Open Call
HEARTHBOUND:
A Warmth Within
Come home to the fire, Philly.
The Curator Collective is excited to announce HEARTHBOUND, an open call exploring the warmth we carry, build, and return to. Selected works will be exhibited from December 4th, 2026, through January 22, 2027.
—SUBMISSIONS ARE DUE ON OCTOBER 18th 2026 by 11:59PM—
-SELECTED ARTWORK DUE TO THE GALLERY BY NOVEMBER 23rd 2026-
A hearth is more than a fireplace — it's the center of a home, the thing a house is built around.
HEARTHBOUND asks artists to consider what keeps us tethered: the objects we inherit, the rituals we repeat, and the traditions that carry warmth forward through time. This is warmth not as decoration, but as anchor — the internal fire that keeps us fed, held, and rooted, even when the world outside goes dark.
We invite artists to think creatively about themes including, but not limited to:
Nostalgia: memory, inheritance, longing for another time, the past made present.
Domestic Objects: heirlooms, everyday tools, objects as vessels of meaning, the beauty of the familiar.
Traditions & Rituals: repeated gestures, seasonal customs, family practices, the sacred in the everyday.
Hearth & Home: the center of the house, gathering, the fire as symbol, domestic warmth.
Rootedness: belonging, being tethered, what holds us in place, chosen and inherited ties.
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Exhibition and Sales Agreement
• Hearthbound will run in The Curator Collective's gallery from December 4th, 2026, through January 22, 2027.
• Work must be able to fit into the physical gallery space and through our door. Please inquire for specific measurements if you have questions.
• All mediums will be considered except performance and video/sound work exceeding 90 seconds (see
below).
• All work must be available for sale and available to be displayed online and in the gallery for the duration
of the exhibition.
• Work must arrive framed, if applicable.
• Commission for works sold will be split 50/50 between The Curator Collective and the artist.
• If your work sells, the gallery will arrange shipping or delivery to the buyer after the exhibition concludes.
Required Materials
Your submission must be emailed to orlando@curatorcollectivephilly.com with the subject line:
“HEARTHBOUND SUBMISSION.”
It must include:
• High-resolution 1.5MB, 150 dpi .JPG images of each work, attached or sent via WeTransfer. (if sending via WeTransfer we ask that you copy the WeTransfer link into your email)
• For 2D work, one image per piece. For 3D work, up to three images per piece.
• For moving image work, an .mp4 file up to 90 seconds in length (please inquire before submitting).
Confirmation that you have completed the submission form and paid the submission fee via the link below,
which requires:
• Your first and last name as it should appear in written material
• Your Instagram handle and/or other social media handles
• Your website, if applicable
• Mailing address and phone number (used only if we need to contact you about your submission and/or
finalize a sale)
• A brief artist statement (100–150 words) connecting your work to the exhibition theme
• Didactic information for each work submitted, including: Title (matching the corresponding image file
name), Year of completion, Medium, and Dimensions
Submission Fee: $25–$40 sliding scale ($25 suggested minimum) Select option below.
Please submit your form and fee via the link below. Submission fees are non-refundable.
By submitting to this open call, you agree to the terms outlined above and on the submission form. Selected
artists will sign an individualized artist agreement.
Submit to orlando@curatorcollectivephilly.com