ARTIST OPPORTUNITIES

Thank you for visiting our artist opportunities page! At the BAC, we are passionate about supporting artists and providing them with opportunities to showcase their talent and connect with a wider audience. Your interest in our artist opportunities is a testament to the importance of supporting and promoting the arts in our community.

We believe that art has the power to inspire, challenge, and transform, and that is why we are committed to providing artists with the resources and support they need to thrive. Whether you are an installation artist, ceramicist, painter, or mixed media artist, we offer a range of programs and initiatives designed to help you reach your full creative potential.

Below you will find our recurring open calls. These are fantastic opportunities for artists of all backgrounds and disciplines to showcase their work and connect with audiences across the Brookline and Boston area. We invite you to explore our open calls and submit your work for consideration.

Thank you for your continued support of the arts and for your interest in our artist opportunities. We look forward to hearing from you and seeing the incredible talent and creativity that our community has to offer.

Brookline Arts Center Exhibition Program

  • Exhibitions take place in our Annex Gallery and our Beacon Street Gallery and are approximately 2-3 months in duration. Exhibitions typically take place in the following time frames: January - March; April - June; July - September; October - December.

  • We typically release an open call in the later summer months with a deadline to apply being the end of October.

    As of September 2023, artists will be compensated in keeping with standards established by W.A.G.E. (Working Artists and the Greater Economy). Individual artist compensation is: $1500 for a solo exhibition; $750 (per artist) for a 2-person exhibition; $353 (per artist) for a group exhibition with three to five artists; and $212 (per artist) for a group exhibition with six or more artists.

  • The BAC invites artists and artist groups of all media to submit work for BAC’s exhibition program.

β€œCurated Self” by Plunge, Student Exhibition at the Annex Gallery (March 2023)

ANNUAL CALL FOR PUBLIC ART

  • This call is for a BIPOC artist/s or artist team to create a site specific public art project within the town of Brookline. (site to be announced)

  • We typically release an open call in the Spring with a deadline to apply being the end of May.

    Finalists are typically selected a week following the deadline. Detailed proposals are then due 2 weeks later.

    In past years, artists have received a budget of $2200.

  • ● Artist/Artist group who identifies as Black, Indigenous, and/or POC

    ● Preference given to artists who incorporates engagement with BAC students or the local community

    ● Artists residing in the United States with priority given to artists residing in greater New England.

β€œCommunity Builds” Public Art Mural currently on view at the Brookline Teen Center by Sabrina Dorsainvil and teens from the Brookline Teen Center. (July 2022)

ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE OPEN CALL

  • This BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) Artist Residency and Exhibition is a way of actively fostering a culture and community of inclusion that promotes, respects, and celebrates the greater Boston community. Individuals who identify as BIPOC artists are encouraged to apply for this residency every Spring.

    The Brookline Arts Center seeks proposals for a 6-week artist residency in our Annex Gallery, located in a historic firehouse turned arts center in Brookline, MA. One dynamic solo artist or collaborative group will have the opportunity to experiment and grow their body of work with the support of the BAC. Artist(s) selected will be given 6 weeks of studio time in the Annex Gallery to design, create, and install their work in our unique gallery space. This work will then be exhibited in the Annex Gallery for 6 weeks following the residency.

  • Submission Deadline: early May

    Notification to Artist/Group: mid- May

    Residency Dates: June - July

    Exhibit Dates: July - August

    In past years, artists have received a budget of $2500.

  • ● Artist/Artist group who identifies as Black, Indigenous, and/or POC

    ● Preference given to artists who incorporates engagement with BAC students or the local community

    ● Artists residing in the United States with priority given to artists residing in greater New England.

β€œCUZ SHE SAID SOβ€œ Liana Farmer, 2022 Artist-In-Residence *pictured: Liana’s daughter (July 2022)

ART OFF THE WALL FUNDRAISER AND AUCTION

  • ART Off The Wall is a celebration of art, artists, and community. This distinguished Spring event showcases a comprehensive building-wide exhibition, as well as a captivating online auction, that attracts and delights art enthusiasts across the Brookline area. Invited artists generously donate their works, with a portion of the sales directed to support the BAC's critical mission. The immersive experience of ART Off The Wall creates an opportunity to celebrate the transformative power of art while also making a meaningful contribution to the flourishing creative community.

