CURATORIAL FRAMEWORK
The 2027 Curatorial Open Call asks applicants to engage with the notion of (Re)Building—an inquiry into how cultural practitioners reconstruct, repair, and reimagine the forms and systems that shape collective life. Proposals may approach rebuilding through material transformation, spatial intervention, archival research, or the reconsideration of social and economic frameworks. Curators are encouraged, though not required, to consider the particular resonance of this theme within the context of Cuchifritos Gallery’s location inside Essex Market, a working city-owned public marketplace that has itself been a site of relocation, reconstruction, and reinvention.
Three exhibitions will be selected through this open call and presented at Cuchifritos Gallery in Fall/Winter 2027-2028.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Proposals will be evaluated according to the following criteria. No single criterion is determinative; evaluation balances multiple factors.
– Artistic and Creative Merit: Originality, conceptual rigor, technical proficiency, and innovative use of materials, methods, or form.
– Cultural and Intellectual Significance: Cultural relevance, intellectual depth, and engagement with a range of ideas, perspectives, or forms of inquiry.
– Relevance to Theme: The degree to which the proposal engages (Re)Building as an artistic and curatorial framework.
– Need to Exhibit at Cuchifritos: A clear articulation of why the proposed exhibition is well-suited to Cuchifritos Gallery + Project Space and its context within Essex Market.
– Feasibility: The practical viability of the proposal within available space, staffing, and resources.
– Artist and Curator Qualifications: Professional background, demonstrated commitment to practice, and relevance of prior work to the proposed project.
Proposals are evaluated without regard to the political, ideological, or social viewpoints expressed in the work. The potential for controversy or disagreement is not grounds for exclusion. AAI does not endorse all ideas presented in the work it exhibits; rather, it provides a platform for artistic inquiry and dialogue consistent with its mission.
ELIGIBILITY
– All curators are eligible regardless of nationality or professional background. Application is open to US and non-US residents.
*Please note: if your proposal is accepted and you live outside NYC or the US, you must arrange your own accommodations for the duration of any on-site work at Cuchifritos Gallery.
– Curatorial collectives are invited to apply but must submit only one application.
– Curators enrolled in degree-granting programs during the exhibition period are not eligible to apply.
– Artists acting in a curatorial role may not submit proposals that include their own work.
Applicants are encouraged to review Artists Alliance Inc’s mission and the programming history of Cuchifritos Gallery at artistsallianceinc.org before applying. Due to the volume of applications received, AAI is unable to provide feedback to applicants at this time.
IMPORTANT DATES
Application opens: September 21, 2026
Application deadline: November 6, 2026, 11:59 PM ET
Applicants notified: January 2027
Exhibitions: Fall/Winter 2027-2028
ABOUT CUCHIFRITOS GALLERY + PROJECT SPACE
Cuchifritos Gallery + Project Space is a program of Artists Alliance Inc, located inside Essex Market at 88 Essex Street on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. The ADA-accessible gallery is free and open to all Wednesday through Saturday, 12 to 6pm or by appointment.