Thank you for your interest in exhibiting at NUMU!

About NUMU and its Exhibitions:

Founded in 1965, New Museum Los Gatos (NUMU), formerly the Museums of Los Gatos, is a public non-profit art and history museum located in the Civic Center Plaza in downtown Los Gatos. NUMU's mission is to engage its community at the intersection of art, history and education through innovative, locally connected and globally relevant exhibitions, programs and experiences.

NUMU is committed to exhibit, educate, collect, and provide scholarship relative to Los Gatos history as well as visual arts focusing on arts and artists located in the Greater Bay Area (Monterey, Santa Cruz, Santa Clara, San Mateo, Alameda, San Francisco, Contra Costa, Marin, Solano, Napa, and Sonoma Counties). NUMU offers a diverse range of art and history exhibitions and educational programs. It is a remarkable yet accessible, welcoming institution that serves as a cultural, collaborative, and educational hub for the community. 

NUMU’s art exhibitions represent artists and artworks that address various social and environmental issues, and other diverse themes in a variety of mediums. Artists and guest curators may propose solo or group exhibitions that hold significance to the Museum’s mission and its vision of offering equal and equitable representation and access, opportunities, and services to all stakeholders. Exhibitions representing a diversity of genders, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and backgrounds are encouraged. 

NUMU’s history exhibitions have both strong regional ties and a broader intellectual reach that foster a sense of civic pride while providing visitors to the area with insight about Los Gatos and the surrounding communities. By telling stories of the town, our history exhibitions offer a place for children and adults to attain a deeper understanding and appreciation of its history, and the individuals and groups who laid the foundations of their communities and built their lives and legacies in Los Gatos and the surrounding areas. Exhibitions representing untold or under-told stories of historically marginalized and underrepresented peoples of Los Gatos and the Greater Bay Area are highly encouraged.

Potential exhibiting artists and guest curators who are unfamiliar with NUMU’s exhibitions or physical space are encouraged to visit the museum and review previous exhibitions online prior to submitting a proposal.

In general, we solidify exhibitions in the museum two years in advance. When crafting exhibition proposals, this timeline should be taken into account. Scheduling and duration are at the discretion of the museum. 

Required information and materials can be found in the submission form, a link to which can be found at the bottom of this page.

Selection Process and Criteria:

Exhibition proposals are reviewed on a quarterly basis by NUMU’s Curatorial Committee, made up of curatorial staff and board members.  

All concepts submitted should be aligned with NUMU’s mission and vision. 

The following are examples of criteria that will be used by the Curatorial Committee in evaluating proposals:  

Does this exhibition:

  • present an opportunity to have important conversations about social issues with our audience?

  • decentralize the museum voice and uplift marginalized voices?

  • ensure balanced representation of BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, differently abled people, and/or women?

  • feature a relevance to Los Gatos and/or the Greater Bay Area?

  • present an opportunity to expand our audience into the Greater Bay Area?

  • present an opportunity to engage with youth?

  • present aesthetically or historically rigorous work?

  • offer collaboration on fundraising and sponsorship?

  • offer something new to be seen and taught that has not been examined recently by a similar exhibition featured at NUMU? (We strive for diverse art styles, various cultures, media, as well as relevant and challenging ideas.) 

  • present an exciting and engaging opportunity for NUMU? 

  • Can the demands of the exhibition be met by the museum’s resources and available staff?

Notification:

Please do not call or email regarding the status of your submission. You will receive an email notification once your proposal has been fully reviewed by the committee. If interested, a curatorial representative will contact you with next steps. Due to the volume of proposals we receive and the frequency of review, notifications may take up to four to six months.

If Selected, NUMU Will Provide:

  • Gallery space and design for a designated period of time.

  • Marketing and promotion.

  • Installation/de-installation.

  • Display and archive exhibition images on NUMU’s website.

  • Coordination of artwork/artifact shipment.

  • Insurance for artwork/artifacts.

  • Educational programs facilitation in coordination with the museum’s Education Department.

  • Partnership on funding and sponsorship opportunities.