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The Exploratorium is a museum of science, art, and human perception.
Scientists, educators, exhibit developers, and artists - in residency and staff positions - engage in an interdisciplinary approach to both the investigative process and the production of work, which leads to new thoughts, tools, and things. It is a museum filled with interactive science and art exhibits, a national center for teacher development, and host to an award-winning Web site of new teaching resources. Fundamentally, it is a laboratory for the research and development of cultural and scientific innovation, discovery, and play.
Mission of the Arts Program
The mission of art at the Exploratorium is to advance a culture of experimentation and collaboration, to engage artists in all facets of museum endeavor and community life, to inspire curiosity and understanding among diverse audiences, and to produce objects, experiences, and knowledge that stimulate new ideas and new directions in the arts, sciences and education.
Who Should Apply
Given the resources and strengths of the Exploratorium, artists should be interested in interdisciplinary dialogue, open to new and engaging modes of information gathering, and curious regarding potential collaboration. An understanding and connection to the ethos of the Exploratorium is essential. Click here to learn more about us.
Local, national, and international artists are welcome to apply. Local residents receive open access to facilities, a budget for materials and food, and a monthly stipend. Typically, local artists are in residence anywhere from one month to one year. We are more interested in subsidizing a long-term relationship than a short-term product. National and international artists receive travel and lodging coverage in addition to materials, food and stipend. National and international artists are in residence anywhere from one week to one month. If you are selected to work with the Exploratorium, we will jointly figure out a schedule that fits both your calendar and the perceived commitments of the proposal.
We are looking for artists to conduct research and create work in a variety of media - sculpture, film, video, performance, photography, sound, and installation - to potentially, but not necessarily, augment our large-scale thematically-based exhibitions. These projects take the form of both self-directed and project-based residencies.
Self-directed residencies allow us to provide artists the opportunity for open-ended investigations focused on bringing the arts and sciences together to cultivate a creative environment, knowing from past experience that the residences will most likely culminate in unexpected and unpredictable outcomes.
Project-based residencies compliment our large-scale exhibitions or specific initiatives. Please check back periodically for new opportunities as we occasionally seek artists to become involved with particular projects.
We are currently seeking applications on a rolling basis for our residency program. At this time, artist opportunities are not directly tied to current or future exhibits and range in length from two weeks to one year for Bay Area residents and two weeks to one month for non-Bay Area residents.
Facilities
We are housed in a large warehouse-like building with few white walls, a 130-seat theater, and a flexible exhibition floor. The museum floor features hundreds of interactive exhibits that explore seeing, sound and hearing, the physical world, mind and learning, and the life sciences. The atmosphere on the floor is generally busy, loud and hands-on, although we have built special spaces for artworks that require control over light, sound, and touch. We have a fully equipped machine shop and woodworking shop as well as media and electronic labs. Graphic production facilities are also available.
Application Guidelines
We review applications on a rolling basic and applicants will be notified within 6 weeks of their submission. Applications must be in English and computer-printed or typewritten. Please review the Application Checklist to ensure your application is complete and send all materials in one packet. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
Documentation
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Visual Artists
 Between 6-10 JPEG files on CD. Must not exceed 2MB per image. Maximum image size of 800 x 600 pixels. Files must be numbered sequentially and correspond to your "Image List"
Image List. Please include title, date, size, media, and brief conceptual intent for each submitted image or group of images.
Film/Video/Digital Media/Performance/Sound Artist
Up to 20 minutes of material on DVD or CD. If more than once piece, please indicate on paper where one piece ends and another begins.
One page brief description of work, including a statement of intent.
Application Checklist
Please include the following materials in your application packet:
- Print and complete ARTIST APPLICATION FORM
- Documentation
- Current CV, including recent and relevant shows, work, and awards
- Self-addressed stamped envelope if you would like your work returned. The Exploratorium will not retain images after the selection process.
Selection Criteria
Relevance of research/work to overall ethos, current projects or investigations at the museum
Perceived willingness to collaborate and to share new ideas
Expressed staff interest in the artist and project
Nondiscrimination
The AIR Program encourages and welcomes the participation of artists from all backgrounds and does not discriminate with regard to race, sex, sexual preference, disabilities, religion, marital status, or nation of origin in its acceptance policies.
Mail all materials to:
Pamela Winfrey
Exploratorium
3601 Lyon Street
San Francisco, CA 94123
Questions
about opportunities for artists should be directed
to Pamela Winfrey (415) 561-0309 (pamw@exploratorium.edu),
or Jordan Stein (415) 353-0405 (jstein@exploratorium.edu).
If
you are interested in reviewing past
art projects, click here.
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Opportunities for artists 
