Organizer Information
PS122 Gallery is a nonprofit alternative exhibition space located in the East Village of New York City. Founded in 1979, PS122 Gallery has played a significant role in supporting experimental, interdisciplinary, and emerging artistic practices. The gallery operates as an ongoing program of Painting Space 122, an artist-run cooperative that contributed to the development of the cultural community around the City-owned 122 Community Center (122CC).
Throughout its history, PS122 Gallery has been dedicated to providing opportunities, resources, and visibility for emerging and under-recognized artists. Its long-running Exhibition Open Call, originally established during the 1986–87 season and relaunched in 2023, has become one of the organization’s key programs for discovering and presenting innovative artistic projects. Previous exhibitions supported by this initiative helped introduce artists who later became internationally recognized, including Peter Halley, Keith Haring, and Amy Sillman, alongside hundreds of other artists, writers, and curators working across diverse disciplines.
The gallery’s mission focuses on fostering inclusive and accessible contemporary art practices regardless of age, race, gender, ability, geographic background, or ethnicity. PS122 encourages experimental approaches to exhibition-making, collective practices, audience participation, and public engagement. Through exhibitions, public programs, and community-oriented activities, the organization aims to expand the possibilities of contemporary art presentation while supporting artists and curators who challenge conventional formats.
The 2027 Exhibition Open Call continues PS122 Gallery’s commitment to providing a platform for artist-led and curator-led exhibitions that reflect diverse perspectives and innovative approaches to contemporary artistic practice.
Title & Description
PS122 Gallery — 2027 Exhibition Open Call
PS122 Gallery invites artists and curators to submit proposals for its 2027 Exhibition Open Call. A professional jury will select six (6) curator-led and/or artist-led exhibitions to be presented during the 2027 exhibition season.
Selected projects will receive a month-long exhibition opportunity in PS122 Gallery’s approximately 1,000-square-foot exhibition space located in New York City. Each proposed exhibition must include a minimum of two artists working in any artistic medium.
The open call welcomes experimental exhibition concepts, collaborative practices, collective projects, and innovative uses of gallery space. Applicants are encouraged to propose projects that engage with contemporary artistic questions and contribute to PS122 Gallery’s goals around diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and community engagement.
Selected exhibitions will be presented during one of the available 2027 exhibition periods: February, March, April, June, September, or October.
Categories
- Visual Art
- Contemporary Art
- Installation Art
- Painting
- Sculpture
- Photography
- Video Art
- Digital Art
- Multimedia Art
- Performance-Based Practices
- Interdisciplinary Art
- Curatorial Projects
- Experimental Exhibition Practices
- Collective Artistic Practices
Eligibility
The opportunity is open to:
- Artists and curators based internationally, provided that at least one of the participating artists or the curator resides in one of the five boroughs of New York City.
- Artist-led or curator-led exhibition proposals.
- Groups and collectives.
- Emerging and under-recognized artists.
- Artists working in any medium.
Eligibility requirements:
- Each exhibition proposal must include a minimum of two participating artists.
- Participating artists must be invited and confirmed before being included in the application.
- Either the curator or at least one participating artist must reside in one of New York City’s five boroughs:
- Manhattan
- Brooklyn
- Queens
- The Bronx
- Staten Island
- Currently enrolled students are not eligible to apply.
- Applicants may submit only one final application. Duplicate submissions will be discarded.
PS122 Gallery particularly welcomes proposals that contribute to its Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Belonging (DEIA+) objectives.
Program Benefits & Awards
- A month-long exhibition opportunity at PS122 Gallery in New York City.
- Presentation of their exhibition in the gallery’s approximately 1,000-square-foot exhibition space.
- Professional visibility through inclusion in PS122 Gallery’s exhibition program.
- Support from a recognized nonprofit contemporary art institution.
- Opportunity to present innovative artistic and curatorial projects to New York’s contemporary art community.
- Potential audience engagement through exhibitions and public programming.
The program does not specify cash prizes, production grants, travel funding, accommodation, or residency support.
Applicants should note that PS122 Gallery may adjust exhibition schedules depending on organizational needs or changes in public safety guidelines.
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Application Deadline: 1 September 2026
- Notification of Results: October 2026
- Exhibition Periods:
- February 2027
- March 2027
- April 2027
- June 2027
- September 2027
- October 2027
Location
New York City, United States
Additional Details
- The selected exhibitions must include at least two artists.
- Collectives are strongly encouraged to apply.
- Experimental approaches to the exhibition format and gallery space are welcomed.
- Projects incorporating public programs with an aesthetic component are encouraged, especially for collective or unconventional proposals.
- PS122 Gallery supports interdisciplinary artistic practices and encourages participation from artists working across different backgrounds and mediums.
- The organization may modify exhibition dates when necessary due to operational considerations or changes in local, state, or federal safety regulations.
- The program receives support from public funds provided by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.