Open Call for Exhibitions
The 2026-2027 Open Call deadline is December 1st, 2025.
About The Call
Vulpes Bastille’s 100-year-old building houses two renovated galleries that provide an exhibition platform in the heart of the Crossroads Art District. The annual open call determines our calendar of exhibitions each year.
The open call is geared towards artists of all disciplines, career levels and backgrounds. Proposals may be submitted by individual artists, groups of artists, or curators, and we especially encourage proposals from students, emerging, and local artists.
Opportunities are available between May 2026 through March 2027.
Vulpes Bastille’s spacious galleries are an ideal venue for a variety of experimental curatorial projects, solo exhibitions, group exhibitions, and installation/performance-based work. Group shows are perfectly suited to our Main Gallery due to its large scale, while the Sub Gallery offers a more intimate environment geared towards solo and duo shows.
Exhibitions typically run for three weeks with openings on First Fridays and closings on Fourth Fridays.
This open call is for exhibition proposals, not individual works of art. Artists are responsible for installation and deinstallation.
How To Apply
Proposals must be submitted through the online application form at https://forms.gle/6hh8ci1CwYwwuEEx5.
Application REQUIREMENTS
To submit a proposal, upload the following materials to the online form by December 1st, 2025.
Enter details about your show in the application form, then upload a single document (PDF, Doc, or Powerpoint) containing the items listed below. This is a space to express your ideas and artistic concept, while also communicating the nuts and bolts of your project.
If you have any questions or need any accommodations, reach out to Caranne Camarena at vulpesbastille@gmail.com.
Your Proposal must include:
1. Your artist statement or letter of intent describing the concept of the curatorial project being proposed
2. A proposal of 500-700 words describing your goals, timeline, installation logistics, and plan for events or programming.
This should include number of artworks to be shown, names of artists (for curatorial/group exhibitions), and any special presentation requirements. We would like to know why Vulpes Bastille is the right venue for your show and how you plan to make the most of the space.
3. CV/resume of your past work including contact information with link(s) to your website and/or social media (you can include multiple if applying as a group)
4. 1-10 images of artwork to be shown or artwork representative of the intended exhibition (if for a curatorial/group exhibit please include 1 image per artist)
Available Galleries
Two exhibition spaces are available: the large Main Gallery and the small Sub Gallery (see layouts below).
Exhibition Expectations
Upon acceptance of your proposal, you will be notified about our non-refundable payment for your exhibition reservation ($125 for the Main Gallery, $100 for the Sub Gallery) along with accompanying commission and gallery usage agreement. This covers the usage of the gallery space and will not be refunded if you cancel your reservation. Only one proposal fee/rental fee is required per proposal regardless of the number of artists participating in a group show.
Vulpes Bastille collects 25% commission on any works sold and paid events hosted to help support the space. However, you are not required to sell any work or host events.
Main Gallery
Sub Gallery
EVALUATION Criteria
The criteria that go into the evaluation of exhibition proposals are listed below. Rather than hard-and-fast rules, they’re questions guided by our mission to provide gallery space for a diverse community of local and emerging artists in the Kansas City region.
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Artistic Excellence - Are the artworks and exhibition visually and conceptually well thought-out, crafted, and presented?
Logistics - Does this proposal have a timeline, installation mock-up, or other project specs? Do the artist’s goals seem realistic and attainable? How well-thought out is their plan? Will this exhibition take full advantage of Vulpes Bastille’s gallery space?
Proposal - How detailed is the proposal? Does it specifically reference Vulpes Bastille and how the space will be used? Does it follow submission guidelines?
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Experimentation - Is this exhibition putting into practice a new idea or challenging a conventional one? Are there aspects that could not be shown in a more conventional gallery space?
Uniqueness - Is this exhibition original? Does it embody a distinct aesthetic idea? Is the subject matter authentic to the artist?
Diversity & Inclusion - Is this artist a student, a local artist, or an emerging artist? Has this artist been historically denied opportunities/exhibition space? Could this exhibition be shown elsewhere?
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Collaboration/Dialogue - Does this exhibition involve collaboration between multiple artists, another group, or the community at large? Will it create dialogue between people, ideas, or places?
Programming - Will this exhibition involve events or programming that will engage the community? Does the artist have a plan for opening and closing receptions? Will the exhibition involve elements of performance, sound/music, food, or other non-visual art forms?