Opportunities for Artists

The Upstairs Gallery at the Institute Library features a challenging roster of contemporary art exhibitions throughout the year. We offer visual art with strong connections to words, language, literature, libraries, and collections, with the active interest of sparking dialogue, providing a locus and salon for visual culture within our community.

The Upstairs Gallery at the Institute Library is a not-for-profit exhibition space for visual art. We strongly lean to but are not limited by presenting works with strong connections to words, language, literature, libraries, and collections. We offer several exhibits every year, some organized by the curator in residence, some organized by outside artists and curators.

There is no cost to apply or to exhibit; however, we take 30% of all exhibition sales.

We welcome your submissions and proposals-which are reviewed on an on-going basis,  please follow the instructions exactly. Any questions should be submitted by email to the curator, please do not call the library with inquiries. Please be patient, it may take a while to get back to you but we promise your work/project will be reviewed!

The gallery has a curator in residence, Martha Willette lewis, who will periodically review portfolios by artists for possible inclusion in thematic group exhibitions.

To submit your work please send an email to marthawlewis@gmail.com  with ‘portfolio’ in the subject line and include via attachment
a  pdf* with:
• Your contact information
• Website or web link to your work
• A short bio
• A short statement
• Up to five relevant work  images.

*This all MUST be put onto one pdf to be reviewed.

If you would like to propose a show, email marthawlewis@gmail.com   and
please put ‘exhibition proposal’ and include in one pdf*:
• Your contact information
• The curators’ name
• The show’s title
• A short statement about the show
• The names and websites or images of work from artists you wish to include
(This can be provisional)
• A sketch if needed/desired
• Any other programming – exhibitions, panel talks, educational projects or events – being considered
• A simple expense budget – how much will your project cost?

*This all MUST be put onto one pdf to be reviewed.

Thank you for your interest in The Upstairs Gallery at the Institute Library !