Elastic Arts Visual Gallery Curatorial Residency 2026-2027 Application Now Open!
Lee Romero ‘the intimacies of a clover’ - 2024/2025 Exhibition
Elastic Arts is looking for its next Gallery Curator for the 2026-2027 season. Elastic Arts’ 2,500 sq.-ft. space is devoted to adventurous music, performance, and art. We present roughly four public performances each week that range from jazz to electronic experimental music, EDM, post-punk, noise, puppetry, poetry, and performance art at an all-ages, low-cost venue. The space offers artists a unique opportunity to present work to hundreds of people, many of whom do not attend other galleries or museums.
The Gallery Curator at Elastic Arts is responsible for planning, programming, and coordinating visual art exhibitions from April 2026 through March 2027. The Gallery program presents exhibitions on a quarterly basis, with each running for approximately eight to ten weeks.
In addition to selecting the artists, the Gallery Curator is responsible for creating/gathering support materials for promoting events, including a critical essay/review/interview for each show to be included in our quarterly printed Graphic Notes publication. The Gallery Curator is responsible for leading the installation and de-installation of each show, hosting gallery events, and managing exhibiting artists' participation.
There is a curator stipend of $1,000 divided quarterly for each show, and a budget to pay artist fees of $250 for each show. There will be opportunity to present public events in association with each show, utilizing the full range of Elastic Arts venue resources including the 16-channel CLEAT multi-speaker sound system, with a production budget to be determined in collaboration with the Elastic Arts staff based on the type of event.
Elastic Arts is a 501c(3) non-profit organization fostering artistic exploration from a versatile Chicago venue by programming and presenting multifaceted performance and exhibition. Elastic Arts fosters a community of music, art and performance in the Avondale/Logan Square neighborhoods of Chicago and beyond through developing, hosting, producing, and promoting creative, independent, and local music concerts, exhibitions, and multi-arts performances. www.elasticarts.org
Should you have any additional questions regarding the residency, please email gallery@elasticarts.org
KEY DATES
Jan 15th, 2026 - Applications Due
Jan 22nd, 2026 - Selected Candidate Interviews
Jan 31st, 2026 - Curator Confirmed
April-June 2026 First Exhibition
April 3rd 2026 - First Gallery Opening Event
Exhibit schedule to continue on a quarterly basis:
July-Sept; Oct-Dec, Jan-Mar 2027
Please complete the application linked in our bio to be considered for the 2026-2027 Gallery Curatorial Residency at Elastic Arts.
All candidates must be 21 years of age or older, live in the Chicagoland area, and be eligible to work in the United States.