Open Calls for Art & Programming

Spring 2027, Seven House Gallery is excited to expand beyond our role as a rental space for the arts community and begin curating our own art exhibitions and community programming.

This shift allows us to take a more active role in shaping the creative experiences within our space and to engage more directly with the artists and audiences who make our community so vibrant.

Artist Opportunities

Group Art Exhibition

We invite artists of all backgrounds to submit work for an upcoming group exhibition exploring the diverse realities of mental health and mental illness. This show aims to create a supportive, reflective space where personal narratives, emotional landscapes, and unseen struggles can be expressed through visual art.

We welcome both emerging and established artists whose work sparks dialogue, fosters empathy, and challenges stigma around mental well-being.

Apply Here

Solo Art Exhibition

We are seeking proposals for a solo exhibition that showcases a strong, cohesive body of work and a clear artistic vision. This opportunity is open to artists working in any medium who are excited to present a focused collection that reflects their unique perspective and creative practice.

We’re looking for work that sparks curiosity, invites conversation, and demonstrates a thoughtful exploration of concept, craft, or experimentation. Emerging and established artists alike are encouraged to apply.

Apply Here

Events + Programs

We’re inviting artists, creatives, and organizers to submit ideas for events that bring new perspectives, conversations, and experiences into the space. Proposals might take the form of performances, talks, workshops, screenings, gatherings, or other formats that encourage connection and engagement.

We’re interested in thoughtful, distinctive ideas and welcome proposals that approach the gallery environment in unexpected ways. If you have an event concept you’d like to develop, we’d be glad to hear from you.

Group Art Exhibition Curatorial Team

Lead Curator

Tyvette Symone

Tyvette Symone is a self-taught mixed media artist based in Brooklyn, New York. She masters the use of natural materials such as crystals, taxidermy, tree bark, dirt, paper, mirror, and pressed flowers in her artwork. She has exhibited work most recently at Seven House Gallery, Pen + Brush, and Tanya Weddemire Gallery.

She often explores the symptoms of mental illness intimately in her art. Tyvette aims to inspire and destigmatize the conversation around mental health by sharing her own personal experiences within the composition of her work.

Curator

Matthew Chambers

Seven House Gallery is a contemporary art and creative events space located in East Williamsburg, Brooklyn, designed as a flexible home for exhibitions, pop-ups, performances, fashion events, screenings, private celebrations, and other multidisciplinary experiences. Seven House provides artists and creatives with a versatile environment to bring their ideas to life.

The gallery is owned and operated by Matthew, whose hands-on, collaborative approach has become an important part of the venue’s identity; working closely with artists, producers, and event hosts to help transform their concepts into polished experiences.

Program Director

Ayodola Adigun M.D.

Ayodola Adigun, MD, MS, is a Child & Adolescent Psychiatrist, educator, and creative facilitator whose work bridges clinical psychiatry, neuroscience, and expressive arts.

She is the founder and facilitator of The Right Brain Gathering, a monthly meet-up offering NYC creatives an open, communal space for the exploration of mental and emotional states. She also curated the Brooklyn interactive exhibition FEELS: Exploring Emotional Spectrums through Art, showcasing multimedia works by local and international artists as a medium for mindfulness and emotional reflection.

Art Open Call FAQ

Eligibility & Participation

Is there a submission fee?
Yes. the submission fee is $20.

When does the open call close?

November 15th, 2026

Do I have to live in Brooklyn or NYC? No. But due to the fact that accepted artists are required to hand-deliver and pick up their work directly at Seven House Gallery, open call consideration is limited to artists currently based in the NYC metropolitan area. We do not accept shipped work.

Can I submit as an art collective or collaborative duo?
Yes. Designate one primary contact on the intake form and list all collaborators in the bio and credits section.

How many pieces can I submit?
You may submit up to 3 distinct works (or a cohesive 3-piece series) per submission.

Artwork Specifications & Display

What does "ready to hang / install" mean?
All 2D pieces must arrive fully dry and pre-equipped with appropriate mounting hardware (picture wire, D-rings, or French cleats). Unframed works on paper will only be pinned or clipped if that is the artist's explicit, intentional display method. Sculptural pieces requiring specialized plinths or floor anchors must be noted in the submission.

