Hi friends,

Nearly one month on, I am nearly recovered from hosting the first Southwest Contemporary Summit! It was a tremendous, beyond-our-wildest-dreams success, and we are so grateful for everyone who participated. I've been sitting with and chewing on the conversations that we had, and several key concerns and themes have surfaced for me. 

1. One of the biggest questions that is critical to answer to move the field forward is: who and where is the arts audience, and what are their needs? We actually considered making "audience" a theme of one of the panels. While I'm happy with the lineup we landed on, I think this is the next fundamental component of the conversation. Without an understanding of the art ecosystem's supply and demand dynamics, we may all be treading water. 

2. The information infrastructure for the arts is thin, and requires urgent care and investment from us all. In this media environment—for so many reasons—it will only become increasingly more difficult, and more expensive, to reach the aforementioned audiences we seek to serve. For interested art-viewers and art supporters to be made aware of the cultural goings-on around them, for arts organizations to reach them, we need far more robust information infrastructure if we are going to even begin to compete for attention moving forward. And I'm not only referring to art publications like Southwest. This issue transcends the art press and includes everything from arts organizations investing in their outreach to artists developing communications skills and government agencies being legible and transparent to their constituents.

3. Biodiversity is critical to ecosystem health. The field needs to preserve a range of arts experiences, with different entryways, and at different price points. When real estate rates price out all but the largest galleries, we lose the smaller, more experimental projects that can help develop an artist's practice (and that provide more affordable artworks to buyers). When small organizations close up shop, their communities lose the spaces that serve as vital launch pads for local talents. When a few key players have all of the influence or resources, we lose cultural vibrancy. And these dynamics are felt more acutely in smaller and mid-size markets like those across our region.

These are just a few of the emergent themes I have been thinking about, with more to come, I'm sure. But they are already shaping my thinking in planning Summit number two in 2027. If you attended the Summit, I'd love to hear what has surfaced for you in the last few weeks. And if you did not attend, we recorded each of the sessions. The recordings will be made available to active SWC Members very soon, so stay tuned! 

In the meantime, our latest SW Art Industry dispatch below contains 90+ opportunities and resources for this month. Happy perusing, and thanks as always for being a part of our community! 

PS. Not interested in receiving art industry news and opportunities? You can opt out of this newsletter here.

3 Resources

1. How do I write a grant? The eternal question, asked yet again. An upcoming virtual workshop in Springboard for the Arts's 12-part series Work of Art: Business Skills for Artists series aims to help you out on Tuesday, October 20. These workshops book up quickly, it's free to register!

2. Explore legacy planning resources nationwide. In July, we shared the Joan Mitchell Foundation's Creating a Living Legacy initiative. In September, the Foundation launched a new Legacy Field Map, a crowd-sourced directory of legacy stewardship resources, nonprofit organizations, collectives, and initiatives across the U.S.

3. Launch an artist residency program. The Artist Communities Alliance hosts the Emerging Program Institute this month, ACA’s foundational training curriculum for new and emerging artist residencies interested in launching, developing, or strengthening their programs. Four online sessions (16+ hours, October 22-30) are facilitated by residency leaders, funders, artists, and arts consultants from around the world.

Jobs

New

Collections Manager

Burke Museum / Seattle

Work with the curator for Diasporic Oceania and Asias to foster and maintain ethical relationships between the Burke Museum and Pacific Islander, Asian, and Near Eastern communities, and facilitate community access and activation of the collection. Salary: $72,000–73,200.

Apply by October 14.

Curator of Art 

Center for the Visual Arts / Wausau, WI
Manage three gallery spaces, shape creative gallery experiences, and foster an inclusive arts community in the Wausau region. Seeking a strategic thinker with experience in arts administration and exhibition design. Salary: $32,760–36,400.

Apply by October 18.

Assistant Professor of Art/Sculpture

UCLA / Los Angeles

Tenure-track position in the School of Arts and Architecture. Teach undergraduate and graduate students in contemporary studio sculpture practices. Administrative work and engagement with student, staff, and faculty communities is expected. BA or BFA required. Salary: $84,100-108,900.