  • The BAC invites artists and artist groups of all media residing in New England to submit work for BAC’s annual fundraiser and exhibiton.

9th annual ART OFF THE WALL event. (March 2023)

BROOKLINE OPEN STUDIOS

  • Brookline Open Studios started in 1986 when a handful of artists living in Brookline opened up their home studios to the general public one weekend in the spring. Since then, more and more artists have participated, sharing their work and process of creating with the community. Brookline Open Studios is a unique and engaging event that showcases the diverse range of artists and creative works from Brookline and beyond.

    Over 50 artists, creators, and vendor participate every year!

  • ● All artists residing in the New England area are welcome to apply

    ● Work must be staged to sell

    ● Participating artists are required to pay a participation fee. In this past, this fee has been $75.00

Brookline Open Studios and Marketplace event, 2021

BAC’s Curatorial Resident 

  • The Brookline Arts Center (BAC) presents CURATE BAC, an inaugural competitive curatorial program that will support the career development of a Boston area curator. One curatorial resident will be accepted into the program and will work collaboratively with the BAC to create a rich and diverse program for our two galleries. It is a yearlong initiative that fosters shared experimentation, exchange, and creativity to collaboratively produce engaging exhibitions and programs.

    Together, the Gallery Committee and Curatorial Resident will select artist exhibitions for the Beacon Street Gallery and Annex Gallery for the year’s exhibition schedule. Curatorial Residents are expected to collaboratively organize 8-10 shows in total for the calendar year.

    Curatorial Residents receive professional development from the Gallery Committee and Executive Director. Through this unique, hands-on experience and mentorship program, it is the goal of BAC that the selected curator will develop valuable insight and experience in contemporary exhibition-making.

  • The BAC’s Curatorial Residency is targeted toward self-motivated curators who are able to work independently and display strong management and community building skills. Curators should have a vested interest in their personal development, as well as a commitment to the artists’ professional development at various levels in their careers. Curators who demonstrate an interest in contemporary art and a commitment to creating dynamic and innovative exhibitions with 1-3 year(s) of curatorial experience are encouraged to apply.

  • The chosen Curatorial Resident typically receives a $2000 stipend.

Katiana Rodriguez, BAC’s 1st Curatorial Resident (2023)

INTEREST FORM

Reception and panel event for β€œThese, Our Bodies” Group Exhibition at the Beacon Street Gallery (March 2023)

We want to hear from you! If you have any recurring artist opportunities , let us know at celine@brooklineartscenter.com and we’ll list them here.

ANNUAL ARTIST OPPORTUNITIES OUTSIDE OF THE BAC

J.P. Licks Call for Artists

  • J.P. Licks has been hanging the work of local artists on our store walls for over 3 decades and we now seek additional artists to display their art in 14 of our locations (store locations include Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, Newton, Brookline, Dedham, Wellesley). Each store has different size walls available (details available upon request) so the size of your work will help determine where we can hang your pieces.

  • All art must be family friendly and cannot contain any religious, political, sexual or violent imagery or text nor any brand names. Artists can price the work themselves (J. P. Licks takes no commission on any sales) and are responsible for hanging the art themselves, for creating their own labels (with pricing, title, and contact information if applicable), and providing a bio for us to include on social media sites and our website. J.P. Licks can not act as an intermediary between artist and interested customers but will direct inquiries to the artist’s informational labels and/or the J.P. Licks website. Work must be up for a minimum of 4 months at a time and J.P. Licks cannot take responsibility for lost or damaged artwork. Please contact Adele at β€œart@jplicks.com” and include the following:

    Β· 3-5 examples of work (each file being no more than 1 MB in size) with the average size of your work

    Β· a link to your website and/or social media sites (if applicable)

    Β· preference for a specific store location (if applicable)

    Β· if you have displayed in any J.P. Licks locations in the past and if so, which store(s) and when

    Β· the earliest date you would be ready to have your art up on the walls

Work by Anyah Lee in South Bay store (2023)