Grants of up to $75,000 support US-based curators or artistic directors presenting a contemporary visual art exhibition or project that originated elsewhere, adapted meaningfully within the context of their own institution and community. Hosting allows institutions to expand programming economically and sustainably while engaging local audiences through thoughtful reinterpretation.
Teiger Foundation supports hosting as a form of curatorial collaboration, one that deepens relationships among artists, communities, and institutions. It extends the life of an exhibition while allowing it to take on new meaning and deepen knowledge in a different context. Hosting affirms that curators are part of a broader exchange where knowledge emerges through dialogue and shared context, contributing to a more interdependent and sustainable field.
This grant category supports host curators who actively adapt existing exhibitions. Adaptations might include developing new public programs, collaborating with local partners, and/ or supplementing or otherwise modifying the exhibition checklist, layout, and/ or interpretive materials. Projects presented exactly as at the originating institution, without curatorial engagement or meaningful collaboration, are not competitive.
Projects must be pre-existing to be eligible. Eligible projects include exhibitions and performances grounded in contemporary visual art. We welcome experimental formats, please feel free to propose new approaches.
We define “hosting” as distinct from co-origination, which involves shared authorship and early-stage planning between institutions. Co-originated projects are not eligible for this grant. Originating curators seeking support for projects they intend to tour, or for other forms of inter-institutional collaboration, should apply for a single project grant.
Projects originated internationally are eligible if the host is a US-based organization. International shipping costs and related expenses may be included in the proposed budget.
Applications for this grant are selected by Teiger Foundation staff. Please consult our past grantee list for examples of the range of initiatives we support.
Notification will be within four months of the deadline. Below are application deadlines through fall 2026 with corresponding grant periods. To be eligible, proposed projects must open to the public between these dates.
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Deadlines
December 10, 2025
Grant period: July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027
Notification: March 2026
March 11, 2026
Grant period: October 1, 2026 - September 30, 2027
Notification: June 2026
June 10, 2026
Grant period: January 1, 2027 - December 31, 2027
Notification: September 2026
September 9, 2026
Grant period: April 1, 2027 - March 31, 2028
Notification: December 2026
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Here are the five parts of the hosting application, followed by some questions and answers about this category.
1. Proposed project
Description
In 750 words or less, describe the exhibition or project you would like to host and how you will integrate it into your organization and community. Please make sure to address each of the following questions.
+ Why do you want to bring this project to your venue and area? How will you adapt the original exhibition or project to fit a new context (for instance, through adding or removing artworks, supporting participating artist(s) to make new work, or creating public programs or partnerships)?
+ How do you plan to collaborate with the exhibition’s or project’s originating curator(s) and institutions(s)?
+ Who is this project for? Who do you intend to connect with through this project? Identify the specific communities, audiences, or stakeholders this project aims to engage, such as (but not limited to) artistic and cultural workers, artists, scholars, students, neighboring communities, or activist and advocacy communities. How will the project engage these groups, and what steps will you take to facilitate that connection?
Images
Please provide up to ten images with captions up to 100 words per image to illustrate the existing exhibition or project and how your organization will integrate it into your venue and community. If the images feature artworks, please include the artist's name, the title of the work, the materials used, and the date of creation. Additional context on the images and why you included them is encouraged. Images should be in .jpg format, at least 72 dpi DPI, and do not exceed 5 MB each.
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2. Past project
Description
In 500 words or less, describe a past exhibition or project that you hosted or contributed to hosting.
+ What did you learn from hosting this past exhibition or project that will inform the one you are proposing? What are you carrying forward, revising, or leaving behind?
+ What was your role in the past project? If your involvement was as a collaborator or assistant, what were your specific contributions?
If this is your first time hosting a project originated elsewhere, you may instead describe how your past curatorial work has prepared you for this kind of collaboration.
Optional Links
You may provide up to five links with up to 100 words per link to help us understand how you have integrated an exhibition or project that originated elsewhere into your venue’s distinct context and community. These links can direct us to dedicated project websites or related digital content; visual materials such as installation shots, floorplans, digital walkthroughs, or videos; text documentation including publications, brochures, or reviews; or personal or organizational websites if they are relevant. Use the caption fields to identify the links and why you included them. If any link requires a password for access, please remember to include it.
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3. Project budget
Submit a project budget including pending and confirmed income and expenses. Samples of hosting budgets are available here.
+ You may request $50,000 or $75,000.
+ Eligible expenses include touring fees, costs of mounting the exhibition, and expenses related to programs, commissions, or other means to adapt the exhibition to its new context. Other eligible costs may include crating and shipping; dedicated contract roles such as registrars, preparators, project managers, or communications staff; accessibility services such as ASL, audio guides, or seating; and sustainability-related expenses such as local fabrication/ longer stays in order for work to be created on-site, alternatives to vinyl, costs associated with recycling or redistribution of materials after the exhibition is over, etc.
+ Up to 30% of the grant can be used for indirect costs (sometimes known as overhead or administrative costs).
+ Robust fees for artists are strongly encouraged, whether they are producing new work or contributing existing work. Following W.A.G.E. standards, artists should be paid at least 50% of the standard full fee. If artists are asked to travel to install or present work, you should also cover their travel, lodging, per diem, and pay the Day Rate for Performers. We also encourage equitable compensation for outside collaborators, including consultants, partners, writers, designers, photographers, web developers, etc.
+ Small organizations (with annual operating budgets under $3.5 million) may include modest infrastructure costs if they directly support the hosted project and associated curatorial work. Examples include gallery lighting, reusable or mobile walls or pedestals, modular flooring, AV equipment, or technical upgrades. These costs must be clearly tied to the exhibition and its long-term curatorial goals, and may not be general building improvements or related to capital campaigns.
+ You may include an optional column in your budget for sustainability-related expenses.
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4. Organization budget
Submit your organization's operating budgets for the past and current fiscal years. If you have a final future fiscal year, that is optional.
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5. Proof of 501(c)(3) status
Please submit proof of 501(c)(3) status for the hosting organization only.
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Questions you may have
Can I apply more than once per year?
Yes. You may submit to each quarterly deadline, as long as each proposal is for a different hosting project. You can, however, only be awarded one hosting grant per calendar year.
If you apply and are not selected, you may not resubmit the same proposal.
Can an organization apply for both a single project grant and a hosting grant?
Yes. Hosting grants are reviewed on a quarterly cycle and are separate from Teiger Foundation’s Call for Proposals, which takes place every two years and includes the categories single project, three years of programming, and research. Organizations may submit one application to the CFP and one to the hosting category in the same calendar year.
I received an invitation from another organization to partner on a project. Should I apply for a single project grant or a hosting grant?
If your organizations are collaborating equally in the planning and organization of the project, you should apply together for a single project grant, with one organization serving as the lead applicant. This implies shared responsibility for the project's development and implementation.
If you've been invited to join a project that has already been organized and developed by another institution, please apply for a hosting grant. These grants support your work to adapt and present the project within the context of your own institution and community.
I need support to mount my exhibition for the first time, and I am also already organizing a tour. Should I apply for a single project grant or a hosting grant?
You should apply for a single project grant.
If there are multiple potential hosting venues for a project that originated elsewhere, can they apply for funds together?
No. Each venue should submit a separate application for a hosting grant.
I am co-originating a show with one or more organizations. We want the show to tour to all collaborating venues. Should each venue apply separately for a hosting grant?
No. For projects co-organized by multiple institutions that will tour to all collaborating venues, you should apply together for a single project grant, with one organization serving as the lead applicant. The budget included in your application should clearly specify the proposed funding allocation for each institution.
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Here are the guidelines above as a PDF.