open call for august 2025 emerging artist solo exhibition
ARC Gallery is pleased to announce a *fully funded Open Call for three Solo Exhibitions for August 2025. This specific call is for emerging artists. A.R.C. defines “emerging” in regard to this call, as an artist who has not yet had a solo exhibition in a major US city, such as our hometown of Chicago.
A.R.C. Gallery is pleased to announce an Open Call for three fully funded Emerging Artist Solo Exhibitions in August 2025. This Exhibition Award is made possible by a generous grant from the Athena Foundation in support of making solo show opportunities accessible to a broader audience. Visual artists of all disciplines, ages and geographic locations are encouraged to apply. The artists will be selected by the A.R.C. cooperative based on the quality of their work and commitment to their practice.
Due to the nature of this call, examples of work submitted must be of the actual work to be exhibited, and include a clear plan of display within the gallery space. Work must be completed, available, and ready to display as of the date of submission. A.R.C. will make the final decision on which space the selected proposals will be installed.
Exhibitions for the three selected artists will take place in August 2025. Work will be installed on July 27, and the deinstallation will occur on August 30th. The Opening Reception will be August 1st, 5-8pm. Selected artists will be expected to be present for all three dates, and to work with A.R.C. members to install and deinstall their work. A.R.C. will work with selected artists leading up to the installation and opening of the exhibitions.
Timeline:
- 1st Round of Finalists Notification: Tuesday, June 24, 2025
- Solo Show Notification: Friday, June 27, 2025
- Exhibition Installation Day: Sunday, July 27, 2025
- Opening Reception: Friday, August 1, 2025, 5-8pm.
- Pick-Up Work at Gallery: Saturday, August 30, 2025
The Athena Fund Open Calls are open to non-members, and non-affiliates with the purpose of bringing in innovative new work. This specific call is for emerging artists. A.R.C. defines “emerging” in regard to this call, as an artist who has not yet had a solo exhibition in a major US city, such as our hometown of Chicago. All work submitted should have been completed within the last 5 years. A.R.C. will favor artists who have a strong, cohesive body of work, a clearly communicated vision of their show, and a well-written and thoughtful artist statement. Artists with incomplete submissions will be automatically eliminated. Artists whose work is deemed excellent, but is not selected, may be added to a roster from which A.R.C. can draw for future opportunities and curated exhibitions.
We are offering an opportunity to feature work in the gallery with zero commission on sales, and no cost to the artist. There are no additional stipends for any other purposes such as travel.