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Exhibition Submissions: 2025-2026

Applications for our 2025-2026 Exhibition Season are now open!

The deadline for submission is March 2nd, 2025 at 11:59 pm CST. Please see below for more information to prepare for next year's application process.

If you have specific questions regarding the submissions process that are not answered below, please email: art@union.wisc.edu

  • The Wisconsin Union Directorate (WUD) Art Committee manages exhibitions in the gallery spaces of the Wisconsin Union Galleries.  This student-run committee, open to all current students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, manages every aspect of exhibitions, from artist selection and installation to art education and marketing.  Wisconsin Union gallery spaces are not available for rental or reservation.  Exhibitions must be evaluated through our competitive, criteria-based selection process.

  • Submissions packets are evaluated through a competitive criteria-based process by active members of the Wisconsin Union Directorate (WUD) Art Committee. Due to the volume of proposals received, not all submissions will be offered an exhibition slot nor are we able to provide critiques of individual submissions. Note that depending upon quality of submissions received and their appropriateness to the exhibition spaces available, additional calls for submissions may be held as needed to fill available exhibition slots.  Incomplete submissions, late submissions or submissions that do not conform to the proposal format guidelines will not be considered. 

  • PROPOSAL FORMAT

    Proposals for the Wisconsin Union Galleries are accepted electronically.  Prior to completing a submission packet, please review the gallery specifications of our various facilities as well as all of the information provided on this page. Make sure your proposal will be appropriate to the size and amenities available in a specific space.To submit your work for consideration, compile the following four items:

    1.  FORM:  A fully completed 2024-2025 Art Exhibition Proposal Form (Use the link below and download form)
    2025-2026 Art Exhibition Proposal Form

    Please take the time to fully detail and describe your proposed exhibition. For site-specific art and installation art proposals, please provide information on when/where this work has been featured previously, or how you have tested your installation techniques/ideas before submitting them to us for consideration.

    2.  BIOGRAPHY:  Artist resume/ biography/CV for each artist in the proposed exhibition

    3.  IMAGES:  Up to 10 digital images of recent work, in jpeg format only.  For video/new media files, please submit as .mov or .mp4 files.  Title each image with artist last name and a number (in order of the image list requested below).  Example:  Jones01, Jones02, etc.  Images do not have to be of works that will definitely be included in the final show, but MUST be representative of the works to be displayed.

    4.  IMAGE LIST:  A detailed list of the each image that includes the following information:
    Image Name:  Jones01
    Title of Work
    Medium
    Dimensions (with unit of measure indicated)
    Year


    SENDING IN YOUR PROPOSAL

    Send a single email with the above attachments to wudartsubmissions@union.wisc.edu

    EMAIL SUBJECT:  Email subject should read: 2025 Exhibition Proposal - [Artist Name]  Example:  2025 Exhibition Proposal - Jane Doe

    ATTACHMENTS:  Document attachments must either be Word Doc or PDF format only. Please do not send zipped files or document links.  Images should be attached in jpeg format only, unless they are new media files. 

    DEADLINE:  Applications are due March 2nd, 2025 by 11:59pm Madison time.  Incomplete submissions, late submissions, or submissions that do not conform to the guidelines will not be considered. 

    • Exhibitions typically last 4-6 weeks, except for certain student artist and pop-up exhibitions.
    • Artists are encouraged to present a gallery talk.
    • Artist works with the Art Committee to design and install exhibits, but the Art Committee reserves the right to change exhibition layouts for risk management or aesthetic reasons.
    • Artist is responsible for all expenses and logistics of transporting artwork to and from galleries, including insurance during transportation and all packing materials.
    • Artist is responsible for all incoming and outgoing shipping expenses, including packing/shipping materials, freight/shipping/delivery fees, and travel/lodging costs if hand-delivering works.
    • The WUD Art Committee provides a modest honorarium to exhibitions of original artist works (exhibitions not mounted by an original artist, touring exhibitions, historical displays and the like are not eligible for honorarium payment.)  In the case of exhibitions with more than one artist involved, the honorarium amount is split equally among all artists (payment is per exhibition, not per artist.)  Honorarium payment is initiated after successful installation in the gallery space, and typically takes 4 weeks to process.
    • We only have nominal storage space at each gallery location.  Artists should be prepared to take packing materials with you following delivery and return with them for pick up.
    • Work is insured only while the work is in our physical possession and secured to risk management standards.
    • All artworks must be removed from the galleries by the artist within 48 hours of the exhibition closing unless other arrangements are made in advance.
    • Memorial Union Pedestals: Up to thirteen pedestals of various sizes, eight with locking glass tops, are available for use.  Supply is shared between two galleries, so please confirm availability when planning your final layout.
    • Union South Pedestals: Up to five pedestals (24 W x 24 L x42 H), with locking glass tops (24 W x 24 L x 30 H) are available.
    • Gallery is able to provide basic installation hardware (nails and/or screws) and equipment (simple hand tools). Specialized hardware, hanging brackets and/or equipment are the responsibility of the artist (including cost of said hardware and equipment).
    • Absolutely no drilling, nailing, or gluing to the floors, ceilings or molding is allowed. Absolutely no painting, mudding, plastering or use of adhesives/markers/paint/other substances on the walls, pedestals, windows, floor or ceiling is allowed.
    • 2D works appearing in any gallery MUST be framed and pre-wired (with sturdy picture wire only) for hanging PRIOR to arrival at the gallery. Sturdy wiring is an essential part of our basic security protocols. If your works will not arrive wired, this limits available insurance coverage for certain works. 
    • AV Equipment: For exhibitions that require AV equipment, the artist is responsible for providing all necessary equipment and instructions for simple operation. Our galleries are not staffed, so operation must be limited to starting the system at gallery opening each day of the exhibition (DVDs/CDs must loop.) Equipment must be installed to our risk management standards, or it will not be covered by insurance against theft, fire or damages in excess of normal handling.
    • Any programmatic or financial sponsorships, grants, funds, etc. must be approved for inclusion by the Art Committee prior to the start of the exhibition and are subject to all Wisconsin Union Directorate policies and procedures for co-sponsorships.
    • If the proposing party does not physically own/manage the artwork included in the proposal, adequate documentation of the availability of the artwork must be provided with the proposal. All rental, shipping, and transit insurance costs will be the responsibility of the proposing organization. The WUD Art Committee advisor must review and approve all contracts related to exhibitions of this nature prior to their final execution.
    • Once an exhibition is selected, any substantial changes to topic, format or medium must be approved by the WUD Art Committee prior to shipping of work. The WUD Art Committee reserves the right to cancel any exhibition that changes significantly from what was originally proposed.
    • Artists must notify WUD Art Committee of any other exhibitions of substantially similar artwork to be held in Dane County within three months before any scheduled exhibition in the Wisconsin Union Galleries.
    • The Wisconsin Union Galleries must act as an intermediary for all sales of artwork during an exhibition. The Wisconsin Union Galleries takes a 20% commission on all sales during or resulting from an exhibition. Please price your works accordingly. The Wisconsin Union Galleries will collect 5.5% Wisconsin Sales Tax and will remit sales tax directly to the Wisconsin Department of Revenue.
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