Inviting outside curators, artists, and experts to partner with Fountain House Gallery is a vital part of our mission. Contemporary curators and artists allow us to expand our audience and to continue to exhibit quality artwork.
We are now accepting proposals for upcoming shows in 2024-2025.
About Fountain House Gallery:
Founded by Fountain House in 2000, the Gallery supports the careers and creative visions of our member-artists living & working with mental health conditions. Embracing artists who are emerging or established, trained or self-taught, Fountain House Gallery cultivates artistic growth, makes a vital contribution to the New York arts community, and challenges the stigma surrounding mental illness. The gallery provides a professional exhibition space that not only showcases our talented artists, but also supports them in navigating the complex and competitive art world as it presents very specific barriers to individuals living with disabilities.
Located in Long Island City, the studio provides Fountain House members with residencies and drop-in working spaces. Along with a supportive working space, the studio provides hosts weekly artists talks along with programming covering technique and art history.
Past curators & collaborators have included: Matthew Higgs, Agnes Gund, Phong Bui, Sarah Faux, Sara Kay, Frank Maresca, Barbara Pollack, Patterson Sims, The Schoolhouse Hotel, SoundMind Festival, American Folk Art Museum, American Visionary Art Museum, Long Island City Artists, Inc., and MoMa.
Types of Proposals:
Past curators have developed a theme and a call for work and then made selection artworks from the submissions. Others have explored our artwork inventory/permanent collection and developed a show from the archives. We are open to whichever way works best for you.
Submission Details:
Our primary guideline is that exhibition proposals should select artwork from our cohort of artists. In the past, we have included other contemporary artists, but the majority of work selected for the show should focus on our members. We work with over 100 artists, some who are completely self-taught and some who have MFAs, so there is a wide selection of mediums, styles, and perspectives represented. You can browse our past exhibitions here.
The gallery space is about 1000 sq/ft, with a moveable wall divides the space into two galleries. We’re a ground level storefront on 9th Avenue, a few blocks from the center of Times Square.
We’re asking submissions to include answers to the following:
#1: Describe the theme or concept of the group show. Be as specific as possible and feel free to include example images.
#2: Describe the types of work you would like to see submitted (medium, sizes, etc.)
#3: Additional information. This includes event ideas surrounding the show, curatorial thoughts, or questions you would like to pose to the community.
We have the following exhibition periods available:
Fall 2024: September - October
Winter 2025 show: Jan-March (during Outsider Art Fair)
Spring 2025: March-April
Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you’d like additional information.
HOW TO APPLY
Application Deadline: March 1, 2024
Application Fee: FREE
Application Instructions: Please email your proposal to Rachel Weisman and Becky Wilkening at rweisman@fountainhouse.org and becky.wilkening@fountainhouse.org.