The City of Sacramento’s Office of Arts and Culture is accepting applications for its 2026 Emerging Curators Fellowship, a funded opportunity for early-career curators to develop and present exhibitions at the Robert T. Matsui Gallery inside City Hall.
Through this year-long fellowship, one selected participant will receive a stipend, mentorship from a professional curator, and funding to produce two exhibitions, each on view for four months.
The program is intended to support those interested in visual arts curation who may not have access to traditional resources such as exhibition space, funding, or professional guidance.
“The fellowship gives emerging curators the resources, space and guidance they need to bring their ideas to life,” said the City’s Arts Program Coordinator Susanna Tu.
The selected fellows will receive:
- $6,000 stipend for individuals or $8,000 for a team or collective
- $6,000 exhibition budget to support two back-to-back shows, including production, artist fees, marketing, and other related costs
- Mentorship with a curator for a minimum of 30 hours
- Marketing support from the Office of Arts and Culture
The fellowship is open to individuals 18 and older who live within a 50-mile radius of Sacramento city limits. Eligible applicants should have limited curatorial experience and may include artists, art historians, organizers, self-taught practitioners, and others exploring a curatorial practice. Applicants cannot be enrolled in a full-time academic program or employed full-time in a curatorial role.
The deadline to apply is Sept. 15, 2025.
The exhibition “Breaking the Silence on Gender-Based Violence” by Fellow NJ Mvondo is currently on display at City Hall. The work focuses on the lived experiences of survivors and encourages dialogue through art and storytelling.
The Robert T. Matsui Gallery is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and is wheelchair accessible.
Full details, including program guidelines and application instructions, are available on the Office of Art and Culture’s website.
