EXHIBITION PROPOSAL GUIDELINES
EXHIBITION PROPOSAL GUIDELINES
GUIDELINES
All exhibition proposals should relate to photography, photographic materials, or lens-based artwork. However, this definition is purposefully open-ended—moving-image work, installations, and performances related to photography may all be included in proposals. Additionally, artists, curators, and collectives are all welcome to submit proposals. For example, a single artist could submit a proposal for a solo show, or a curator or collective could submit a proposal for a group show.
PROPOSAL MATERIALS
Proposals will be accepted online via Submittable. Only proposals submitted in this manner will be considered. We recommend that you make use of our gallery floor plan when developing your proposal and include any layout plans in your proposal narrative. This is especially important for any proposals that include site-specific installations and multimedia elements. Please include any proposed corresponding programming, such as artist talks, performances, etc.
In addition to contact information, applicants will need to pay a submission fee of $25, and provide the following materials:
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An artist or curatorial statement, describing the work to be exhibited and any corresponding programming (500 words max).
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A brief bio and CV for all artists and/or curators included in the proposal.
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10 - 12 sample images of artworks intended for exhibition. These should be in JPEG format and sized at 1000 pixels on the longest side. Title format should include last name, first initial, and image number (e.g. DoeJ_1.jpg). If possible, we also recommend including a small number of installation images or examples.
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Links to videos and other multimedia content, no more than 5 minutes in length, if applicable.
STIPEND
In order to defray the costs associated with producing an exhibition, Filter Photo offers a stipend to accepted applicants. This amount is determined based on guidelines from Working Artists and the Greater Economy (W.A.G.E.). Despite having an annual budget of significantly less than their set baseline of $500,000, Filter Photo is currently able to meet W.A.G.E.'s base level stipends thanks to foundational support. Sample stipends amounts are listed below, and are subject to change based on Filter Photo’s operating budget:
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Solo Exhibition: $1250
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Two-Person Exhibition: $625/artist
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Group Exhibition (3-5 Artists): $315/artist
INFORMATION FOR ACCEPTED APPLICANTS
Applicants will be notified in August. Accepted applicants will work with a Filter Photo staff member to determine the exhibition’s date, layout, and other details.
The provided stipend is to be used at the artist's discretion, and is meant to offset production and shipping costs. Artists are responsible for all production costs, as well as the cost of shipping their work to and from the gallery for their exhibition.
Any revenue obtained from sales of artwork on display will be split between Filter Photo and the artist, with the artist receiving 70% and Filter Photo receiving 30% of the final sales price. This split will apply to works sold directly through Filter Photo.
2026 EXHIBITION ADVISORY PANELISTS
Luciano Medrano, Director, PATRON
Luciano Medrano has served as a director at PATRON since 2022, a gallery focussing on emerging to mid career artists and conceptual practices. He has worked with artists to exhibition their work in international art fairs, institutional exhibitions, and various biennials. He has managed and curated corporate art collections of Fortune 10 companies in Texas, and was previously worked in the eduction department at the Dallas Museum of Art. Medrano is a member of the Society for Contemporary Art at The Art Institute of Chicago.
Emilia Mickevicius, Assistant Curator of Photography, Center for Creative Photography and Phoenix Art Museum
Emilia Mickevicius, PhD is the Norton Family Assistant Curator of Photography, a joint appointment between the Center for Creative Photography at the University of Arizona and Phoenix Art Museum. In her role she primarily draws from the CCP's collection to craft exhibitions for audiences in Phoenix. Her projects include Ecstatic Time: the Alchemy of Photography (opening summer 2026), Muscle Memory: Lens on the Body, and Funny Business: Photography and Humor. From 2019 to 2023 Emmy worked in the Photography department at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
Kristin Taylor, Curator of Academic Programs and Collections, Museum of Contemporary Photography
Kristin Taylor is the Curator of Academic Programs and Collections at the Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College Chicago, where she creates exhibitions, builds the museum’s collection, and leads educational initiatives. Some exhibitions she has curated include Collaboration: A Potential History of Photography in Dialogue with the MoCP Collection (co-curated with Wendy Ewald, Susan Meiselas, and Laura Wexler) and Reproductive: Health, Fertility, Agency (co-curated with Karen Irvine). She is currently curating a Tonika Johnson solo exhibition to debut at MoCP in 2027. Beyond MoCP, she has organized exhibitions at Perspectives Gallery and Riverside Arts Center, and her writing has appeared in Panorama: Journal of the Association of Art Historians. Kristin additionally teaches at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She holds a BFA in painting from the Kansas City Art Institute and an MA in arts management from Columbia College Chicago.
Yechen Zhao. Assistant Curator of Photography and Media, Art Institute of Chicago
Yechen Zhao is the Karen Frank Assistant Curator of Photography and Media at the Art Institute of Chicago, where he recently curated Pixy Liao: Relationship Material. His writing appears in Aperture, History of Photography, and Photographica. He has served as a visiting critic for the Yale School of Art, Parsons, and the University of Chicago.