Apply by October 31.

Assistant Curator
MSU Broad Art Museum / East Lansing, MI
Contribute to the museum's curatorial vision: exhibition development, collection growth, grant writing, and donor relations, reporting to the senior curator. Requires a master's degree and three+ years of curatorial/museum experience. Salary: $62,000.
Open until filled.

Assistant Registrar

Institute for the Study of Ancient Cultures, University of Chicago

Lead the ISAC Museum's imaging and rights and permissions program. Produce images and video of the collections for the online database, catalogues, and ISAC's public media channels. Salary: $56,000–62,000.

Open until filled.

Associate Curator

Contemporary Austin / Austin, TX

Develop exhibition programming and steward the outdoor sculpture collection. Outward facing role that requires an MA in Art History or a related field and five+ years of curatorial experience. Salary: $75,000–80,000.

Open until filled.

Cultural Historian

Hawaii Dept. of Land and Natural Resources, State Historic Preservation Division / Oahu (applicants from any island welcome)

Review and evaluate development proposals affecting historic properties, including burial sites, and make preservation recommendations; register burial sites and handle related genealogical and NAGPRA research. Salary: commensurate with experience.

Open until filled.

Director of Facilities

Ghost Ranch / Abiquiu, NM

Oversee all facilities across Ghost Ranch, including management of water and electrical systems and renovation projects, and supervise the facilities manager. Salary: $82,000.

Open until filled.

Program Manager of Co:Laboratory

Portland Art Museum Center for an Untold Tomorrow

Develop, manage, and grow a portfolio of revenue-generating educational and public programs that position PAM CUT as a leader in animation, creative technology, and emerging media arts. The role oversees seasonal youth camps, year-round classes, labs and workshops, and seasonal public events. Salary: $50,889–68,156.

Open until filled.

Public Programs & Exhibitions Manager

Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland / Cleveland, OH

Design and execute moCa's public engagement programs, including artist talks, performances, interactive tours, and special interpretation experiences. Salary: $50,000–60,000.

Open until filled.

Senior Director

Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts / Birmingham

Collaborate with the AEIVA curator to expand the permanent collection and execute art exhibitions, educational programming, and engage university, museum, and local art communities. Salary: $85,600–139,100.

Open until filled.

Ongoing

Area Coordinator, Residence Center / Institute of American Indian Arts, Santa Fe / Open until filled.

Assistant/Associate/Curator of American Art / Dallas Museum of Art / Open until filled.

Chief Exhibitions and Collections Officer / Saint Louis Art Museum / Open until filled.

Collections Move Manager / Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, Santa Fe / Open until filled.

Communications Director / United States Artists, Chicago / Open until filled.

Community Programs Coordinator / Fox Tucson Theatre, Tucson / Open until filled.

Deputy Director / Amp Concerts, Albuquerque / Open until filled.

Development Director / LHUCA, Lubbock, TX / Open until filled.

Director of Community Access / Institute of American Indian Arts, Santa Fe / Open until filled.

Director of Production and Presentation / Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts, Corvallis, OR / Open until filled.

Exhibition Content Writer/Manager / Harvard Museums of Science & Culture, Cambridge / Open until filled.

Exhibition Designer / Harvard Art Museums, Cambridge, MA / Open until filled.

Marketing/Communications Specialist / City of Mesa + i.d.e.a. Museum, Mesa, AZ / Open until filled.

Senior Producer / PS21: Center for Contemporary Performance, Chatham, NY / Open until filled.

Opportunities

New

Sesame Workshop Writers’ Room Fellowship

Sesame Workshop

Open call for emerging writers to join the Writers’ Room for virtual, hands-on sessions from February to June 2027 with guidance and mentorship from Sesame Street. Each participant will develop and write a pilot episode, with the possibility of a table read of their script in New York at the end of the fellowship.

Deadline: October 5. THIS WEEK

Work in Progress

Holland Project / Reno, NV

Applications are open for high school students to learn advanced art techniques and how to engage with their local arts community. The series will run October 14, 2026–March 3, 2027 and is free to participate.

