Call for Curator in Residence
Type
Curatorial Proposal, Exhibition, Residency
Category
Curating, Mixed Media, Other
Status
Open for Applications
Deadline
February 13, 2026
Application Fee
Free
Host
VALERIE GEORGE, Artist & Curator
Location
Houston, United States
Residency Term: March–December 2026
Application Deadline: Feb 13th
309 Punk Project invites applications for a Curator in Residence as part of its long-term commitment to archival preservation, curatorial research, and expanded public access to artist-run and punk-derived cultural histories. This residency advances field-wide conversations around the stewardship, interpretation, and activation of underrepresented archives, while supporting experimental, research-driven curatorial practice rooted in artist-centered and community-based models.
Residency Framework
The Curator-in-Residence will reside onsite for ten months in an upstairs private bedroom at 309 Punk Project. Housing is offered at a subsidized, all-inclusive rent of $700 per month, supporting sustained, embedded research within the organization’s archives and programs.
The upstairs living area includes a shared bathroom and shared living space with one other permanent Artist-in-Residence. The kitchen is shared with a rotating monthly Artist-in-Residence housed downstairs. This shared-living model reflects 309 Punk Project’s emphasis on collaboration, resource sharing, and collective cultural production.
The residency culminates in a publicly presented curated exhibition opening in December 2026, developed through a 10-month-long archival research and curatorial inquiry..
Archival Access, Sustainability, and Field-Wide Impact
The resident curator will receive full access to the 309 Punk Project Art Object Archive, alongside its extensive zine, flyer, poster, T-shirt, and ephemera archives, which document punk, experimental music, and artist-run activity on the Gulf Coast and beyond.
This residency supports:
Long-term archival sustainability through responsible research, contextualization, and interpretive strategies
Field-wide impact by expanding access to artist-run archives that are often under-documented or institutionally marginalized
Artist-centered stewardship, prioritizing ethical engagement with living artists, DIY communities, and historically overlooked cultural producers
Archival engagement may include research, cataloging, curatorial framing, experimental exhibition design, and public interpretation.
Public Access, Equity, and Knowledge Sharing
Central to this residency is a commitment to public access, transparency, and knowledge exchange. The Curator-in-Residence is encouraged to develop programs that make archival materials accessible to diverse audiences, including:
Public talks, workshops, screenings, or reading groups
Process-based or research-in-progress presentations
Digital or printed interpretive materials that extend beyond the exhibition
309 Punk Project prioritizes equitable access to cultural resources, particularly for artists, audiences, and researchers historically excluded from traditional archival and institutional frameworks.
Culminating Exhibition
The residency will conclude with a curated exhibition opening in December 2026 at 309 Punk Project. The exhibition should meaningfully activate archival materials, foreground research outcomes, and offer new interpretive or experimental approaches to exhibition-making within an artist-run context. Exhibition support includes space access, promotion, and documentation.
Residency Expectations
10 Month residency commitment Marrch–December 2026
Ongoing archival research and curatorial development
Participation in shared living and working environments
Periodic public engagement activities (scheduled collaboratively)
Curation and presentation of a final exhibition in December 2026
Professional collaboration with 309 Punk Project leadership and staff
Eligibility
This opportunity is open to curators, archivists, writers, scholars, and interdisciplinary cultural workers whose practices engage contemporary art, music culture, archives, experimental exhibition models, and artist-run infrastructures. Applicants must be able to reside on-site for the duration of the residency.
309 Punk Project welcomes applicants from diverse backgrounds and lived experiences, particularly those historically underrepresented in curatorial, archival, and institutional spaces.
