years and the Gardens attract an audience that is more diverse in race or ethnicity than many other museums and gardens. Many attendees may be first-time visitors to the Sturt Haaga Gallery or the Boddy House, and exhibitions and programs in these spaces should consider ways to engage “first-time visitors” as well as people who are already familiar with the Garden’s gallery spaces and exhibitions.

· Accessibility and Engagement: Descanso Gardens strives to expand access, engagement, and education opportunities for a broader public. Preference will be given to proposals that prioritize opportunities for visitor participation, hands-on activity or response, as well as engaging diverse programming that reaches out to traditionally underserved groups. At Descanso, there is an opportunity and need to attract more visitors who identify as Hispanic or Latino/Latina/Latinx, Asian or Asian American, African American, and other minority groups, so that visitorship reflects more closely the diversity of surrounding areas and Los Angeles County.

· Budget: Descanso Gardens rely on a range of budgets typically within $40,000-$60,000. Budgets must include curator fees, artist/ collaborator stipends, collateral design and copy writing, installation and de-installation, framing if needed, equipment rental, shipping, travel, reproduction rights, etc. Please note that insurance, installation, collateral design, and photography services are provided by Descanso Gardens. Curator

fees should not exceed 20% of the total exhibition budget. Proposals exceeding $40,000-$60,000 budget range must be discussed in advance. Fundraising for exhibitions is

management by Descanso’s development team, however, applicants may suggest potential funding sources, such as grants or sponsorships.

· Group Applications: Curators are discouraged from submitting or including their own artwork; artistic collectives may be included within curatorial proposals but should not submit their work without a specific curator.

Application Schedule

April 22, 2025 | 10 am PST

Open Information Session – applicants have an opportunity to have a Zoom conversation with the Descanso Gardens team about the Call for Proposals and ask questions. To join the Zoom Meeting, please use the link and the meeting ID below:

Topic: Descanso Gardens - Call for Proposals - Zoom Meeting

Time: Apr 22, 2025 10:00 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82904106104

Meeting ID: 829 0410 6104

May 16, 2025

Round 1 Preliminary submissions are due, review of preliminary proposals starts

June 9, 2025

Descanso Gardens invite the shortlisted candidates to proceed with a full application

August 8, 2025

Round 2 Completed Curatorial Proposals are due

October 7, 2025

Descanso Gardens will host a formal Exhibition and Engagement Roundtable to discuss Round 2 finalists

November 7, 2025

Descanso Gardens to inform applicants what proposals have been selected for 2026-2028 exhibition and programs

calendars