Cal Poly Humboldt Department of Art + Film

Reese Bullen Gallery Submissions

The Reese Bullen Gallery at Cal Poly Humboldt is currently accepting exhibition proposals for the 2026-27 and 2027-28 academic years. The Reese Bullen Gallery seeks proposals from both nationally-recognized and emerging artists and curators. Proposals will be considered for solo, two-person, and small group exhibitions. In addition to the open call for proposals, the committee is also looking for visual artists whose studio practice aligns with the interdisciplinary and/or community-based aspects of the university’s purpose and vision.

The Exhibition Committee will evaluate exhibition proposals from artists, groups of artists, and curators based on the following criteria:

• The proposal makes innovative use of concepts, materials, themes, and space.
• The artist(s) CV/resume reflects exhibitions and other art activities on a regional, national, or international level.
• Special consideration will be given to proposals that promote community engagement through interactive or educational activities associated with the exhibition. Examples include: a public lecture, studio visits, demonstrations, workshops, exploratory walks, or other forms of interaction tailored to the artist’s medium, interest, or experience.
• Humboldt serves students from a broad range of cultural heritages, socioeconomic backgrounds, genders, ability, and orientations. Therefore, we prioritize artists who demonstrate they understand the benefits diverse perspectives bring to a professional educational community. 

Reese Bullen Gallery Provides:

1. Gallery: A 1200 sq ft gallery space and staffing during installation and the exhibition.

2. Shipping: Financial assistance for shipping to/from the gallery

3. Honorarium: A stipend is provided to support travel and campus engagement (dependent on budget)

4. Installation and Promotion: The exhibition space is a learning lab for students in the museum and gallery practices program and will be installed and promoted by students overseen by gallery staff.

5. An opening reception: Usually held on a Wednesday or Thursday evening

6. Insurance: Wall-to-wall fine arts insurance for all art in the exhibition.

7. Sales: The gallery does not take a commission on work, but will help to connect the  artist & buyer.

Gallery Floor Plan and Virtual Tour of Space
 

Your exhibition proposal should include:

• 10 images or 10 minutes of time-based media representing the nature of the work intended for exhibition.
• Artist statement
• A written one-page narrative describing the proposed exhibition and suggested community engagement activities. Please include any specific installation or equipment requirements.
• CV or resume
• Links to personal/professional websites
   

Please direct any questions to:

Brittany Britton, Gallery Director

rbg@humboldt.edu

707-826-3629
 

SPECIAL NOTE FOR TRANSFER STUDENTS: Transfer students first declare a BA in Studio Art, then apply to the BFA during their first or second semester at Cal Poly Humboldt. Please contact the department chair, Professor Nicole Jean Hill (njh27@humboldt.edu) if you would like a review of your transcripts and to discuss the timeline for applying to the BFA.

BFA students work closely with faculty from our eight different media areas: Painting,  Drawing/Illustration, Printmaking, Graphic Design/Digital Media,  Ceramics, Sculpture, Photography, Jewelry/Small Metals. The BFA degree offers students the opportunity to further their studio art practice and to prepare for graduate school or professional art careers through a rigorous and focused course of study in the visual arts. The BFA requires 70 units of Art classes (as opposed to 54 units for the BA in studio art).

The BFA is a cohort-based program for students in their junior and senior years. Students will typically be admitted to the program in the spring of their sophomore year. Students may be able to apply to enter the program in the fall of their junior year if space permits. Students must plan on being in the BFA program for a minimum of two semesters prior to graduation.

Students applying to the program must have taken the following seven classes of the Cal Poly Humboldt studio art major:

• Art 103A: Prehistoric to Medieval Art 
• Art 103B: Renaissance to Contemporary Art
• Art 105B - Drawing Fundamentals
• Art 105C - 2D Foundations
• Art 105D - 3D Foundations
• and two lower division studio electives

Only one of these classes may be in progress at the time of application. Students must have a 3.0 minimum GPA in the major at the time of application.
 

If you do not know if you are eligible or you do not know your projected graduation date, please see your academic advisor.

BFA students will be admitted based on the strength of their portfolio, their artistic promise, creative vision, professionalism and the suitability of the BFA to their academic plans as evidenced through their submitted work, DARS audit, personal statement and faculty references. Applicants will also be considered for admission based on their potential to positively contribute to the intellectual and artistic life of the cohort to which they are admitted.