Deadline: October 5. THIS WEEK

2027 stART Grant

Arts Foundation for Tucson and Southern Arizona

Individual artists or nonprofit organizations are invited to apply for the Community Impact track to positively impact a community through an artistic endeavor, or for the Artist Development track to utilize a practice-related resource or professional development experience. Award: up to $5000.

Deadline: October 6. THIS WEEK

Work//Shift Fellowship

Research to Impact Lab, Center for Cultural Innovation

A new 12-month fellowship for gig workers, freelancers, and independent contractors who want to reimagine the future of work. This part-time hybrid fellowship includes a $30,000 stipend, virtual programming, two in-person sessions, support to launch or accelerate emerging solutions, and networking opportunities.

Deadline: October 9.

Call for Photography: Myth, Folk & Superstition

Der Greif

Open call for lens-based artists and visual storytellers exploring modern folklore, cultural superstition, myth-making, and surrealism, for an online "Pulse" exhibition launching October 31. Selected artists receive an exhibition feature, a roundtable critique session, and visibility across Der Greif's international network.

Deadline: October 14.

Call to Host Juried Arts and Crafts Shows in Cathedral Park

City of Santa Fe Arts and Culture Department

Application is open for Santa Fe city- or county-based arts nonprofits to apply to host juried arts and crafts shows on weekends throughout Summer 2027 in Cathedral Park. 

Deadline: October 16.

Center for Art and Advocacy Fellowship 2027

The Center for Art and Advocacy

The Center's Fellowship offers an annual award of $10,000 in unrestricted funds and $10,000 in project development funds to formerly incarcerated artists. Open to U.S.-based creatives working in visual art, film, music, creative writing, performance, design, and multidisciplinary practices. 

Deadline: October 25.

Call for Curatorial Proposals: Rough Gems 2027 Curatorial Program

Union Hall / Denver

Annual open call for exhibition proposals from new and emerging curators in the Denver area. Includes mentorship, exhibition production, and public engagement opportunities. Stipend: $1025.

Deadline: October 27.

Call for Writers and Artists: Rio Grande Review: The Territory Issue

Rio Grande Review, UTEP / El Paso

Seeking poetry, prose, drama, and visual art exploring the many forms territory can take. Work accepted in English, Spanish, or Spanglish. Rio Grande Review is a publication of the MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Texas at El Paso.

Deadline: October 31.

Call for Writers and Artists: Horizon Review

Horizon Review, Fusion / Albuquerque

Literary and fine-arts magazine seeks writing and visual art from artists based in the Southwest (spanning NM, AZ, CO, NV, OK, TX, UT), plus open media (short films, music, performance) accessible via QR code in print.

Deadline: November 2.

SAR Resident Scholar Fellowships

School for Advanced Research / Santa Fe

Supports scholars whose research advances the humanities and social sciences with the potential to speak beyond academic circles. Fellows join SAR's interdisciplinary community for a nine-month tenure with housing, office space, and a stipend.

Deadline: November 2.

Asian Cultural Council Grant Opportunities 2027-28

Asian Cultural Council

Invitation for artists, scholars, arts professionals, and organizations to pursue research, exploration, and cultural exchanges in the U.S. and Asia through one- to six-month travel opportunities. Individuals and organizations based in the U.S. are eligible to apply for the Individual Fellowship and Organization Grant.

Deadline: November 10.

Summer Research Fellowship Program

Museum of International Folk Art  / Santa Fe

Fellowship opportunity for scholars, researchers, and folklorists to spend four to six weeks conducting research at the largest collection of international folk art in the world. Prioritization to applicants whose focus is African folk art.

Deadline: November 17.

Co-Production Program

Dairy Arts Center / Boulder

Supports bold, collaborative performance work with free venue rental, a production stipend up to $5000, and an equitable revenue-sharing model. Open to local, regional, and national artists and organizations.

Deadline: rolling.