Application Materials
Please submit a single PDF including:
Letter of interest describing curatorial practice and research interests
Brief proposal outlining intended archival engagement and public outcomes
One page CV or résumé & Bio
5–10 examples of relevant curatorial, research, or writing work (links encouraged)
Review Criteria
Applications will be evaluated based on:
Alignment with 309 Punk Project’s mission
Strength of archival research focus and sustainability considerations
Commitment to public access and knowledge sharing
Clarity of curatorial vision and feasibility within the residency structure
Submission Information
Submit applications to 309punkproject@gmail.com with the subject line:
Curator in Residence Application – Last Name
Application Deadline: Feb 13th
309 Punk Project invites applications for a Curator in Residence as part of its long-term commitment to archival preservation, curatorial research, and expanded public access to artist-run and punk-derived cultural histories. This residency advances field-wide conversations around the stewardship, interpretation, and activation of underrepresented archives, while supporting experimental, research-driven curatorial practice rooted in artist-centered and community-based models.
Residency Framework
The Curator-in-Residence will reside onsite for ten months in an upstairs private bedroom at 309 Punk Project. Housing is offered at a subsidized, all-inclusive rent of $700 per month, supporting sustained, embedded research within the organization’s archives and programs.
The upstairs living area includes a shared bathroom and shared living space with one other permanent Artist-in-Residence. The kitchen is shared with a rotating monthly Artist-in-Residence housed downstairs. This shared-living model reflects 309 Punk Project’s emphasis on collaboration, resource sharing, and collective cultural production.
The residency culminates in a publicly presented curated exhibition opening in December 2026, developed through a 10-month-long archival research and curatorial inquiry..
Archival Access, Sustainability, and Field-Wide Impact
The resident curator will receive full access to the 309 Punk Project Art Object Archive, alongside its extensive zine, flyer, poster, T-shirt, and ephemera archives, which document punk, experimental music, and artist-run activity on the Gulf Coast and beyond.
This residency supports:
Long-term archival sustainability through responsible research, contextualization, and interpretive strategies
Field-wide impact by expanding access to artist-run archives that are often under-documented or institutionally marginalized
Artist-centered stewardship, prioritizing ethical engagement with living artists, DIY communities, and historically overlooked cultural producers
Archival engagement may include research, cataloging, curatorial framing, experimental exhibition design, and public interpretation.
Public Access, Equity, and Knowledge Sharing
Central to this residency is a commitment to public access, transparency, and knowledge exchange. The Curator-in-Residence is encouraged to develop programs that make archival materials accessible to diverse audiences, including:
Public talks, workshops, screenings, or reading groups
Process-based or research-in-progress presentations
Digital or printed interpretive materials that extend beyond the exhibition
309 Punk Project prioritizes equitable access to cultural resources, particularly for artists, audiences, and researchers historically excluded from traditional archival and institutional frameworks.
Culminating Exhibition
The residency will conclude with a curated exhibition opening in December 2026 at 309 Punk Project. The exhibition should meaningfully activate archival materials, foreground research outcomes, and offer new interpretive or experimental approaches to exhibition-making within an artist-run context. Exhibition support includes space access, promotion, and documentation.
Residency Expectations
10 Month residency commitment Marrch–December 2026
Ongoing archival research and curatorial development
Participation in shared living and working environments
Periodic public engagement activities (scheduled collaboratively)
Curation and presentation of a final exhibition in December 2026
Professional collaboration with 309 Punk Project leadership and staff
Eligibility
This opportunity is open to curators, archivists, writers, scholars, and interdisciplinary cultural workers whose practices engage contemporary art, music culture, archives, experimental exhibition models, and artist-run infrastructures. Applicants must be able to reside on-site for the duration of the residency.
309 Punk Project welcomes applicants from diverse backgrounds and lived experiences, particularly those historically underrepresented in curatorial, archival, and institutional spaces.
Application Materials
Please submit a single PDF including:
Letter of interest describing curatorial practice and research interests
Brief proposal outlining intended archival engagement and public outcomes
One page CV or résumé & Bio
5–10 examples of relevant curatorial, research, or writing work (links encouraged)
Review Criteria
Applications will be evaluated based on:
Alignment with 309 Punk Project’s mission
Strength of archival research focus and sustainability considerations
Commitment to public access and knowledge sharing
Clarity of curatorial vision and feasibility within the residency structure
Submission Information
Submit applications to 309punkproject@gmail.com with the subject line:
Curator in Residence Application – Last Name