Call for artists to exhibit at Dunbar Town House in 2026
Our Arts service is looking for two practising visual artists or craft makers to present a public facing exhibition at Dunbar Town House Museum and Gallery from April to June 2026.
Each year, an array of artists and makers are supported to present their work to the public at the council-run Dunbar Town House Museum and Gallery, providing a platform on which to showcase their work, engage with the public and further their reputation within the community.
There are two slots available:
Wednesday 1 April - Sunday 10 May
Friday 15 May - Sunday 21 June
In addition to the space, each artist will also receive:
- a point of contact from the Museums Team who can offer a tour of the gallery and provide advice on the hanging system, technical arrangements and answer any queries prior to installation
- front of house staffing to manage the exhibition space during opening hours
- support from the Arts Service team to create and print signage materials and promotional marketing materials with a budget of £300 available for print and design (if required)
- inclusion in a digital marketing campaign for both exhibitions produced by our Arts Service and shared through the Museums Service. This would include web listings, social media posts and a press release
- support to take sales during the exhibition with a 25% commission provided to the Dunbar Town House Museum and Gallery/East Lothian Council Museums Service. This is used to support the staffing and running costs of the exhibition space and will be managed by the Museums team
- access to the exhibition space for an opening event during opening hours
- access to an additional space within Dunbar Town House Museum & Gallery during opening hours to provide workshops/talks related to the exhibition
Who is this opportunity for?
The exhibition space is available for artists who:
- work in visual arts or craft including but not limited to painting, pottery, sculpture, photography, textile design, etc.
- are based in East Lothian or have created work directly in response to East Lothian as a location
- are able to manage the installation of their work into the exhibition space with support from one member of staff
- are able to take a lead in managing the promotion of the exhibition with support from the Arts Service team
- are happy with the technical specifications of the gallery space and the facilities that can be provided
The team is committed to increasing the diversity of artists working in the arts and especially welcome applications from those who identify as having characteristics currently under-represented in visual art and crafts in Scotland.
Timeline
- deadline: Sunday 16 November
- panel meeting: Wednesday 3 December
- artists informed: Wednesday 10 December
- marketing goes live: Monday 2 March
- exhibition 1: Wednesday 1 April - Sunday 10 May
- exhibition 2: Friday 15 May - Sunday 21 June
How to apply
Find out more information, including selection criteria, online from our website.