Ongoing

Pandora Short Film Grant / Pandora Short Film Grant / Deadline: October 1. TODAY

Braunschweig Projects Curatorial Fellowship / Braunschweig University of Art, Braunschweig, Germany / Deadline: October 4. THIS WEEK

Printed Matter Publisher Work Grant / Printed Matter / Deadline: October 4. THIS WEEK

Senior Fellowships / Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC/ Deadline: October 15.

Call for Participants: Here Is How 2026 / Here Is How, Santa Fe / Deadline: October 17.

Brooks International Fellowship: Leonora Carrington / Tate + Delfina Foundation, London / Deadline: October 21.

Brooks International Fellowship: Artist Supported Studios / Tate + Delfina Foundation, London / Deadline: October 21.

Call for Submissions: Taos Film Festival / Taos Film Festival / Deadline: November 1.

Fellowships for Americans in the Nordic Countries / American-Scandinavian Foundation / Deadline: November 1.

CCA Call for Exhibition Proposals 2026 / Coconino Center for the Arts, Flagstaff, AZ / Deadline: December 31.

AI On Screen / Google + Range Media Partners / Deadline: ongoing.

Arizona Humanities Mini Grants / Arizona Humanities / Deadline: rolling.

Arizona Festival Opportunities, 2026-27 / Art State Arizona / Deadline: ongoing.

Call for Exhibition Proposals: 2027 Exhibition Series / Kansas City Artists Coalition / Deadline: ongoing.

Call for Proposals: Artist Professional Development Workshops / Dougherty Arts Center, Austin / Deadline: ongoing.

Call for Poets and Writers: Hydration / PopTab Press, Arizona / Deadline: rolling.

Call for QTBIPOC Curators / The Fishbowl, Seattle / Deadline: ongoing.

Residencies

New

Studios Inc Residency Program

Studios Inc / Kansas City

Three-year studio space award for mid-career artists to utilize industrial-sized studio space to develop a significant body of work. Must be willing to relocate to live in the Kansas City area for the duration of the residency.

Deadline: October 1. TODAY

2027 Djerassi Residency Season

Djerassi Resident Artists Program / Woodside, CA

This four-to-five-week fully-funded residency is for artists and scientists across choreography, film, literature, media arts, music composition, visual artist, science, and technology.

Deadline: October 9.

Kinhouse Open Door 2027 Residency

Kinhouse Art / Fort Wayne

Open call to emerging and mid-career artists and curators, solo, two-person, and three-person groups, for a funded six-day residency stay and exhibition. Includes installation support, promotion and marketing, and professional documentation of the exhibition. Work is especially welcomed that falls along themes of community, care, the domestic, parenting, and lineage. 

Deadline: October 18.

Digital Printmaking Residency

Santa Fe Workshops / Santa Fe

Applications are open for photographic and lens-based artists in New Mexico to receive one month of digital printmaking training and access to a digital lab, equipment, and staff support from Santa Fe Workshops. Applicants should be proficient with Adobe Lightroom or Photoshop.

Deadline: October 26.

Michigan Central Art 2027 Creative Residency

Michigan Central Art + Newlab Detroit / Detroit

This 12-week fellowship across two tracks, the Art + Technology Fellowship Prize and the Art + Health Fellowship Prize, is open to U.S.-based artists, designers, and researchers working at the intersection of creative practice and technology or health systems. Each fellow receives a $30,000 unrestricted award, access to Newlab's fabrication facilities, and mentorship. 

Deadline: October 30.

The Studios at Mass MoCA 2027 Residency

Mass MoCA / North Adams, MA

Open call for July-December 2027 residencies for two to four weeks. Primarily open to visual artists and writers. Includes a private studio and housing.

Deadline: November 1.

The Space Taking Artist Residency

FreshArts / Houston

Traditionally underrepresented multidisciplinary, Houston-based artists are invited to “take over” a space with their project for six weeks under mentorship guidance. Stipend: $3600.

Deadline: November 23.

