DEPS Curatorial and Exhibition Programs
The Department of Exhibitions, Performance and Student Spaces (DEPS) is comprised of student-centered galleries, performance venues and ShopColumbia, an entrepreneurial space for students to sell their work. These spaces serve as hubs for social, educational and cultural activities for Columbia students and the broader Chicago community. As an extension of the classroom, DEPS incorporates the College’s curricula by building programs with academic departments providing opportunities to students such as showcasing their work through exhibitions, concert-level performances, & learn the ins-and-outs of becoming a professional artist.
Through civic engagement, DEPS connects students and the college to local, national and international partners to provide experiential learning and professional development through collaboration. The spaces present innovative and accessible programs and opportunities for students, the college and beyond.
Please REVIEW each category thoroughly to make sure you are submitting your proposal to the correct gallery opportunity.
Any questions you have can be directed to Exhibitions Manager Mark Porter (mporter@colum.edu) or 312-369-6643
To ensure that all works in Manifest meet all Columbia College Chicago’s policies and guidelines, each participant must complete a Manifest proposal form by April 1, 2024.
Proposals will be submitted to the DEPS Submittable site.
Faculty, gallery staff and the Manifest Committee will review all applications for completeness and eligibility. Once approved, the applicants will be shown together in an exhibition at C33 Gallery, located at 33 E Ida B Wells Dr.
Students may be contacted for clarification of their proposal.
The specific requirements for the installation proposal are as follows:
Artist Statement (150 words or less)
A written description of your work in Third person. Your Artist Statement should be a brief, concise description of what you work expresses and why you make it.
Written Project Description (200 words or less)*
Develop a written project description that clearly communicates the work you are proposing to display. The physical project description should be as literal as possible. Please include a complete description of how you want the work to be installed in the gallery. Be specific about how your work will be hung, placed, or installed. We ask that you provide an installation diagram that matches your written description.
Example- “My project consists of nine white plaster castings of cats posed in various natural positions. Starting from left to right, Cat #1 should be on the left ascending in order so that Cat #9 is the last on the right.”
*Every effort will be made to accommodate larger works in the exhibition. If you have a larger project, the Manifest Committee will try to find space for it. Artists proposing complicated installation works may be asked to assist in the installation of their project.
Installation Diagram
Submit a sketch of how your work is to be displayed. This sketch should match the details in your Written Project Description.
Technical Needs (100 words or less)
Please outline any technical or pedestal requests needed for your work. There are a limited number of monitors, projectors, and pedestals available, DEPS will do its best to accommodate all requests. If DEPS is not able to provide a requested item, the artist will be responsible for providing it.
Visual Support Materials (Images/Video/Audio)
Please upload your documentation of the work you want in the exhibition. You may submit up to 5 images, video, or audio works. Your files MUST be titled with your name and image number (example JoanSimith1.jpg, JoanSmith2.jpg). Please note these images may also be used in marketing and print materials.
Title Information
Please fill out title and media information for all of your visual support material completely, including your name, the title of the work, the year completed, media, and dimensions (in inches).
Special Considerations
If your project touches on any of the below concerns, please note your concern in the Special Considerations section of the application and start a conversation with your Columbia College Faculty member. The items listed below encompass the safety, health and legal details to consider when making your work for the Columbia College Chicago community.
Painting Walls and Ceiling Hanging
Any work that requires painting or drawing directly on the walls or work hung from the ceiling needs to be pre-approved by DEPS gallery staff.
Food, Liquids, & Controlled Substances
Does you work contain food, water, alcohol, other liquids, prescription or over the counter medications?
Chemicals & Hazardous Materials
Potentially hazardous materials requiring special ventilation, large amounts of materials or supplies not typically used.
Biomatter, Bloodborne Pathogens (BBP), & Organic Materials
Live animals, untreated hides, taxidermy, biomatter (living or recently living organisms), bloodborne pathogens (BBP): blood, urine, or other bodily fluids, decomposing materials, plants, soil, sand, rocks. No hypodermic needles.
