CALL FOR ARTISTS

APPLICATION DEADLINE: January 12, 2025, by 10:59 pm (PST)

Submit online via CaFE at  www.callforentry.org

The City of Mountain View’s Visual Arts Committee is inviting artists and artist teams working in a variety of media to exhibit art in the lobby of the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts (500 Castro Street, Mountain View, California, 94041) for the 2025-26 season.

The rotating exhibits are approximately six to eight weeks in length and are viewed by thousands of people visiting downtown Mountain View and attending shows at the Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts (MVCPA).

Exhibit hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM, and one hour prior to every public performance. You can view the MVCPA Events Calendar online (https://www.mvcpa.com/events/calendar).

APPLICATION

Applications will be accepted from November 4, 2024, at 12:00 noon to Friday, January 10, 2025, by 10:59 PM (PST). 

ELIGIBILITY

The call is open to all artists and artist teams/groups meeting the following criteria:

• Artist/artist teams are over the age of 18;
• Artists/artist teams reside in one of eleven San Francisco Bay Area Counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Benito, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano, and Sonoma); and
• Preference will be given to artists who have not previously displayed, or who have not displayed in the last three years, unless artist is proposing a new body of work.

Artists under the age of 18 may apply to exhibit their art with an adult sponsor.

ARTIST PAYMENT

Artists/artist teams will receive a single stipend of Two Hundred and Fifty Dollars ($250) after the exhibit.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

All applications must be submitted online via CaFÉ at  www.callforentry.org, an online application system for calls for entry.  There is no charge for artists to apply or use CaFÉ. 

Applications that are emailed, mailed, or hand-delivered will not be considered as this is an online system.

All applications should include the following:

• Artist Background and Experience.  Upload a current resumé, no more than two (2) pages in length. Alternatively, or in addition to a resume, if you have a website and/or active social media accounts, please provide links.
• Exhibit Information: Five to 10 images with annotations (title, date, dimensions, type of media) of the artists/artist team’s work that is to be displayed.  All images must be of art that would be exhibited for six to eight weeks during the 2025-26 season (see below for exhibit installation requirements).

If applicable, artists may identify in their application whether their exhibit aligns with any MVCPA scheduled events. Review the MVCPA Events Calendar online.

To get additional assistance using CaFÉ, please contact WESTAF by calling 303-629-1166 or emailing cafe@westaf.org.

EXHIBIT INSTALLATION REQUIREMENTS

All applications should review the following installation requirements prior to applying. See MVCPA Visual Art Exhibition General Information, for more details.

1. Only artwork that is framed, properly wired, and ready for installation will be accepted.  All artwork must be able to be hung on the MVCPA’s system.
2. Art is hung only along walls.  The walls are curved, comprised of panels that are roughly 96” wide with discernable grout line between panels.  Works are hung from a picture rail mounted 8’ from the floor.
3. Maximum dimensions per piece:
   • Width:  60”— The CPA lobby is 65' total but due to curvature of the exhibit walls, single pieces should be no more than 60” (there is some leeway for soft goods that are not traditionally framed).
   • Height:  84”
   • Depth:  6”
4. Typical weight per artwork piece:  Up to 20 pounds. Load on the hanging system must be taken into account should an exhibit contain more than two to four heavy pieces.  Excess weight may damage the hanging system.  System failure will damage artwork. Applications should identify if the proposed exhibition pieces weight more than 20 pounds. Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts makes the final determination of appropriate load distribution and whether or not art will be hung.
5. Art can also be hung in the Mountain View City Hall Community Development Department Lobby.  The maximum available usable space for installations:
   • Wall:  7’ wide by 4’ high.
   • Alcove:  4’ wide by 2’ high.

EXHIBIT SCHEDULE

2024-25 MVCPA artist exhibits are currently scheduled through Monday, April 7, 2025. The duration of the art exhibits are six to eight weeks, depending on number of artists selected.

Exhibit hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM, and one hour prior to every public performance. You can view the MVCPA Events Calendar online (https://www.mvcpa.com/events/calendar).

Artists or artist groups interested in renting the MVCPA rotunda and lobby for a reception at during their exhibit may identify so in their application, or let staff know after selections are made.

SELECTION TIMELINE

After the January 12, 2025 Application Deadline: Once the application period closes, City Staff review applications for completeness and to ensure artists meet the eligibility requirements before opening the jurying process to Visual Arts Committee members. Incomplete or ineligible applications will be declined.

January 12, 2025 to January 31, 2025: During the jurying process, the Visual Arts Committee scores applications on a scale of one to seven (1 – 7), with seven being the highest score.  

Early 2025: The Visual Arts Committee anticipates making artists selection at their February 2025 meeting.  Artists will be notified soon thereafter and, if selected, the artist will work with the City on contract and exhibit timelines. The artist chosen to display their art in the first six- to eight-week slot will be required to do so in April 2025.

AWARD OF CONTRACT

The City of Mountain View reserves the right to accept or reject any submittals and to alter or extend the selection process as needed.  This Request for Qualifications and the selection process shall in no way be deemed as a binding contract or agreement of any kind between the City and the artist.  Award of a contract is contingent upon approval of the VAC.

Artists and artist teams selected and approved will contract with the City for the entire duration of the exhibit period (see Sample Agreement). Selected artists will be required to obtain a Business License with the City of Mountain View and provide City staff with a Form W-9 (or equivalent) before entering into an agreement with the City of Mountain View. Selected artists will be contacted regarding next steps.

CONTACT INFORMATION

All questions or requests for additional information regarding this Call for Artists should be emailed to vac@mountainview.gov.  Any questions regarding the CaFÉ website should be directed to WESTAF at 303-629-1166 or www.callforentry.org.

For questions regarding the application requirements, exhibit installation, eligibility, or selection process, contact City Staff at 650-903-6923 or vac@mountainview.gov. 

Application Requirements

All applications must be submitted online via CaFÉ at  www.callforentry.org, an online application system for calls for entry. There is no charge for artists to apply or use CaFÉ. Applications that are emailed, mailed, faxed, or hand-delivered will not be considered as this is an online system.

1. Artist Background and Experience.  Upload a current resumé, no more than two (2) pages in length. Alternatively, or in addition to a resume, if you have a website and/or active social media accounts, please provide links.
2. Exhibit Information: Five to 10 images with annotations (title, date, dimensions, type of media) of the artists/artist team’s work that is to be displayed.  All images must be of art that would be exhibited for six to eight weeks during the 2025-26 season (see below for exhibit installation requirements).

If applicable, artists may identify in their application whether their exhibit aligns with any MVCPA scheduled events. Review the MVCPA Events Calendar online.

To get additional assistance using CaFÉ, please contact WESTAF by calling 303-629-1166 or emailing cafe@westaf.org.

Eligibility Criteria

The call is open to all artists/artist teams over the age of 18 residing in the local 11 San Francisco Bay Area Counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Benito, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano and Sonoma).