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum 2027 Artist-in-Residence Program

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum / Tucson

This is a month-long residency (April 1-30, 2027) in the Sonoran Desert with on-site accommodations and exhibition opportunities. Seeking work connected to the natural world and conservation. Stipend: $750, plus $750 travel reimbursement.

Deadline: December 1.

Ongoing

2027 Art Omi Residencies: Architecture, Dance + Music / Art Omi, Ghent, NY / Deadline: October 1. TODAY

Arizona State Parks Artist Residency / Arizona State Parks and Trails, Oracle State Park + Rockin' River Ranch State Park, AZ / Deadline: October 1. TODAY

Great Basin National Park Artist-in-Residence / Great Basin National Park, Baker, NV / Deadline: October 15.

2027 Namingha Institute Master Class Residency / Museum of Northern Arizona, Flagstaff / Deadline: January 10, 2027.

Dorland Mountain Arts Residencies / Temecula, CA / rolling applications.

Calls for Artists

New

Exhibition Proposals: 2027 Encore Gallery

Taos Center for the Arts / Taos

Open to emerging and established artists in drawing, painting, printmaking, mixed media, photography, installation, or combined wall and sculptural work. Collaborations welcome.

Deadline: October 2. THIS WEEK

Exhibition: HOME: States of Belonging

Arvada Center / Colorado

Photo-based artists are welcome to apply to be part of a March 2027 exhibition with the theme of “Home.” Photography, video, collage, installation, and work using archives or alternative image-making processes are welcome.

Deadline: October 12.

Call for Submissions: Upcycled Films

Upcycled Films + Nowness

Seeking short films from the Global South, Indigenous communities worldwide, and under-resourced regions, plus any pre-2010 film with a strong visual language not yet seen internationally, for a new curatorial platform.

Deadline: October 16.

RFQ: Commissioned Artwork for the Angel’s Path Sculpture Walk

Pima County Public Arts Donations Program / Tucson

The Angel’s Path Sculpture Walk Committee is seeking a sculpture at Brandi Memorial Fenton Park of a recognizable uplifting or inspirational angel. $15,000 for all materials and related costs.

Deadline: October 16.

Alex J. Ettl Sculpture Grant

National Sculpture Society

This grant is a prize of $7500 awarded annually to a figurative or realist sculptor who has demonstrated a commitment to sculpting and outstanding ability in their body of work.

Deadline: October 19.

RFQ: Dallas Cotillion Park

City of Dallas Office of Arts and Culture

Seeking professional artists to design, fabricate, and install outdoor public artwork at a park site, developed from community feedback. Budget: $112,000. Open globally.

Deadline: October 29.

SawMural Mini-Mural Festival

City of Albuquerque Department of Arts & Culture

Applications are open for up to 20 artists residing in Bernalillo, Sandoval, Torrance, and Valencia counties to create 48-by-72-inch mini murals that will cover a segment of the Rail Trail in Albuquerque.

Deadline: November 13.

Currents New Media Arts and Technology Festival

El Museo Cultural de Santa Fe / Santa Fe

Applications now open to submit for Currents, taking place June 11-20, 2027. Categories include interactive and non-interactive installations, audio experiences, virtual/augmented/mixed-reality environments, and more.

Deadline: December 8.

Photography Reimagined: New Directions in Contemporary Practice

City of Santa Fe Community Gallery

Artists from Northern New Mexico are invited to submit work that explores how photography has changed over its history, and what is possible to achieve through the medium. Exhibition dates: March 18-April 23, 2027.

Deadline: January 3, 2027.

Exhibition Proposals: Lawndale’s Exhibition Program

Lawndale Arts Center / Houston

Artists and curators are welcome to apply to propose exhibitions of practices based in Houston and the Gulf Coast region. All disciplines are encouraged to apply.

Deadline: rolling.

Ongoing

Call to Artists: Pieces of Us: The Art of Resilience and Recovery / Coyote Task Force + Catalyst Creative Collective, Tucson / Deadline: October 1. TODAY

West Valley HOLA Collaborative 2027 / West Valley Arts Council, Arizona West Valley / Deadline: October 2. THIS WEEK

Call for Sculptors and Fabricators / City of Las Vegas Public Art Program / Deadline: October 15.

