ACME Lab Call for Proposals

Community Submission Process

The review period for this year’s Art. Community. Museum. Education. (ACME) Lab open call for proposals has officially closed.

The next application window will open again from April to June 2025. 
If you wish to submit a proposal at that time, please follow all the criteria below to do so.

Submissions for the 2025/2026 ACME Lab are due June 30, 2025.

a large gallery room with a cement floor and white walls, there are black and white abstract sculptures scattered throughout the room
Installation view of the ACME Lab Las Hermanas Iglesias: HERE, HERE on view at the UMFA August 2017 - January 2018.

ACME Lab Project Summary  

Located in the UMFA Emma Eccles Jones Education Center, ACME Lab is an exhibition space for art experimentation and exploration. The Lab promotes collaboration between museum and community through active participation—providing an avenue for mutual learning, discovery, and understanding. 

ACME Lab proposals should align with the mission statement of the Learning and Engagement Department: to inspire creativity, curiosity, and critical thinking in our growing and diverse community. Therefore, your proposal should present an idea for a project that brings art and community groups together within the UMFA. The resulting installation will be on view for a period of approximately eight months. 

The UMFA is particularly interested in proposals that highlight and celebrate historically under-represented communities in the state of Utah, engage museum visitors in unique and dynamic ways, involve a socially engaged concept, and are suitable for many ages and learning levels. 

Proposals can be submitted by an individual or a team and can include a range of media, including but not limited to: 2D, 3D, digital media, or performance. Please be aware that the UMFA may request modifications to the design or materials to best accommodate the specifications of the ACME Lab space. This call is open to all Utah-based individuals and teams aged 18 and up who currently reside in the state of Utah.

The UMFA will provide a fee in the total amount of $5,534 to the participant(s) whose proposal is selected, which includes participation in the project and one related programming event (see below).

The project is expected to take 100 hours, over a period of eight months, to complete. Funds will be distributed in two installments: one upon signing a creative agreement and one upon completion of the project.  

Application Materials  

  • Applicant/Team Bio (50-200 words). Bio should reflect the applicant’s experience, education, awards, and significant past or current projects. If applying as a team, please include the bio of the project lead. 
  • Project Description (150-300 words). Include a project description in which you articulate the following elements of your project: overall idea or concept, expected materials, identified community partnerships, and any other details about the proposed installation. 
  • Current Resume/CV (not to exceed two pages). If applying as a team, include a Resume/CV for the project lead and short bios for all others. 
  • Work samples. 5-8 artwork samples OR images of ​previous​ work that exemplify skills relevant to this project. Digital marketing materials of past projects are acceptable, as are mock-ups or renderings of your project proposal.  

Application deadline: June 30, 2025 

Selected applicants will: 

  • Commit to one ACME Lab–related programming event over the duration of the installation (October 2026- June 2027). Programming events will take place at UMFA and may include an artist talk, panel, presentation, workshop, etc.  
  • Be available to actively work with the UMFA from October 2026 to May 2027. 
a large gallery space with black walls and a line of large posters hung edge to edge forming a horizontal line down the middle of the walls
Installation view of ACME Lab The International Tolerance Project: Promoting Dialogue Through Design on view at the UMFA January-June 2019. 

    Submission Process

    Submit your application as a single PDF to utahmuseumoffinearts@gmail.com with the subject line "ACME Lab Exhibition Proposal."

    • Include all materials, images, and documents. 
    • Include the applicant’s name, email, and contact information. 
    • File size should not exceed 10 MB. 

    Hard copy submissions should not exceed ten pages and can be mailed or hand-delivered to: 

    Learning and Engagement Department 
    Utah Museum of Fine Arts 
    Marcia and John Price Museum Building 
    University of Utah 
    410 Campus Center Drive 
    Salt Lake City, UT 84112-0350 

    Important Dates:

    April 1 – June 30, 2025 Request for proposals opens 
    June 30, 2025     Application deadline 
    September 16, 2025     Notification of finalist(s) 
    October 15, 2025     Virtual Planning Session* 
    *Multiple sessions will be held with UMFA staff prior to submitting your final proposal
    May 1, 2026 Final proposal planning document due 
    September 23 – October 4, 2026 Installation of ACME Lab 
    October 5, 2026 – May 2027     Lab on View 

    Please note: All dates, except the application deadline, are subject to change.

    Selection Process  

    Applications must ​be submitted in the required format so the selection committee may evaluate them in an objective manner. ​Entries that do not meet submission requirements will not be considered. A UMFA committee will review applications based on the following criteria: 

    • Quality of skills and the ability to develop a unique ACME Lab concept. 

    • Interest in addressing local issues and expressing diverse community perspectives. 

    • Potential to successfully complete the project within the required timeframe. 

    • Overall professionalism and presentation of ideas and application materials. 

    Contact Information  

    All questions regarding this Call for Proposals may only be directed to UMFA Learning and Engagement staff at utahmuseumoffinearts@gmail.com.