Please consider our mission statement when sending a proposal to The LAB: The LAB is an interdisciplinary arts organization which supports the development and presentation of new visual, performing, media, sonic, and literary art. We assist artists in the creation of new work and showcase work of the highest quality by emerging and underrepresented experimental artists. Of particular interest is work which crosses boundaries, encourages evolving artistic and social dialogue between artists and audiences, and develops the culture and community of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Proposals: The LAB accepts proposals on an on-going basis. In particular, The LAB seeks proposals of new, site-specific work that fully utilize our space or engage the space in a nontraditional manner. The LAB accepts submissions from emerging and experimental curators for group visual art exhibitions or performance series. A curator's own artwork should not be included in the project proposal. If accepted, The LAB encourages curators to post an open call for entries on The LAB's website, although this is not required. The LAB also reviews proposals from visual artists for the main gallery space or solo shows in the front gallery. The LAB accepts proposals from performers for 2-4 week residencies in our main gallery space.

Curators, solo artists, and collaborators are encouraged to apply to one of our three spaces:
*Main Gallery: Available for curated group shows, solo or two-person exhibitions or residencies for visual artists and/or performers. The gallery is 2,100 square feet. Chairs, risers, stages, and moveable walls are available. The maximum seated capacity is 100.

*Front Gallery: Primarily for solo visual artists. 123 sq feet. Four walls approx 8' wide x 10' tall.

*Ticket Booth: For single-channel new media works. Small (4x4) ticket-booth closet adjoining entry hall to the LAB. Currently we only have the ability to exhibit DVD works in this space.

Download a pdf of the gallery floorplan here: Floorplan (316.56 kB)

Residencies: Solo artists/performers or collaborators may apply for residencies in the Main Gallery space. The LAB offers 2 performance residencies per year. The LAB offers artists an extended workspace for 2-4 weeks to create new work; the length of time depends on the scope of your project. Residents are encouraged to engage the community with public events such workshops or panel discussions. If you are applying for a LAB residency, please address these additional issues of time, community, and budget (if applicable) along with the regular application (instructions stated below).

Our programming committee meets monthly to review proposals. Accepted proposals are generally presented 6-18 months after the date of acceptance. For more information on past LAB programming, please see our list of past events.

How to apply:

Please include the following items that will help the committee understand more about you, your work, and your proposal for The LAB:

Required Materials:

-Project Description (Limit to one page) that addresses the following questions:

*What are the specifics of your proposal?

*Which space are you applying to (Main Gallery, Front Gallery, or Ticket Booth? Please describe how you would use The LAB's space to enhance your project. How would you engage/utilize this space?

*What kind of resources do you need to complete and install your work?

*What kind of events do you envision being programmed with your project/work, if any?

*How would working with The LAB further your artistic goals?

-Resume

-A self-addressed stamped envelope (SASE) with sufficient postage for the return of materials. The LAB will make every attempt to safeguard submitted materials, but cannot be responsible for loss or damage. Never send master slides or tapes.

-Optional: Announcements, flyers, postcards from previous engagements or exhibitions (up to 3)

-Optional: Published reviews (up to 3)

Work Samples:

-Slides (preferred for visual art proposals):
Provide no more than 10 - 35mm slides of recent work delivered in a clear plastic sheet. Curators may submit up to 5 slides per artist. Label individual slides with your name, title of work, dimensions, medium, and indicate ‘top’ of artwork. Each slide should be numbered. Include a corresponding slide list with the above information plus date of execution of the work and approximate weight.

-CDROM:
Include a one page corresponding list of information including: title of work, dimensions, medium, and year. Limit the number of images to 10. Keep image file sizes to a minimum, preferably under 1 MB. Suggested formatting is 72 dpi, maximum height of 600 pixels, maximum width of 800 pixels. Acceptable image formats are JPG, GIF and PNG. When presenting images embedded in a Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF document, please be sure the overall file size is small enough to launch and view quickly. As our office uses only Macintosh, we recommend that you preview your digital presentation materials on a Macintosh before submitting.

-VHS, DVD, or Audio CD:
Cue a 5-minute video segment highlighting your recent work. Label all materials with your name and project title.

-Literature:
Four copies of representative work printed on plain paper is preferred to entire books or chapbooks. Do not send precious items that can be damaged or soiled.

*Please print and attach the following checklist with your proposal:  checklist (505.67 kB)

Send materials to:
Attn: Programming Committee
The LAB
2948 16th Street
San Francisco, CA 94103