CALL FOR EXHIBITION PROPOSALS

Boyd’s Station Gallery, 203 E. Pike Street, Cynthiana, KY 41031

Proposal submissions are accepted year-round

The Boyd’s Station Gallery is the exhibition space of the nonprofit arts and culture organization Boyd’s Station located in Cynthiana, Kentucky. Boyd’s Station Gallery supports regional art and artists and provides the community with opportunities for quality art education, exhibition experiences, and more.

Boyd’s Station Gallery enthusiastically accepts proposals from artists and curators for temporary exhibitions featuring diverse artists and subjects which are thematic, inclusive, accessible, smart, timely, and innovative.

Artists and curators from outside of Kentucky are always welcome to submit proposals.

Please contact gallery@boydsstation.org if you have any questions.

Boyd’s Station Gallery is located in downtown Cynthiana, Kentucky and is operated by the nonprofit organization Boyd’s Station since 2020.

Boyd’s Station Gallery has maintained a diverse range of regionally focused visual art exhibitions featuring artists, emerging artists, group exhibitions, community and civic events, youth workshops and camps and other forms of expression and strives to inspire creativity while supporting and promoting Cynthiana and Harrison County and community partners with a shared goal of fostering a culture of community engagement and prosperity.

The facility provides just over 900 square feet for exhibitions and special programming and welcomes proposals that challenge our ways of thinking about the visual and performing arts.

Boyd’s Station Gallery is always seeking proposals for works and special programming. Exhibitions are planned several months to a year in advance. Please keep this in mind when proposing shows.

At least 50% of work submitted for review must be from the last two years.
Group and solo exhibitions of all media are welcome to apply. Group proposals (of two artists or more) are encouraged.
Proposals must be submitted by a representative artist/curator. This can be the artist proposing a solo exhibition for him/her/their self, a representative proposing an exhibition as part of a group OR an independent curator(s) proposing an exhibition on behalf of an artist or group.
Artists and curators from outside of Kentucky are always welcome to submit proposals.

Before proposing an exhibition, please review our floor plan carefully to understand the scale of the space.

Click here for our floorplan

All complete proposals will be reviewed by a selection committee made up of members of the Boyd’s Station Artist Guild exhibition committee and Boyd’s Station Gallery. Applicants will be notified with questions and if a proposal has been accepted.

Required PROPOSAL Materials

Curriculum Vitae (2 pages maximum). Include your art education, exhibitions, awards, and bibliography. For curated exhibitions or for group artist exhibitions, please also include all artists’ resumes.
Concise artist or curatorial statement (approximately 300 words).
Brief biography (one paragraph in length) with contact information: name, address, phone number, email, website, or social media. If you are proposing a group exhibition, please provide the biography and contact information for the curator or coordinator.
Exhibition proposal narrative - statement of intent including the title of the exhibition (1-2 pages max)
Media attachments: images of artwork (10-20 (max) images of work with corresponding numbered Image List information sheet.
JPEG (.jpg) files only. All files should be 72dpi with 2000 pixels on the longest side. If necessary, provide a link and make the files available to download.
Image List. A numbered image information sheet that corresponds to the numbered digital images. The information sheet must include the title, date, dimensions, and medium of each work listed along with the artist’s name.
Identify any special equipment or other requirements you may need that may become an impediment to presenting this proposed exhibition.
The curator/artist proposing the exhibition should view gallery specifications and tailor their proposal to the needs of the exhibition space. Curators/artists are encouraged to submit a rough outline/sketch of the proposed exhibit installation.
Once all of the proposal material is gathered together and complete, please organize and save all of the documents into a single PDF. Title the PDF file using this naming convention: FirstName-LastName-ProposalName.pdf

Images that are included in the PDF must be sized no longer than 2000 px on the longest edge at 72dpi and saved as JPGs. If you have a sequence in mind, you’ll want to title them in a way that the reviewer can easily understand, like:
01_FirstName-LastName_Title-of-Work.JPG
02_FirstName-LastName_Title-of-Work.JPG
03_FirstName-LastName_Title-of-Work.JPG

Please e-mail the completed exhibition proposal PDF to gallery@boydsstation.org

Exhibition Proposal Narrative INFO

A narrative should include a suggested title for your exhibition. This title may be amended up to the time it is required for printing the promotional material. Include your name, identify yourself as a featured artist or, specify solo or group exhibition, and if the latter, include the names of the artist(s).
Describe the concept or theme of the work.
For artists only: Describe your current work, as well as your proposed work, noting any significant new direction your work will take.
For independent curators only: demonstrate your capacity to execute the exhibition.
Provide information about how the work connects to the mission and goals of Boyd’s Station.
Identify any special equipment or other requirements you may need that may become an impediment to presenting this proposed exhibition.
Include details of any supplementary public programs or presentations. We encourage participants to propose additional artist talks, panel discussions, or workshops geared toward engaging the general public.
Indicate whether the accompanying images are images you are proposing for the exhibition or are representative images only.

Advice on Crafting a Strong, Compelling Exhibition Proposal

Use simple language, avoiding art jargon and buzzwords.
Open with a strong, clear sentence that succinctly communicates your idea.
Write directly, and avoid using conditional or future tenses. “The exhibition addresses ______,” is a stronger phrase than, “The exhibition would address/ will address/ seeks to address______.”
Be specific when writing about your work. Rather than describing your practice generally, write about a specific project or artwork that you want to use, and make a clear, compelling case for its inclusion.
Clearly describe the exhibition plan: how will viewers experience the work? Consider the scale and layout of the gallery space. We strongly recommend visiting the space, if possible, or reviewing documentation on our website before submitting your application.
Ask questions! If your proposal hinges on something related to the space: hanging from the ceiling or building a false floor, send us a short email asking if it’s possible, and we’re happy to let you know. Proposals are often rejected because they aren’t realistic for our space.
Be sure to submit high-quality images of your work. Images should be bright, clear, and photographed on a neutral background. The stronger your images, the stronger the proposal