Solo Exhibition at Gallery VERY

Gallery VERY invites artists to apply for a five-week solo exhibition at our gallery in Boston’s SoWa arts district. One artist will be selected to work collaboratively with Gallery Director John Guthrie to develop an exhibition approximately six months following selection. All visual media and career stages are welcome. No exhibition proposal is required—we are selecting an artist, not a pre-planned exhibition. The exhibition includes professional installation, an opening reception, artist talk, promotion, sales representation, and a permanent presence on the Gallery VERY website. Gallery VERY is an independent artist-run gallery celebrating ten years of exhibitions and community in Boston.

Gallery VERY invites artists to apply for a five-week solo exhibition at our gallery in Boston’s SoWa arts district.

One artist will be selected for an in-person solo exhibition at Gallery VERY approximately six months following the selection. The exhibition will include professional installation, an opening reception, an artist talk, promotion through Gallery VERY, and a permanent exhibition page on the gallery’s website.

We are selecting an artist, not a pre-planned exhibition.

Applicants are not required to submit an exhibition proposal or determine in advance what they would show. We want to see your work and understand your practice. Following the selection, Gallery Director John Guthrie and the selected artist will work collaboratively to develop an exhibition specifically for Gallery VERY’s distinctive 500-square-foot space. New work may be considered as the exhibition develops.

About Gallery VERY

Gallery VERY is one of Boston’s longest-running independent artist-run galleries. Located in Boston’s SoWa arts district, VERY celebrates ten years of exhibitions in 2026, presenting four to five carefully considered exhibitions each year.

At the center of VERY is community. Over the past decade, the gallery has brought together artists, curators, collectors, writers, and audiences through exhibitions, openings, conversations, and artist talks. We pride ourselves on a diverse, inclusive, and intergenerational program, showing emerging, mid-career, and established artists and creating opportunities for meaningful exchange and lasting connections.

Since opening in 2016, Gallery VERY and its exhibitions have received sustained critical attention, including coverage in The Boston Globe, Boston Art Review, Artscope Magazine, Battery Journal, Art Spiel, The Arts Fuse, and Big Red & Shiny.

As we enter our second decade, we want to expand that community. This open call gives us an opportunity to encounter artists beyond our existing network and invite one artist into the gallery for a solo exhibition.

This is not a gallery rental or pay-to-exhibit opportunity. The selected artist is being invited to present a genuine Gallery VERY solo exhibition, developed collaboratively with the gallery.

Please submit the following materials as part of your application:

8–10 work samples

Show us a broad and compelling representation of your current practice. Work samples may come from multiple bodies of work and do not need to represent the work that will ultimately appear in the exhibition.

Artists working primarily in video may submit 2–3 video clips, each no more than 3 minutes long, supplemented by still images from the work and/or installation views.

Artist statement — maximum 200 words

Tell us concisely about your work and what drives your practice. We are interested in understanding the work, not evaluating the quality of your writing.

Short bio — maximum 100 words

CV — maximum 2 pages

No exhibition proposal is required.

Artists working in all visual media will be considered, including painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, ceramics, mixed media, installation, video, and interdisciplinary practices.

There are no restrictions based on age, education, career stage, or professional status. Emerging, mid-career, and established artists are encouraged to apply.

Artists must live and work within approximately 250 miles of Boston, Massachusetts.

The selected artist will be expected to participate in person in the exhibition, including the opening reception and artist talk.