Show Your Work (Draft Archive)
Sullivan Galleries
33 S. State Street, 7th floor
Individual currently enrolled SAIC student artists are invited to submit an application to show their work in a group exhibition at Sullivan Galleries organized by Graduate Curatorial Assistants in the Department of Exhibitions. Applications are reviewed by the Exhibitions Committee, which is comprised of appointed faculty members and student representatives. On average, around 100 portfolios are submitted each year, with five to fifteen artists selected for the group show that will take place in summer 2020.
Application deadline: MARCH 22, 2020
This application is open to students currently enrolled at SAIC, including all departments and programs, both undergraduate and graduate, who will continue to be enrolled in Fall 2020.
Note: selected artists must be available in Chicago to install their work June 18 – July 9, 2020.
Please refer to application instructions: 
Individual Artist Application
Apply online via SlideRoom:
Undergraduate Student application
Exhibition Proposal Workshops
Interested students are encouraged to attend one of the following proposal workshops in advance of submitting an application:
All workshops held in Sullivan Galleries conference room, 33 S. State, 7 th floor
Monday, March 9, 4:15 pm
Thursday, March 12, noon
Wednesday, March 18, 4:15 pm
Questions? Contact exhibitions-saic@saic.edu or 312.629.6635.
SITE Galleries
Founded in 1994, SITE Galleries (formerly Student Union Galleries) is a student-run gallery at SAIC for the exhibition of student work in two locations on campus: the LeRoy Neiman Center, SITE Sharp Gallery, and a newly renovated gallery space in the Columbus Drive Building, SITE Columbus Gallery. An open call for exhibition proposals is held each semester to be implemented the following semester. Proposals are reviewed by a committee of the SITE Directors, SITE gallery assistants, members of Exhibitions advisory staff and committee, and other student leaders. On average, more than 30 applications are received each semester, with up to five exhibitions selected.
FALL 2020 SITE Exhibition Proposal Deadline EXTEDNED:
April 3rd at midnight.
This opportunity is open to students currently enrolled at SAIC in good standing, including all departments and programs, both undergraduate and graduate, who will continue to be enrolled in Fall 2020.
For application form and additional information about this opportunity, please visit SITE website.
SITE Exhibition Proposal Workshops
Interested students are encouraged to attend one of the proposal workshops in advance of submitting an application:
Wednesday, Feburary 5th
Monday, Feburary 24th
4:30 - 5:30 at SITE's Office, Sharp 322
Questions? Contact SITE Staff Advisor, Lindsey Barlag Thornton, lbarla@saic.edu
Get Involved
Stay tuned for announcements of programming events and open calls on the SITE website.
SITE Spaces
SITE Sharp
280 S. Columbus Dr., room 113
Monday–Friday: 11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m., Saturday: 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Alternate times by appointment
312.857.7140
SITE Columbus
37 S. Wabash Ave., suite 106
Monday–Friday: 11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m., Saturday: 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Alternate times by appointment
312.899.7440
SITE Main Office
36 S. Wabash Ave., suite 322
Phone: 312.899.5131
INCUBATOR: SHOW YOUR WORK ON CAMPUS
INCUBATOR gives Undergraduate and Graduate SAIC students opportunities to exhibit their work across campus in non-gallery spaces. These alternative spaces offer room to experiment and engage in exhibition-making from new and creative approaches. We invite you to test your ideas and share your practice with the SAIC community. INCUBATOR is made up of a caring team of Graduate Curatorial Assistants and Assistant Director of Exhibitions Lindsey Barlag Thornton who are available to guide you through the planning and exhibition-making processes.
INCUBATOR’s spaces are:
- First Floor Display Cases, Columbus Drive Building
- Second Floor Stairway/Landing, Columbus Drive Building
- Third Floor Lounge Walls, Columbus Drive Building
- Columbus Cafe, Columbus Drive Building
- Twelfth, Thirteenth & Fourteenth Floors, Cafe & Lounge, MacLean Building
- Second Floor Lounge, Sharp Building
- First Floor Lobby, LeRoy Neiman Center, Sharp Building*
- Wabash Window, Sharp Building*
* The LNC Lobby and Wabash Window are independently curated by the GCA INCUBATOR team. These spaces have hosted different kinds of works including visual arts, performances, video screenings, artists talks and other programming events.
There are two ways of getting involved with INCUBATOR:
INDEPENDENT STUDENT PROJECTS
Any currently enrolled SAIC students can submit to show work in INCUBATOR spaces in Sharp, MacLean and Columbus buildings. Exhibitions usually last between two and four weeks and can include one individual’s work, multiple artists, or the work of a class project. To ensure that all presentations meet SAIC policies and guidelines, an INCUBATOR Installation Form must be completed for review by the Department of Exhibitions, Safety & Security, Instructional Resources and Facilities Management, and Campus Life.