Call for Artists and Designers: Visitor & Conference Center Public Art Opportunity / City of Avondale, Arizona / Deadline: October 27.

2026 Southwest Artist Series Purchase Initiative / New Mexico Arts / Deadline: October 31.

2026 U.S. Native American & Indigenous Artist Purchase Initiative / New Mexico Arts / Deadline: November 1.

Call for Submissions: 2nd Annual Taos Film Festival / Taos Film Festival / Deadline: November 1.

Call to Performing Artists: Best of the West Fest , Surprise Arts, Surprise, AZ / Deadline: November 1.

Call for Artists: Lunar New Year Exhibition, Year of the Goat / City of Las Vegas / Deadline: December 2.

Call for Gallery Exhibition Proposals/ City of Las Vegas Public Art and Gallery Program / Deadline: rolling review through January 8, 2027.

Call for Exhibition Proposals / Yuma Art Center / Yuma, AZ / Deadline: rolling.

Call for Vendors: 43rd Annual Fall Artisans Market / Tucson Museum of Art / Deadline: rolling.

Exhibition: 40th Annual Sears Invitational / Sears Art Museum, Utah Tech University / Deadline: October 30.

Exhibition: Snow Horse Gallery / Davis Arts Council, Layton, UT / Deadline: rolling. 

Exhibition: UMOCA Project Gallery / Utah Museum of Contemporary Art, Salt Lake City / Deadline: rolling.

Essential Reading

📰 “Unionized Staff at Three Major NYC Museums Vote to Strike.” The trend of arts workers labor strikes continued with votes to strike at the Brooklyn Museum, the American Folk Art Museum, and the Whitney Museum of American Art. (Artforum, September 16) While the Brooklyn Museum and American Folk Art Museum have reached tentative agreements as of September 29 (Hyperallergic, September 29), unionized workers at the Whitney are currently set to begin striking on October 5. (The Art Newspaper, September 29)

📰 “Taking the Measure of the Arts Ecosystem at the Southwest Contemporary Summit.” Big thanks to Nicholas Frank and Glasstire for publishing this experiential take on our inaugural Southwest Contemporary Summit! Frank gives us his takeaways from the far-ranging panel discussions and some of the themes that surfaced. (Glasstire, September 15)

📰 "Exit Interview from the Field: An MMF Report on Former Art Museum Workers" This study from Museums Moving Forward reports on the reasons why art museum workers have left the field in recent years. Poor management topped the charts as one of the leading reasons, and formers arts workers report finding better working conditions outside of the field. (Museums Moving Forward, September 2026)

📰 “How Unhealthy is Arts PR?" Tim Schneider's in-depth report looks at devolving the relationship between arts writers/editor and arts publicists. It's paywalled (these kinds of investigations take time and resources, I invite you to pay for it if you can), but I've linked to the Instagram post with some takeaways here.) It's not news that the number of full-time publicists far outweighs the number of full-time writers and editors they are pitching. In the broader media world, it is estimated that there are about six publicists per every one journalist in the U.S. In the arts sector, the imbalance is even worse. Tim Schneider spoke to writers and editors about the frustrating relationships that result from such a discrepancy, riddled with aggressive tactics, bad intel, and an endless barrage of useless, time-sucking emails (on both sides). My favorite quote? "The one remedy everyone across the media-PR continuum seems to agree on is more and better funding for arts publications, so that they can produce more and better editorial." Hear, hear. (The Gray Market Investigates No. 4, September 2026)

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The Southwest Art Industry Newsletter shares opportunities and resources relevant to the creative industries. Want to submit, ask a question, or tell us about an opportunity you scored through this newsletter? Just hit reply to this email! You can also contact us at info@southwestcontemporary.com.

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Please note: We list organizations and opportunities we believe to be reputable and in good standing, but cannot make guarantees to that effect. Always conduct your own due diligence before engaging in any program or activity.