Open Call 2025
DEADLINE EXTENDED TO MARCH 30th

Application open between January 26 - March 30

CLICK HERE FOR APPLICATION
NOTE: No one turned away for lack of funds- email info@elycenter.org for fee waiver information

We are pleased to announce Jared Quinton as our guest curator!

Jared Quinton is a curator, writer and currently the Emily Hall Tremaine Associate Curator of Contemporary Art at the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art in Hartford, CT, where he oversees the pioneering MATRIX exhibition series and the museum’s postwar and contemporary collection and galleries.

Jared Quinton

“I'm interested in the politics of form and believe the best art conveys its meaning or message through the artist's formal and material choices. This applies across all media and to the entire spectrum from figuration to abstraction. I'm less interested in art that represents an idea or narrative (illustration), rests purely on visual appeal (decoration), or relies on external information in order to be understood.”

Photo: Allen Phillips. Courtesy of the Wadsworth Atheneum.

Submissions Considered For:

  • Exhibition curated by Jared Quinton to take place September 14 - October 26, 2025*

  • Flat File exhibitions

  • Keyhole Workspace in Residence (Spring/Fall ‘25)

  • Solo exhibitions

  • Thematic group exhibitions

  • Entry Project Space for mural, video, installation, and other experimental works

  • Digital Grace, our online exhibition platform, as well as other online programming and exhibitions

  • Special interviews and social media features

  • Trash to Fashion programming

Eligibility & Terms

  • Artists may submit up to five works, any medium.

  • Files should be 2 MB or smaller and labeled as follows: lastname_firstname_worktitle ex: Ely_Grace_VictorianMansion.jpg If submitting video upload a still image and provide a link to the video in the following work description section. If submitting sound upload up to one minute .mp3 file, you may include a link if works are longer than one minute.

  • Artists working in new media, film, or video may be required to use own equipment for exhibitions as ECOCA’s equipment library is limited

  • Artists are responsible for hand-delivery of artwork or are responsible for the shipping cost to and from the gallery.

  • All artwork accepted must be ready to hang or install.

  • Artists retain 70% of the proceeds from any work sold.

  • $35 application fee: Includes 1 – 5 artworks

  • No one will be denied a submission, if one cannot afford the $35 fee please email info@elycenter.org

  • Deadline: March 16, 2025, 11:59 pm EST

  • Please note ECOCA cannot insure any single work valued at more than $10,000.**

  • Please reach out to info@elycenter.org for any further questions.

For ease of application we suggest that you use Chrome when submitting your application. We also suggest that you have all your information/materials ready for copy/paste and uploading in order to finish in one sitting. If you have any issues email info@elycenter.org for troubleshooting.

Expand below for more details on specific opportunities:

  • The unique Gothic entryway is dedicated as a project space. This can be it’s own or part of another exhibition on site. We are especially interested in immersive installations with (but not limited to) murals, custom wallpapers and sound. The Project Room dimensions are 55” deep x 8.5’ wide x 10.5’ tall. Along the long walls are large oak arched Gothic doors that lead in and out of the building. See images here.

  • On our first floor is a gallery room dedicated to 2 dimensional artworks. 21” x 40” or smaller are considered for flat file exhibitions. The Flat File drawers are lined in black fabric and there are spaces for works to also get hung on the walls via magnets. There is a desk for people to sit, read, and take closer looks with the works in this room.

  • This residency is for studios only.

    2-4 Artists Artists are selected for a 4 month residency. There is a Spring and a Fall Cohort. A group show of the Keyhole artists will be held at the completion of the residency. A small material stipend is provided. During the residency artists will be provided with professional support from staff and studio visits from curators, artists and critics. ECOCA provides access to handtools, a photo darkroom, and a small printing press. With magnificent natural lighting and original architectural fixtures, these studios hold a unique history mostly gone from today’s buildings, providing an inspiring location. Artists who wish to be considered for this are responsible for their own housing.

  • ECOCA is partnering with local with artist/writer Rebekah Fraser to develop a sustainable fashion ball.

    Trashh to Fashion focuses on psychographic dynamics, striving to reach people who enjoy fashion and have an interest in environmental justice and/or building community resilience. The goal is to create inclusive zero-waste events to:

    • Demonstrate that zero-waste events can be fun, yummy, and glamorous while producing minimal environmental stress,

    • Ignite conversations about the environmental impact of our textile purchasing and disposal choices,

    • Spark behavioral change toward conscious, healthier clothing and decor creation, purchasing, and disposal in Connecticut,

    • Create an online hub of information with links to resources about upcycling, clothing swaps, purchasing pre-owned clothing and deadstock fabric, and clothing repair.

*Artists selected to participate in exhibition guest curated by Jared Quinton will be notified by May 31, 2025

**Please note that artwork is insured only when in the gallery building, not when in transit.

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