2026 Emerging Artists Exhibition

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Accessibility And Accommodations

If you need accommodations, assistance with your application, or if you have any further questions, please contact the Galleries and Exhibitions Manager via email at mariana.rodriguezrey@boston.gov or leave a message at 617-635-4445. You can also attend an office hour if you have any questions.

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OVERVIEW

The Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture is accepting submissions for the Emerging Artists Exhibitionat the Boston City Hall Galleries. The exhibition celebrates emerging artists of all ages and creates opportunities for artists who live or work in the Greater Boston area to share their work with the public in Boston City Hall.

The Emerging Artists Exhibition has its roots in the Fay Chandler Emerging Art Exhibition, established with the support of the Fay Chandler family. Fay Chandler was a Boston artist, philanthropist, and arts advocate who began her own artistic journey later in life. Her story helped shape this exhibition grounded in the idea that artists can emerge at any age and at many different points in their creative lives. 2026 marks the 10th iteration of the exhibition.

Selected artists will be part of an exhibition that will be on display at the Boston City Hall Galleries from December 7, 2026 to February 26, 2027.

Exhibition Goals

The Emerging Artists Exhibition aims to create meaningful opportunities for emerging artists to exhibit their work, build visibility, and participate in and shape Boston’s cultural life.

Through the exhibition, MOAC seeks to:

Create pathways for emerging artists by providing an accessible opportunity to exhibit their work in a public civic space, particularly for artists who may have had limited access to traditional exhibition opportunities.
Reflect the breadth of Greater Boston’s creative community by showcasing a range of artistic practices, perspectives, experiences, and voices.
Make contemporary local art part of civic life by bringing art into a free public space where residents, workers, and visitors can engage in the work of local artists and experience art as part of everyday life.

What We’re Looking For

Work across media, practices, and approaches.

Artists who are early in their careers are encouraged to apply, including artists who are developing a body of work, building their exhibition experience, currently studying art, returning to an artistic practice, or beginning an artistic career later in life.

Applicants whose work explores themes such as identity, equity, climate change, housing accessibility, civil rights or social issues are strongly encouraged to apply

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Who can apply?

You are eligible to apply if you:

Are 18 years of age or older.
Live or work in the Greater Boston area (Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth or Suffolk County).
Identify as early in your artistic career, regardless of age. This might include, but is not limited to:
- An artist who has been creating work for five years or less.
- A recent or current student.
- An artist with limited exhibition history.
- An artist who is returning to a creative practice or beginning an artistic career later in life.

You do not need to meet all of these examples to be considered an emerging artist.

Who is not eligible?

You are not eligible to apply if you:

Are represented by a commercial gallery.
Have had your work accepted in the Fay Chandler Emerging Artists Exhibition previously
Have a conflict of interest as defined by the City of Boston.
- All artists participating in the Emerging Artists Exhibition must certify compliance with Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 268A (the “Conflict of Interest Law”). You can find additional information on the Conflict of Interest Law here and can seek advice from the State Ethics Commission here.
- For example, a conflict of interest may exist if an applicant, or any immediate family member of the applicant, is currently, or has been within the past twelve (12) months, an employee, agent, consultant, officer, or elected or appointed official of the City of Boston. These are not the only situations in which a conflict may arise. Applicants are responsible for ensuring they are in compliance with Ch. 268A.

ARTWORK ELIGIBILITY AND REQUIREMENTS

Artists may submit up to three artworks for consideration. If accepted, one work will be displayed. All media are welcome, subject to installation requirements and space limitations of the Boston City Hall Galleries.

Submitted artwork must:

All artwork submitted must have been created within the last three years.
Meet the size and installation requirements below.
Be available for the full exhibition period, from December 7, 2026 to February 26, 2027.

2D Artwork

2D artworks must be ready to hang according to this installation guide and works on paper must be framed.
Be no longer than 30 x 30 in. (including frame).

3D Artwork

3D artworks must be free standing or fit on an 18 in. pedestal

Video Artwork

Must be captioned and under 10 minutes long

Commitments

Before applying, please make sure you are able to meet the following commitments:

If selected, artists are responsible for transporting their artwork to and from the gallery.
- Artists must be available to drop off their work between November 16 - 25, 2026
- Artists must pick up their work between March 2 - 6, 2027.
All participating artists must sign a waiver, available in the submission form.
All artwork must remain installed during the exhibition period agreed on.

Important note: The City of Boston and Boston City Hall Galleries will take care of selected pieces to the best of their ability. However, the City is not responsible for any damage to artwork while it is on display.

SELECTION PROCESS

Proposals will be reviewed and selected by a committee of the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture staff. They will be scored based on the criteria found on this rubric. Applicants will be notified of the selection committee’s final decisions by November 13.

After artists have been selected for the exhibition, a panel of three jurors will evaluate the selected artworks using the same criteria found in the rubric above.

Announcement of the juried awards will be made at a public reception on December 17, 2026.

Artist Awards

APPLICATION SUPPORT

You can attend an Office Hour/Q&A on October 13, 2026 at 5:00 p.m. to learn more about the opportunity and ask questions about the application. Join the video call here.

If you need assistance with your application or have questions about your eligibility, artwork requirements, or the application process, please contact: Mariana Rey, Galleries and Exhibitions Manager, at mariana.rodriguezrey@boston.gov or call 617-635-4445, and someone will get back to you.

Interpretation and translation services and disability accommodations are available to you at no cost.

Application Deadline + Technical Issues

The Emerging Artists Exhibition Call will be open from September 14, 2026 through November 2, 2026 by 5:00 p.m..

If you are submitting a hand-written hard copy, it must be received via mail no later than November 16, 2026 at 5:00 p.m., or hand-delivered to MOAC’s office by 5:00 p.m. on November 16. MOAC’s office can be found at:

Attn: Mariana Rodriguez Rey

Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture

26 COURT STREET

FLOOR 2

BOSTON, MA 02108

Late applications will not be accepted, and MOAC staff cannot assist with incomplete applications after 5:00 p.m. We recommend submitting before the deadline so there is time to resolve any technical problems.

If you do experience any last minute technical issues, please email us before the 5:00 PM deadline and include:

A copy of the completed application
A screenshot or description of the technical problem
The name of the applicant
Applicant contact information

ABOUT THE BOSTON CITY HALL GALLERIES

The Boston City Hall Galleries is a program of the Mayor’s Office of Arts and Culture. The galleries aim to position arts and culture as part of Boston’s civic infrastructure, embedding contemporary local art into government space and expanding equitable participation in cultural life across the city. The program provides free access to exhibitions for residents, workers, and visitors, while creating meaningful pathways for artists to grow their practice, build visibility, and engage directly with the City. The galleries function as both a public platform and an incubator, connecting artists, audiences and City departments to each other, affirming the creative workforce as essential to civic life.

We acknowledge that our galleries are built on the traditional homeland of the Massachusett people and the home of the neighboring Wampanoag and Nipmuc peoples.

We use Submittable to accept and review our submissions.

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