CENTRAL LIBRARY—COPLEY SQUARE Boston Public Library Central Library Exhibition Procedures The following procedures apply to requests for exhibition space in the McKim and Johnson Buildings at the Boston Public Library, Copley Square. Application Timeline All prospective exhibitors must submit a completed Exhibition Proposal Form (including all required attachments) to the Office of Programming & Events. Applications can be submitted electronically via email (preferred) at [email protected]; fax: 617-536-0186; or mail: Boston Public Library, Programming & Events, 700 Boylston St., Boston, MA 02116. All proposals must be completed and received at least nine (9) months prior to the requested date of exhibition. The Library’s Exhibition Committee meets monthly. Proposals received at least two weeks prior to the meeting date will be reviewed. All applicants will be notified about the outcome by e-mail or phone. All decisions are final and not subject to review. Detailed submission requirements are included on the Exhibition Proposal Form. Once a proposal has been approved, an Exhibition Contract will be executed between the Library and the exhibition curator specifying the terms of the relationship. Selection Criteria Per the Library’s Exhibition Policy as adopted by the Board of Trustees November 2009, the focus of the Library’s exhibition program is to “to preserve and provide access to the historical record of our society and to serve the cultural, educational and informational needs of the people of the City of Boston and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.” Exhibition proposals will be evaluated by the Library based on the following criteria: • Relevance of subject matter to the Library’s mission, collections, and resources • Historical and educational significance, particularly as it relates to the cultural heritage of the City of Boston • Popular appeal to wide audiences and diverse community interests • Professional treatment of exhibition content • Quality of exhibition design, implementation, artistic merit, and originality • Suitability to and availability of Library exhibition spaces • Inclusion of additional related public programming such as book discussions, films, gallery talks, lectures, children’s programs, and/or workshops • Connection to other exhibitions or programs in the community presented at or about the same time All Library-sponsored exhibitions have priority. 1 CENTRAL LIBRARY—COPLEY SQUARE Exhibitions must be free of charge and open to the public. Library exhibition spaces may not be used for commercial or political purposes, for the solicitation of business, for profit, or for fundraising, other than fundraising that supports the Library. PLEASE NOTE: The Central Library at Copley Square will not consider exhibition proposals for the following: • unsolicited exhibitions of single living artists • unsolicited exhibitions of individual personal collections • unsolicited non-juried group exhibitions of artists The Library will not consider submissions which are not fully funded by the exhibitor prior to application. All applicants must submit a complete budget and list of funding sources for the proposed exhibition in their proposals. The Boston Public Library will assume no financial responsibility for any portion of exhibition costs, including use of Library staff for installation/de-installation, publicity, and oversight. The Library retains complete authority over evaluation, selection and scheduling of all exhibitions at the Boston Public Library. These decisions are final and not subject to review. The Boston Public Library reserves the right to preempt any scheduled exhibition. The Library will make every effort to give advance notice of such preemption. General Requirements All exhibitions must be free of charge and open to the public. No admission charge, request for donation or items for sale are approved by the Library. In addition, all receptions, lectures, and programs must be free and open to the public if scheduled during standard library operating hours. Library exhibition spaces may not be used for commercial or political purposes, for the solicitation of business, for profit, or for fundraising, other than fundraising that supports the Library. The Library will not engage in the sale of any artwork displayed in an exhibition or provide pricing information within the exhibition. The sale of exhibition catalogues is permissible only with specific approval by the Library. Groups using Library exhibition spaces must not use advertising and publicity which imply that their exhibitions are sponsored, co-sponsored, endorsed or approved by the Library, unless written permission to do so has been previously given by the Library. Exhibition of any given material does not constitute an endorsement by the Library. 2 CENTRAL LIBRARY—COPLEY SQUARE Exhibition & Installation Requirements Preparation of materials for exhibition purposes is the responsibility of the exhibitor and must meet the standards of the Boston Public Library. All design, materials, and installation practices are expected to meet museum-quality standards and include (but are not limited to): mounting hardware and systems; object labels and panels; printed collateral materials; frames; banners; posters; signage; web-based content; and color palettes. Samples of all materials must be submitted to the Library for written approval before the exhibition is mounted. All curatorial content (including panel and label text) must be fully legible, accessible, and comprehensible to a wide-ranging audience and is subject to review, editing, and revision by Library staff. The Library is solely responsible for the provision of gallery space for approved exhibitions. All additional requirements for installation (including painting, panel set-up, movement and preparation of caseworks, mounting systems, electrical needs, and carpentry), special custodial services, and de-installation of the exhibition are the financial and personal responsibility of the exhibitor and must be contracted and scheduled with the Library prior to installation. The Library does not provide insurance coverage for loaned exhibitions. The loaning institution is responsible for providing “door-to-door” insurance on any and all exhibited materials not from the Library’s collections. The loaning individual, organization or institution is responsible for all security and security costs necessary for exhibitions. Exhibitors must supply the Library with a complete inventory of each item in the exhibition, including title, dimensions, condition, and general description prior to exhibition. The Library reserves the right to remove any item from an exhibition or change the manner of display if it is determined that the displayed item does not match the proposed exhibition or if the exhibition is a possible health or safety hazard, is too large or otherwise inappropriate for the display space or cases, creates a maintenance problem, exceeds acceptable noise and light levels, interferes with public service or other activities in adjacent library areas, or is in violation of the law. All organizations or groups shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Boston Public Library and the City of Boston, its officers, agents and employees from and against any and all claims, suits, actions of any kind, arising and resulting and accruing from any negligent act, omission or error of the organization or group resulting in or relating to personal injuries, property damage, or any other claim arising from the organization/group’s exhibit or use of the Library’s exhibition spaces. The Library reserves the right to cancel and/or remove an exhibition if it causes an unreasonable disruption to regular library functions; is too large for the applicable room capacity; is dangerous to persons or property; violates accepted community standards; or is in any other way inconsistent with or in contravention of any of the terms and conditions of these guidelines. 3 .