The INCUBATOR Installation Form is available on Engage. After logging in, navigate to the lower right corner of the homepage for “Campus Links” to find the the SAIC INCUBATOR On Campus Installation Form.
There is no deadline for this process, but applications can take several weeks for approval and planning, and it is recommended that the form be submitted at least three weeks before the proposed installation date.
Please check the Incubator Installation Calendar for availability of spaces. Students are encouraged to propose two possible exhibition runs when submitting the Incubator Installation Form.
It is the responsibility of the student(s) to install and de-install their work, and to provide their own hardware and tools.
CURATORIAL PROJECTS
Graduate Curatorial Assistants (GCAs) support departmental, course-related, and student driven projects through the Exhibitions Department. The Wabash Window and the first floor lobby of the Sharp building are the primary spaces designated for GCA curatorial projects. These projects are planned in advance and are often independently initiated, proposed by SAIC professors, or curated through an Open Call every Spring semester.
Each SPRING, the Incubator team produces a large juried exhibition, featuring works submitted through an Open Call. This call for artists is typically opened up to SAIC students towards the end of the previous FALL semester, and remains open for submissions through Winter Break. This annual exhibition activates public-facing spaces including the Wabash Window and LNC Lobby, providing exceptional opportunities for visibility of student artwork.
For more information or questions email the INCUBATOR Team at saicINCUBATOR@saic.edu
Faculty-Curated Exhibitions (Faculty Only)
The Department of Exhibitions and its Sullivan Galleries serve to enrich and augment the academic curriculum through active discourse on issues and ideas in contemporary art and design. Exhibitions are teaching tools and also vehicles to contribute to the field of contemporary art, design, and theory. They operate as an integrated part of the studio and academic experience and additionally offer meaningful encounters to Chicago audiences. Proposals may take the form of exhibitions, artist project commissions, performances, programs, and/or publications. These may occur in the Sullivan Galleries and other locations on-campus. They may be tied to specific courses, although this is not a requirement for consideration. For more information:
Faculty Proposals for Exhibitions and Projects Application
Application deadline for academic year 2019/2020 exhibitions: Monday, April 1, 2019
Please note: Please note, if a proposal is intended as an integral part of an SAIC course, the applicant must get initial approval from their department chair.
Questions? Contact Trevor Martin, Executive Director of Exhibitions, at tmartin@saic.edu
Faculty Interested in Coordinating Off Campus Opportunities for Students
Information TBA
New Blood: Festival of Performance, Live Art, and Time-based Work
Applications are closed until next fall.
New Blood is the annual student festival of performance, live art, and time-based work at SAIC. This year, SAIC will host New Blood XIII on Saturday, November 23, at Links Hall (3111 North Western Avenue, Chicago). All currently enrolled undergraduate, graduate, and post-baccalaureate SAIC students are encouraged to apply. Thoughtful proposals from any direction are welcome. Collaborative proposals must include at least one SAIC student. Applicants are encouraged to apply with new work that is in development or pre-existing pieces. All proposals will be reviewed by a jury. Final selections will be announced on October 1.
Previous New Blood XIII Call for Entries
Questions? Email Lauren Steinberg (she/her): lstein3@saic.edu
MLK Jr. Mural Competition at Hostelling International Chicago
Twenty student artists will be selected to paint individual pieces honoring the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the continuing struggle for social justice on the 2nd floor windows of Hostelling International Chicago. A panel of judges will evaluate the artworks and 1st and 2nd place prizes will be awarded to the students whose works best represent the spirit of the exhibit. (1st Place: $200; 2nd Place: $100)
Applications are currently closed.
Black Harvest Film Festival Exhibition at Gene Siskel Film Center
This year marks the 26th anniversary of the Black Harvest Film Festival at the Gene Siskel Film Center (GSFC). In collaboration with SAIC’s Department of Exhibitions, the GSFC is seeking exhibition proposals to reflect the theme of the Black Harvest Film Festival screening series, to be on view in the months surrounding the festival in the GSFC’s Gallery/Café space. This call for proposals is open to everyone. Members of the SAIC community, such as current students, faculty, staff, or alumni are strongly encouraged to apply.
Questions? Contact Serena Washington, Exhibitions Coordinator, swashington1@saic.edu
Proposal_ BHFF_Application_2019
Application date TBA
Other Off Campus Opportunities
At various times throughout the academic year, we receive inquires from companies and organizations seeking student artwork for their spaces. Additional opportunities occasional arise for project commissions at other off-campus locations.