Are there size, dimension, or weight restrictions?
Wall-hung pieces weighing over 15 lbs must be clearly flagged on your submission form so the installation team can evaluate wall anchor requirements. The ceiling height of the gallery is 10.5 feet.

How will video, sound, and poetry be presented?
Single-channel video and digital art are presented via designated monitors/projections. Sound works must be adapted for individual headphone listening to maintain a balanced auditory environment in the gallery. Poetry can be submitted as wall-mounted text installations, framed typographic prints, or for consideration during a live reading at the opening reception.

How are emotionally heavy, triggering, or sensitive themes handled?
Given the focus on mental health, vulnerable themes are expected and honored. We ask artists to flag specific sensory components (strobe lighting, intense audio, graphic content) on the intake form so the curatorial team can place content advisories where appropriate.

Selection, Delivery & Sales

How will I know if my work is selected?
Every applicant will receive an update via email on or before December 1st, 2026.

Can I ship my work to the gallery?
No. Seven House Gallery does not accept mail-in deliveries or store shipping crates. All accepted artwork must be dropped off and collected in person during the designated installation and de-installation windows.

Contracts, Liability & Artwork Care

Will accepted artists need to sign a formal contract?
Yes. All selected artists must sign an Exhibition Loan & Consignment Agreement prior to drop-off. This document establishes the exhibition schedule, agreed sale price (or NFS status), the gallery commission split, promotion rights, and de-installation deadlines. Artwork cannot be accepted on-site without an executed agreement.

Is my artwork insured while on display at Seven House Gallery?
Seven House Gallery exercises strict, professional standards of care when receiving, hanging, and managing work within the space. However, open call exhibitions typically operate under standard limited liability: the gallery does not carry individual all-risk fine art floater policies for open call inventory. Artists are strongly advised to maintain their own insurance (such as an artist floater or personal property rider) to cover works during transit and public exhibition.

How is condition and potential damage handled?
Every piece undergoes an intake inspection and a signed Condition Report at drop-off. Seven House Gallery is not liable for damage caused by inherent vice, unstable sculptural materials, wet mediums, or structural failure of artist-installed mounting hardware (e.g., faulty wire or unanchored frames). If an issue occurs during the exhibition, gallery staff will document the piece and contact the artist immediately before attempting any adjustment.

Who owns the copyright, and how can the gallery use images of my work?
You retain 100% of the copyright to your artwork. The exhibition agreement grants Seven House Gallery a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to photograph, film, and reproduce your work solely for promotional, editorial, press, archival, and social media purposes related to Lived Realities. Full artist credit is always attributed.

How and when do artist sales payouts occur?

If an artist's work sells during the show, but Seven House Gallery did not specifically bring the buyer to the artist - the artist retains 100% of the proceeds from the sale and Seven House Gallery receives 0% of the sale.

If an artwork sells through a buyer specifically brought by Seven House Gallery to the artist, the gallery will recieve 25% of the sale and the artist receives 75%. Payment is remitted via electronic bank transfer or check within 30 days of the exhibition’s close.

Sold works must remain on view for the duration of the show and are released to buyers only after closing.

What happens if an artist fails to pick up their work after the show?
Work must be retrieved during the designated de-installation window. Works remaining at Seven House Gallery more than 5 days past the final pickup date without prior written communication will be deemed abandoned under New York Arts and Cultural Affairs laws.

About the Submission Fee:

Seven House Gallery charges a submission fee of $20 to keep the open call financially sustainable while honoring the labor involved in organizing the exhibition. 100% of these funds go directly toward:

Curatorial Review & Artist Support: Compensating the time dedicated to thoughtfully evaluating every portfolio, reading statements, cross-referencing spatial requirements, and communicating directly with artists throughout the open call process.

Basic Exhibition Production: Covering essential overhead for the physical show, including wall labels, title vinyl, printed gallery guides, installation time and materials, basic opening reception logistics and hospitality.

This contribution directly subsidizes the production costs of the exhibition so we can present your work in a polished, professional setting.

Is the submission fee refundable if my work is not selected?

No. The fee covers the administrative time and labor required to review and process your materials at the moment of application, regardless of the final curatorial decision.

Do you offer fee waivers for artists facing financial hardship?

Yes. If the fee presents a genuine barrier to your participation, please email SevenHouseNewYork@gmail.com with the subject line "Fee Waiver Request - Open Call" and submit your materials there.