Exhibition Proposal Guidelines
We appreciate your interest in exhibiting at the Meridian Museum of Art. As you develop your exhibition proposal, please note the following considerations and qualifications.
We plan exhibition schedules approximately two years in advance and review proposals each year in February. This means the proposal you submit today will likely not be presented for at least two years after you accept it. We understand that if you have a specific timeframe, this may affect your planning; please indicate that in your proposal submission.
Proposed exhibits should be conceptualized around a theme that is not only contemporary events but also profoundly relevant to our society. This theme, which should involve a historical, social, cultural, intellectual, or political focus expressed through the vehicle of fine art, is the heart of your proposal. It’s through this theme that your work can truly make a difference and inspire our audience.
We welcome proposals from a diverse range of contributors. Independent curators, artists presenting their work, and professional art organizations all have a place at the Meridian Museum of Art. However, it’s important to note that we are a non-commercial institution. This means that we prioritize artistic and cultural value over commercial viability. Therefore, proposals with a commercial enterprise or marketing focus will not be considered.
Please provide a detailed budgeted exhibition as part of your proposal for your proposal. This should include projected expenses for materials, installation, transportation, and any other costs associated with the exhibition. As you know, projected expenses could change between proposal submission and acceptance notice and perhaps again before the exhibition.
Please be as specific as possible in your proposal submission. After the initial submission, arrangements may be made to supplement materials with additional drawings, photos, or other documents that clarify your vision for our selection committee.
Programming
The Museum’s Exhibition Advisory Committee is dedicated to a thorough and fair review process. Each proposal is reviewed by a panel of experts in the field, who consider its artistic merit, relevance to our mission, feasibility, and potential impact. We are committed to giving each proposal the attention it deserves.
Meridian Museum of Art holds approximately invitational six exhibitions annually within four galleries. In addition, each year, the museum hosts exhibitions ranging from displays of art objects from our permanent collection, traveling exhibitions of art, in-house curated exhibitions, and a juried exhibition with a Best of Winner’s Invitational offered the following year. The Black History Month Exhibition is held every February. The Membership Exhibition is held every December – January. This leaves us with two slots for exhibition proposals. Our exhibition schedules are set approximately two years in advance and average six to eight weeks. The Museum’s exhibition calendar runs from January – December. Proposals will be reviewed each year in February for the next set of shows through two years. Please keep these timelines in mind when planning your proposal.
Positioning Statement
With best practices and national standards for museums in mind, the Museum instructs, conserves, exhibits, and illuminates by considering the challenges of contemporary art with the riches of traditional visual media for a broad assessment of visual culture. In addition, as a part of our public outreach mission, the Museum holds artworks and artifacts in its permanent collections in Public Trust for current and future generations to study and appreciate. This ‘Positioning Statement’ section is included to help you understand our mission and values, and we encourage you to consider these in the development of your proposal.
In alignment with exhibition curation and programming development to:
- Work toward fostering community through engagement, education, and arts appreciation.
- Reveal universal interconnections through access, research, discovery, and reflection.
- Challenge biases and embrace diversity.
- Support stewardship and Public Trust through conservation education.
By doing so, we align our mission to enrich lives and create opportunities to promote excellence and engagement in teaching/ learning, research/ scholarship, creativity/ artistry, and outreach and service.
Our Space
The Museum’s temporary exhibition galleries consist of three spaces: the Burdette Gallery, the South Gallery, and the Davidson Gallery.
Floor Plan
Please get in touch with the Museum for a main floor plan.