Science Gallery Detroit seeks proposals for first exhibition

MSU?Today

Michigan State University’s Science Gallery Lab Detroit, or SGLD, is seeking proposals for HUSTLE, an exhibition that will explore what it means for people to work hard, to be hopeful, to be taken advantage of or to wonder what the future holds.

“Hustle is embodied by success as well as struggle, making it an unofficial rallying cry for the city and a fitting theme for SGLD’s inaugural exhibition in the summer of 2018,” said Troy Livingston, director, Science Gallery Lab Detroit. “Choosing a theme that was locally relevant but globally applicable was a priority for us in our first open call. Historically, Detroit has symbolized both the American dream and blue collar grit. Detroiters are resilient, and they work to overcome when faced with issues.”

The exhibition will explore what psychology, sociology, biology, criminology, behavioral economics, technology and other domains can tell us about hustling and being hustled, although those prompts are just starting points to provoke thought.

Proposals should match SGLD’s three core aims to connect, participate and surprise, and have relevance to its core audience of 15 to 25 year olds. Works should invite visitors to participate, create and discuss. Formats are not restricted to physical artifacts. Projects may range from sculptures or installations to ideas for events and workshops.

“You don’t have to be an artist or scientist by trade to submit a proposal for HUSTLE,”  Livingston said. “Anyone can submit. We welcome collaborations across disciplines, and sometimes we can even help facilitate those collaborations. If you have an idea, but you’re looking for a connection, start a conversation with us by submitting a proposal.”

Curators of the open call include Livingston,  Scott Campbell, a visual artist and a Ford Curatorial Fellow at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, Ava Ansari, independent curator at Poetic Societies, and Mark Sullivan, MSU music professor.

Deadline for applications is Dec. 15, 2017, at 5 p.m. EST. Provisional exhibition dates are early June 2018 through late August 2018. The exhibition will be free and open to the public.

SGLD is the first Science Gallery Lab in the Americas, developed in partnership with MSU. SGLD aims to unlock the creative potential of 15-to-25 year olds by taking emerging research and ideas from the worlds of art, science, design and technology, and presenting them in connective, participative and surprising ways. The pioneering Science Gallery was developed at Trinity College Dublin in 2008.