With whom will I be meeting?
You will be meeting with the Viewing Program Curator. The Drawing Center has always chosen a professional, practicing artist, usually with significant teaching experience, to serve as the Viewing Program Curator.

If I have been accepted into the Viewing Program, what is the purpose of the appointment with the Viewing Program Curator?
The purpose of Viewing Program appointments is to offer artists a chance to discuss and receive critical feedback about their work from an experienced professional, an opportunity that can be hard to come by for working artists. Although we do curate group exhibitions of artists selected from our Viewing Program every year, only a very small percentage of nearly 1,500 Viewing Program artists are ever shown at The Drawing Center. We find that artists who come for a portfolio review without the specific expectation of being included in a future exhibition have a much easier time engaging in a comfortable, productive dialogue with the Curator.

How do I make an appointment to meet with the Viewing Program Curator?
If you have received an email that states you are eligible to schedule an appointment, please call the Viewing Program appointment voicemail at (212) 219-2166 ext. 122 and leave a message that includes your first and last name, phone number, the approximate dimensions of the largest work you plan to bring, and a few dates that you are available. Someone will return your phone call within a couple of weeks to schedule an exact date and time. Please give about a month’s advance notice.

When are Viewing Program appointments available?
Appointments are usually available on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 11am and 12, 2, 3, 4, and 5pm, and on Thursdays at 3, 4, and 5pm. However, the appointment days and times may vary according to the Viewing Program Curator’s schedule.

How long do Viewing Program appointments last?
The meetings usually last between 20–40 minutes.

Where should I go when I arrive at The Drawing Center?
When you arrive at The Drawing Center, please inform the receptionist in the main gallery at 35 Wooster Street that you have a Viewing Program appointment.

What should I bring to my Viewing Program appointment?
We suggest you bring about 10 original drawings made in the past year. If your work is very large, you may want to bring fewer examples. The works are placed on a table that is 6 x 7 feet (approx. 1.8 x 2.1 meters); the largest work you bring should be no larger than the table, if possible. Work cannot be hung on the walls. If your work is larger than the table or not transportable (if it is installation-based, for example), it is best to bring photographs or other types of documentation that show the work clearly. Please try to minimize the amount of time you’ll need to spend preparing and packing your work: appointments last only 20 to 40 minutes, and you’ll want to use your allotted time most effectively.

Does the Viewing Program Curator visit artists’ studios?
No. Because of the large number of Viewing Program artists we must accommodate, meetings are held only at The Drawing Center.

I am unable to visit New York for my Viewing Program appointment. Can I send my work by mail, have a friend bring it, or conduct the appointment via email or telephone?
No. While artists from across the country and abroad are encouraged to submit their work for consideration, we are not able to conduct appointments with acquaintances of the artist, over the phone, or by email, given the importance the Viewing Program places on one-on-one discussions.

So what are my chances of being included in an exhibition at The Drawing Center?
Statistically speaking, not great. The Viewing Program’s mission is first and foremost to aid in the artistic development of emerging artists and to provide exposure of their work via the online Artist Registry. When an artist is accepted to the Viewing Program, they join nearly 1,500 other artists, many of whom have been a part of the program for several years. Of these artists, a small number are included in the two or three “Selections” shows that we organize each year. The curatorial process is an inherently subjective one, based as much on the individual enthusiasms of the curator as on the peculiar exigencies of a given (often themed) exhibition. Many excellent works that may have been in the Registry for years may never be selected. However, the Registry is frequently browsed by outside curators and researchers, and we hope that this usage provides Viewing Program artists with opportunities outside of The Drawing Center’s own programming.

If I am selected for an exhibition at The Drawing Center, can I participate in an exhibition again?
No, artists can participate only once in an exhibition at The Drawing Center.