Organizer Information:
The Dairy Arts Center is Boulder’s largest multidisciplinary arts hub, founded in 1992 in a former milk-processing facility. The center provides diverse opportunities to create, learn, and engage in high-quality performing, cinematic, and visual arts experiences. Their visual arts program values community, curation, cultivation, and courage.
Title & Description:
Applications are now open for The Dairy Arts Center 2027 Call for Art Exhibitions.
The Dairy invites artists, curators, and collectives to submit bold, thoughtful exhibition proposals across all visual art mediums. The program centers innovative, socially engaged, and conceptually driven work that sparks dialogue. The curators are particularly interested in projects rooted in storytelling, cultural inquiry, community connection, and experimental approaches to material and form.
Selected artists will work closely with the Curator of Visual Arts, Stella Witcher, to develop solo or group exhibitions presented between January 2027 and January 2028. Proposals should challenge assumptions, expand perspectives, and invite audiences into meaningful exchange.
Category:
Visual Arts.
(All visual art mediums are welcome, including video, audio, and hybrid practices).
Eligibility:
- Who: Individual artists, curators, and collectives at all career stages.
- Age: Must be 18 or older (younger artists may apply with parental permission).
- Scope: US-Based Artists only. Applicants must live in and be able to mail/transport artwork from within the United States.
- Requirements: Works must be original; no recreations will be considered unless conceptually grounded within an exhibition.
Program Benefits & Awards:
- Exhibition: A scheduled exhibition slot between January 2027 and January 2028.
- Curatorial Support: Selected artists will work collaboratively with the Dairy’s Curator of Visual Arts to develop the show.
- Comprehensive Support: The Dairy provides installation/deinstallation services, exhibition documentation, an opening reception, studio visits, and marketing.
- Sales: Works can be offered for sale (The Dairy retains a 40% commission).
Application Fee:
$40.00 USD (Non-refundable).
Note: The Dairy encourages artists of all socioeconomic statuses to apply. If the fee is a financial barrier, artists can email stella@thedairy.org to request assistance.
Program Costs:
- Shipping/Transport: Artists are responsible for all shipping and transportation costs for their artwork, unless otherwise arranged in specific cases.
Application Requirements:
All applications must be submitted through the CaFÉ platform (emailed submissions will not be considered). Individual artists or collectives should submit one consolidated application including:
- Artist Biography: A brief bio about yourself or your collective.
- Artist Statement: A short statement describing your application concept and how the submitted works relate to the proposed exhibition.
- Work Samples: 2 to 10 work samples (any media accepted). Applicants are strongly encouraged to submit a cohesive body of work.
How to Apply?
Submit your application online via the CaFÉ platform (accessible through the Dairy Arts Center website).
Key Dates:
- Application Deadline: April 30, 2026.
- Juror Selection: May 1 – May 22, 2026.
- Artist Notification: May 26, 2026.
- Exhibition Dates: Between January 2027 and January 2028.
Location:
Boulder, Colorado, USA (The Dairy Arts Center).
Contact Information:
Email: stella@thedairy.org