A quarterly curatorial project by Uncool Gallery supporting emerging and established artists through exhibitions, features, and dialogue.
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The Solo Show Open Call is a curatorial project by Uncool Gallery, inviting artists to propose solo exhibitions for our NYC–based program. Each edition selects one artist to receive a $1,000 stipend and present a two-week solo show at the gallery. Up to ten artists in total are featured across our website, Instagram, and Artsy, expanding their professional visibility and reach.
The project serves as a platform for connection, aligning diverse artistic practices with Uncool Gallery’s ongoing exploration of art-making and art-sharing as collective, thoughtful, and transformative gestures. Each cycle introduces a new curatorial proposition, creating space for exchange between artists and audiences through contemporary forms of expression.
Held quarterly, the program sustains a rhythm of research, presentation, and dialogue that keeps the gallery’s program active.
I am so grateful to @carolpaz and the @uncoolgallery team for the opportunity they provided – a space where they welcomed an experimental project from me without a clear outcome. Although this work and family research is something I’ve been passionate about for some time, I have rarely been given the gift of space to dive into it without immediate concerns of production. Uncool Gallery gave me a chance to take a really solid step forward with the work and I am so excited about the conversations I had in that space with artists, friends, and visitors alike.
I encourage other artists to look into what Uncool Artist is doing – their model is one I support and they have many other opportunities for artists live now.
Jessica Caldas — selected artist for the Summer 2025 solo show.
My solo show at Uncool Gallery was truly meaningful. I felt supported at every step, and the team trusted my vision in such a warm and generous way. I also did my first live, on-site performance at the opening — something I had always dreamed of trying. I wouldn’t have taken this step without the Uncool Gallery team’s strong encouragement.
They understood my work deeply and clearly saw what could support my next artistic approach. They viewed the space and the installation both as artists and as viewers, which made the whole process incredibly thoughtful.
Uncool Artist is an artist-run organization, so they genuinely understand artists and support them from an artist’s perspective. I’m very grateful for this opportunity, and I hope more artists can experience this kind of thoughtful and encouraging environment.
Ailyn Lee — selected artist for the Fall 2025 solo show.
