Organizer Information
Root Division is a visual arts non-profit founded in 2002 by three graduates of the San Francisco Art Institute as a sustainable arts hub designed to constructively address the main challenges facing Bay Area emerging artists: the need for low-cost studio space, exhibition opportunities, and arts-related professional experience. The organization opened its first home on 17th Street in San Francisco's Mission District in 2004, and later relocated to its current facility in the Mid-Market/SOMA neighborhood. Root Division connects creativity and community through a dynamic ecosystem of arts education, exhibitions, and studios, providing affordable studios for over 30 artists, presenting roughly ten exhibitions annually, and offering free art classes to more than 1,000 youth in under-resourced schools. Its mission is to empower artists, promote community service, inspire youth, and enrich the Bay Area through engagement in the visual arts, with a particular focus on uplifting emerging and mid-career artists and curators, including historically marginalized communities.
Title & Description
Open Call for Curators — Root Division Main Gallery
Root Division invites emerging curators to submit proposals for conceptually rigorous group exhibitions in its Main Gallery. Strong exhibition proposals to the curatorial program are described as innovative, engaging, and conceptually driven, and the Curatorial Open Call is part of Root Division's mission to provide opportunities to emerging and mid-career Bay Area artists and curators. The exhibition series aims to reach a diverse range of Bay Area audiences, and the organization values opportunities to forge partnerships with peer organizations. While Root Division does not exclude curators or artists from outside the Bay Area, its primary focus is on developing opportunities for local artists; proposals must feature 100% Bay Area-based artists, or, if the curator or artists are not local, must include tangible relevance to the Bay Area.
The Role Overview
- Position Type: Guest Curator (project-based)
- Contract Type: Single exhibition commission, to be presented in Root Division's Main Gallery in 2027 or 2028
- Compensation: $3,000 curatorial stipend, plus production funds to cover approved costs related to installation, marketing, staffing, etc.
- Reviewed By: Root Division's Curatorial Committee, composed of established Bay Area artists, curators, and arts professionals
Position & Tasks
- Develop a conceptually rigorous and nuanced curatorial inquiry for a group exhibition
- Select and work with a group of artists (100% Bay Area-based, or with tangible relevance to the Bay Area if the curator or artists are not local)
- Articulate how the selected artists address the exhibition's proposed theme or area of inquiry
- Situate the exhibition within current issues of contemporary art, political or social discourse, or current events
- Identify and propose potential educational or programming partners to enhance the project
- Oversee installation, marketing, and staffing for the exhibition within approved production funds
Categories
- Curatorial Practice
- Contemporary Art
- Visual Arts
- Exhibition Making
- Community Engagement
- Arts Education
Eligibility
- Designed for emerging curators with under 5 years of curatorial experience
- Curators must be in the Bay Area at the time of the exhibition
- Only original exhibition proposals will be considered
- Proposals must feature 100% Bay Area-based artists, or demonstrate tangible relevance to the Bay Area if the curator or artists are not local
- Artists and curators who have previously exhibited with Root Division must wait one year before submitting another proposal
- Applicants are strongly encouraged to visit Root Division's space and website beforehand to understand its exhibition history and mission
Program Benefits
- $3,000 curatorial stipend
- Additional production funds to cover approved costs related to installation, marketing, staffing, etc.
- Exhibition presented in Root Division's Main Gallery, located at the center of the organization's facility
- Opportunity to forge organizational partnerships and programming with peer organizations
Application Fee
None
Application Requirements
- Curator CV/résumé (if more than one curator, all CVs uploaded in a single document)
- Exhibition Proposal, including:
- Exhibition title
- Curatorial concept and its personal significance to the curator (500 words max)
- How the selected group of artists addresses the theme or area of inquiry (300 words max)
- Why the exhibition is important at this moment in time, and its relation to contemporary art, political/social discourse, or current events (300 words max)
- Any potential educational or programming partners (300 characters max)
- Single PDF with up to eight images of artworks being considered for the exhibition, including artist name, year, dimensions, and medium
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 31 July 2026
- Exhibition Presentation: 2027 or 2028 (Root Division Main Gallery)
Location
San Francisco Bay Area, California, United States
Additional Details
- Root Division's Curatorial Committee, composed of established Bay Area artists, curators, and arts professionals, meets to review all proposals after the deadline
- Applicants are encouraged to familiarize themselves with Root Division's past and current exhibition program and organizational mission before submitting