Performative
Audience interactive or audience participatory actions that may place duress on the body
Weapons
Weapons or objects that resemble weapons
Structures & Kinetics
Unprotected sharp edges, points, or moving components, pedestals, objects, heavy or unstable objects, installations, objects hanging from above, building a wall or altering a wall, overhead closures (tents, roofs,etc.), window coverings
Electrical & Sound Levels
Bare wiring, spliced wires, invented or altered electrical items, sound levels and frequency
Alternative Spaces
Public spaces-- stairways, hallways, elevators, sidewalks, exterior facing windows, ceilings: pipes, drop-down, sprinkler systems
Fire & Safety
Candles, open flames, fire extinguishers, exit signs, and alarm systems as artwork, potential tripping hazards, projects that block egress
Community & Courtesy
Confidentiality privacy & anonymity permissions, copyrights, public interaction
Anything You Are Unsure About
Important Dates
April 1, 2024
Project Applications need to be submitted by 5pm. Students who submit proposal forms on, or before, the deadline will be included in the exhibition. NO LATE SUBMISSIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED
May 3, 2024
Artwork drop off you must deliver all elements of your artwork to C33 Gallery between the hours of 9am-2pm. Your delivery must meet the following requirements. If any of these requirements are missing, your delivery will not be accepted.
- Artwork must be ready to hang, all hardware must be assembled/included.
- The artwork must be exactly as described in your proposal (works not matching your submission will not be accepted)
3. Artwork must include detailed installation instructions
4. Artwork and any artwork packaging must be labeled with your name and contact information
5. If your work needs to be “turned on” in some way, you must include operating instructions.
May 6,7,8
Artwork will be installed by DEPS staff unless other arrangements are made due to the scope of the project. If DEPS staff requires further information or assistance, you may be scheduled to install your artwork yourself.
May 10-31, 2024
Exhibition is open to the public, please note the gallery is CLOSED on weekends.
June 5, 6
Deinstallation: 10am-4pm. You are responsible for removing your artwork from the gallery during one of these dates. Anything remaining after June 7 will be discarded.
C33 Fall 2024 Exhibition Program The Department of Exhibitions, Performances, and Student Spaces (DEPS) offers students at Columbia College Chicago the opportunity to exhibit their art within a gallery setting at the C33 Gallery on Columbia’s campus. Students within any field of study are open to submit their work, be it a solo, or group exhibit (no more than 3 artists)
C33 Gallery will book 3 exhibition proposals. If selected, be prepared to be available to install and deinstall said exhibit during Fall semester of 2024.
How to Apply
The following items are required, applications that do not include these items will be rejected. Applications must be submitted before April 1st, 2024
- Contact information of applicant and names of contributors (if exhibit is NOT solo)
- Expected graduation date (all artists must be actively enrolled at Columbia during their exhibit)
- Your (and other exhibiting artists) major/area of study at Columbia
- If submitting a group proposal, the submitter should be the main organizer/contact person for the exhibit.
- Submit 7-15 images, or a 2-3-minute video of the proposed work to be exhibited
- Submitted image information: title of work, date of creation, materials/process, name of creator (whether work was made solo or through collaborative effort)
- A general floor plan for the exhibit which shows how the work will be placed in the gallery.
- General floor plan must include use of the gallery window walls viewable by the sidewalk
- Brief description of the proposed exhibition that gives DEPS a clear overview of the goal and meaning of your work, should be at least 2 to 3 paragraphs.
Eligibility
- Must be a current Columbia student at the time of the application and during the exhibit
- Exhibit proposals must utilize the entire gallery. Applicants who are concerned they do not have enough work to fill the space are encouraged to create an application for a two or three-person exhibit.
- Expected graduation date (all artists must be actively enrolled at Columbia during their exhibit)
Extra Help
Click here for a blank floor plan of C33.
Click here to view a mock proposal to see an example of what we are looking for in applications.
Clickhere to see examples of previous exhibitions by students in C33.