Students will be permitted to re-apply to the BFA once if the first application does not result in acceptance to the program. Reapplications should follow the same guidelines as first time applications. Applications will be due in mid October and mid March.

To apply, you will need to submit the following:

• A statement of purpose (250-500 words)
• A PDF of your Cal Poly Humboldt B.A. Studio Art DARS audit (not DARS Plan or transcript). 
• 12-15 samples of your work. 3 should be from Art 105B (Drawing Fundamentals) or equivalent, 3 should be from Art 105C (2D Foundations) or equivalent and 3 should be from Art 105D (3D Foundations) or equivalent. You should also submit 3-6 works that come from studio elective courses. This is also a place where you can showcase your strongest work and/or work that demonstrates where you see yourself developing as an artist.
• The name and email address for 2 academic references.
   

If you need help with best procedures for photographing your artwork, watch THIS VIDEO.

If you have additional questions please email Professor Brandice Guerra at bg816@humboldt.edu

About the Residency 

The John S. and Lona B. Edwards Artists-in-Residence Program (AiR) program is a collaboration between the Cal Poly Humboldt College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Science and the Department of Art + Film. Visual artists whose studio practice aligns with the interdisciplinary and/or community-based aspects of the university’s purpose and vision are invited to apply for the Edwards AiR program. The four-week residency occurs during the spring semester and provides an opportunity for an emerging or mid-career artist to develop new work while engaging with the campus and local community. Residencies may be offered to well-established artists by invitation as well.
 

During the four-week residency, artists are provided:
 

●  A comfortable, furnished apartment within walking distance of the campus, the Arcata Community Forest, and downtown Arcata 

●  A private studio space or work area with 24-hour access 

●  An honorarium of $2500. 

The residency program is open to artists working in a variety of media areas including, but not limited to: ceramics, small metals/jewelry, photography (darkroom + digital), digital media, experimental filmmaking, printmaking, painting, drawing, illustration, and sculpture. Artists are responsible for their own transportation, art supplies, and meals during the residency. Residents will automatically be considered for a funded exhibition within 2 years of the completion of their residency (shipping/travel included) at one of the two on-campus galleries (Reese Bullen and the Goudi’ni Native American Arts Gallery) or at the Morris Graves Museum of Art in Eureka, CA. 

Expectations

 
Artists will be required to give a public lecture (45 minutes plus Q&A) at the beginning of their residency. Additionally, artists are required to engage with students 2-3 hours per week through studio visits, demonstrations, workshops, exploratory walks, or other forms of interaction tailored to the artist’s medium, interest, or experience. Cal Poly Humboldt requests permission to publish images of artwork created while in residence in news and promotional materials related to the arts program at the university.
 

How to Apply

Applications for the Spring 2026 residency are due by April 13, 2025. Required submission materials include:
 

●  20 images of work completed in the last five years
 

●  One-page summary of the proposed project during the residency (including
   studio requirements) 

●  2-page resume
 

●  Names/contacts of 3 professional references
 

●  Brief outline of ideas for weekly student engagement activities
 

●  Applicants should indicate in their proposal the four-week period they wish to perform their residency between February - April. 

 About Cal Poly Humboldt

 
Founded in 1913, Cal Poly Humboldt is one of the premier public institutions in the Western United States; it is a rural and residential campus of approximately 6,000 students. The main campus is located in Arcata, California, in the northwestern part of the state along the coast, and is situated among redwood trees in an area that offers unmatched scenic beauty, moderate climate, and opportunities for outdoor activities.

To learn more about the Cal Poly Humboldt Department of Art + Film, please see: https://artfilm.humboldt.edu/

 
 Program Eligibility 

Successful candidates are professionals whose CV/resume reflects exhibitions and other professional activities on a regional, national, or international level. 

Successful applicants will also display a readiness to engage with the public and work in an open studio environment. 

At the time of application, all artist-in-residence applicants:
 

●  Must be at least twenty-one years old
 

●  Must be a US citizen or legal resident of the US with a valid SSN or EIN
 

●  Cannot be enrolled in a full-time degree-granting program or its equivalent