Anyone wishing to apply for exhibit space at the Stone Center must first read the following information before submitting an application to stonecenter@unc.edu.
The galleries at the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Research in Black Culture and History are dedicated to the enrichment of visual culture on campus, in the community and throughout North Carolina. The gallery program supports the Stone Center’s commitment to the critical examination of all dimensions of African American and African Diaspora cultures through its active education program and through the formal exhibition of works of art and other items.
The Brown Gallery is a non-profit making institution at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is open to the public. The gallery is committed to researching, exhibiting and interpreting, for the purpose of study, education, and enjoyment of objects, activities and documents and other materials.
The Stone Center’s mandate is to promote interdisciplinary inquiry, as well as focused examinations from various interdisciplinary and disciplinary perspectives. Therefore, the Brown Gallery will recognize no restrictions as to the nature of its research and programs relative to period, medium or content approach of the art or artists or exhibitors. The cultural scope of the gallery will focus primarily on African American art and artists and those from Africa and the African diasporas but will not exclude art and artists from other parts of the world.
The Stone Center gallery and other exhibition spaces are intended to promote the pursuit of knowledge; the critical examination and understanding of art, culture, and community; and to support the broader mission of the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Research in Black Culture and History and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The Stone Center Galleries will observe all professional and ethical standards as defined by the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History concerning its programs, staff, governance and fiscal management consistent with the guidelines established by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the Office of the Provost.
The following functions describe the program of the Brown Gallery:
Research
Stone Center galleries are responsible for all objects committed to its care and will take all reasonable steps to ensure
- (for the purposes of education and communication) their identification and interpretation, and
- (for the purposes of preservation) their safety, security and conservation of objects entrusted to the gallery.
Display
- The gallery will present a minimum of two exhibitions annually.
- The programs of the Brown Gallery shall strive to represent and serve a broad range of audiences and cultures.
- The gallery will introduce the public to a broad spectrum of art forms and traditions, with selections from historic, contemporary and emerging periods.
- The gallery will display and promote work by artists at varying stages of their careers, including student and emerging artists as well as professionals.
Interpretation & Education
- The Brown Gallery will support exhibitions with publications, lectures, symposia, and workshops.
- The Brown Gallery will work with other departments and agencies to offer education programs for various audiences.
Promotion
- The Robert and Sallie Brown Gallery and Museum is responsible for the promotion and publication of research relating to its programs.
- The Brown Gallery will establish effective public information channels with all of its publics including artists, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill students, faculty, staff and administrators, the surrounding community, media and donors.
- The gallery will use special publications, evaluations, outreach programs, interpretive programs, news releases, and promotional materials as channels to communicate with its identified publics.
The Stone Center seeks to maintain a consistent set of standards for all exhibitions and displays within office and public spaces of the building. In general all exhibitions in the Stone Center should address some aspect of our mission, or the mission of the gallery and as described in the Galleries Mission Statement.
For Exhibitions Not Sponsored Wholly or In Part By the Stone Center
Interested parties must submit a proposal. Decisions on exhibition proposals are typically made within one month of your proposal submission.
- All exhibitions or displays in the Stone Center, including those mounted in office spaces and public spaces are the responsibility of the Stone Center.
- Written proposals are required from anyone interested in using the exhibition areas, and should be submitted 6 months in advance. (Please note: the Robert and Sallie Brown Gallery and Museum is reserved for Stone Center-initiated or co-sponsored exhibitions only). Proposals may be submitted by e-mail to stonecenter@unc.edu.
We recognize and appreciate that the presentation of art can take multiple forms and incorporate numerous formats. Whether you are the artist, the curator, the artist-curator, seeking an individual or group exhibition, all proposals should explicitly engage the following criteria when proposing exhibitions or displays in any part of the building. These guidelines refer to all exhibitions or displays.
- CONCEPT: What is the work that will be displayed? (250-500 words)
- ARTIST(S): Who are you and how is this exhibit demonstrative of your work and/or that of the artist? (250-300 words)
- DESIGN: How will the exhibit be designed and where will it be installed? (Note: be specific: how many artifacts, paintings, photographs etc.; what medium(s)?; how will they be placed and/or staged?; what is your ideal timeline and exhibit duration? (500-750 words)
- ALIGNMENT: Why is this important to you and how does your proposed exhibit align with the Stone Center’s mission and the mission, mandate and purpose of our gallery? (250 words)
- EDUCATIONAL VALUE: What is the educational value of your proposed exhibit? (250 words maximum)
- AUDIENCE: Who do you envision as an ideal audience for your exhibit? How many individuals would you ideally reach? (150 words maximum)
- PROGRAMMING: If applicable, what are some ideas you have for programming that could accompany or be incorporated into the exhibit. (250 words maximum)
- BUDGET: all proposals must include a draft budget. Your budget should consider the curator fee(s), shipping, transportation, matting/framing, printing (including dimensions) and all relevant, anticipated material costs. Be sure to demonstrate how much funding you have secured and additional funding sources to which you seek support.
- EXAMPLE: provide 2-3 examples of the pieces that best tell the story of your proposed exhibit. Use jpg. or png. files no more than 5MB each. Be sure to include the artist’s name, artwork title, artwork medium, artwork dimensions, and year created for each item.
Thank you for your interest in hosting your exhibit at the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Research in Black Culture and History. Proposals may be submitted by e-mail to stonecenter@unc.edu.