OPEN CALL: 2027 Curatorial Program Open Call

Application Deadline: November 30, 2026

Loop & Cluster is looking for curators to join our 2027 Curatorial Program. We will select four curators. Over a year-long term, each curator will realize a month-long exhibition of their own design at Loop and Cluster Gallery in Brooklyn, and help shape a year of conversation around it through salons and workshops. We provide the space, a place to work, and hands-on support. You bring the ideas.

THE PROGRAM

The 2027 Curatorial Program runs for the full year of 2027, with four curators selected as a cohort. The core commitment is one month-long exhibition, at least one salon or workshop, and a monthly cohort meeting. During the term, each curator:

  • Curates one month-long exhibition of their own conception at Loop and Cluster Gallery. The theme, artists, and format are yours to decide. Exhibition dates are set together with our team, based on the preferred months you list in your application.

  • Organizes at least one salon or workshop. This could be an artist talk, a reading, a panel, a hands-on workshop, a screening, a dinner conversation, or something we haven’t thought of yet.

    Many curators use these event to extend their exhibition’s ideas or to bring in a wider audience.

  • Joins the life of the building. Curators are welcome to work from Playground Brooklyn throughout the term, meet our studio artists, and take part in community events. Throughout the year, curators will also connect with the artist in our residency program.

  • Is part of a curatorial cohort. The four curators meet with our team about once a month (with a break over the summer) to share progress, exchange ideas, and plan together. Curators are also encouraged to attend one another’s salons and workshops, so the program feels like a shared year rather than four separate shows.

We see this as a collaboration. Our team will meet with you regularly to plan logistics and help bring your project to life, while curatorial decisions remain yours.

WHAT WE OFFER

  • Exhibition Space at Loop and Cluster Gallery for your month-long show

  • Event Space for your salon, workshops, and public programs.

  • A Playground Brooklyn Flex membership for the length of your term, so you have a dedicated place to research, plan, and prepare your exhibition.

  • Installation and gallery-sitting support. Our team can help with part of the installation and part of the gallery attendance during your exhibition. We will agree on the details together.

  • Paid studio visits. If we invite you to conduct studio visits with our residency artists, you will receive a modest honorarium for each visit.

  • A community. Access to our network of studio artists, co-working members, and audiences from both Brooklyn Art Cluster and Playground Brooklyn, including promotion through both mailing lists.

WHO SHOULD APPLY

We welcome curators at any stage of their career, including emerging curators, artists who curate, writers, and independent organizers presenting their first exhibition. Individuals and small curatorial teams are both welcome to apply. Four curators (or teams) will be selected for 2027.

We are especially interested in proposals that make full use of a shared, community-centered space, and that imagine the salon or workshop as part of the work rather than an add-on. Applicants should be able to be in Brooklyn regularly during their term.

HOW TO APPLY

There is no fee to apply. Please submit the following through the link below.

  • Curatorial proposal (up to 500 words): the idea behind your exhibition and why now.

  • Exhibition plan: proposed artists (confirmed or prospective), types of work, and a rough idea of how the show would use the space.

  • Program idea (up to 250 words): the salon, workshop, or public event you would like to organize.

  • Preferred exhibition dates: Three preferred exhibition periods, in order of preference (for example, 1st choice: March, 2nd choice: May, 3rd choice: September). Final dates will be confirmed in conversation with our team.

  • CV or short bio: including any past curatorial or organizing work.

  • Optional: up to 10 images of relevant past projects or work by proposed artists.

Apply 2027 Curatorial Program

CONTACT

Questions are welcome. Reach us at info@loopandcluster.org, or visit Loop and Cluster Gallery at 540 President Street, Suite BB, Brooklyn, NY 11215 (Tuesday to Saturday, 1 to 5 PM, by appointment).

We can't wait to see what you imagine for the space.