Contract Exhibition Producer

2026 Arts & Aging Resident Exhibition at UROC

Organization: CommonBond Communities, Advantage Services

Venue: UROC Gallery (University of Minnesota Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center), Minneapolis

Engagement type: Independent contractor, flat project fee

Compensation: $6,000 flat project fee (materials and approved expenses covered separately)

Timeline: Approximately June/July through October 2026. The exhibition runs September 25 to October 26, 2026, with installation the week of September 14 and de-installation following the close.

Reports to: Colin Kloecker, Associate Director of Resident & Community Engagement,  with day-to-day coordination alongside Program Manager Shylo Stevens

To Apply: Please send a resume or CV and a brief note about why this project interests you to colin.kloecker@commonbond.org. If you have produced, installed, or designed exhibitions before, we would welcome images, a portfolio, or a link to past work. Writing samples are not required, though you are welcome to include one. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, with priority given to those received by Friday, June 26, 2026. The posting remains open until the role is filled, so early submissions are encouraged.

About this project

Each year, older adults living in CommonBond’s affordable housing, primarily our senior communities across the Twin Cities metro, take part in Arts & Aging, a program of free, professional arts classes taught right in their own buildings. Now in its tenth year, the program has a current roster of about 125 resident artists. This exhibition gathers their work into one show at the UROC Gallery and presents it the way any artist’s work deserves to be presented: with care, with context, and their name on the wall.

One thing to understand up front: the residents and their teaching artists are curating this show themselves. Every resident who has taken an Arts & Aging class over the last 10 years is invited to choose one piece to include. Your role is not to decide what belongs on the wall. Your role is to receive that work, prepare it, present it with care, and bring the whole exhibition to life in the gallery. We anticipate roughly 40 to 75 pieces, a mix of framed and unframed work across multiple media, though the final count depends on resident response and will be confirmed closer to the show.

What you will do

This is a hands-on production role that spans intake, preparation, design, production, and installation. The work is genuinely multimedia. Expect to handle two-dimensional work (paintings, drawings, photographs, textile and mixed media), three-dimensional work (including ceramics and sculpture), written pieces, digital photographs that will need printing, and possibly video.

This is a community exhibition presented at a clean, gallery-ready level. We are intentionally keeping framing and production affordable, and resourceful solutions are exactly what the role calls for.

Throughout, “design” means finished, print-ready, installed pieces, not drafts handed off. You lay it out, produce it print-ready, and install it, with UROC’s Exhibitions Manager assisting on the physical installation. The written content comes from two places: residents provide their own statements for the labels, and CommonBond provides the copy for panels, the gallery guide, and promotional materials. Your focus is design, production, and faithful presentation rather than original writing. Printing and production costs are covered as materials, separate from your fee.

• Artwork intake and pickup. Collect submitted work in one coordinated pickup round from approximately 10 Arts & Aging class sites across the Twin Cities metro. With good coordination this can be completed in one to two days. CommonBond provides the site contacts; you schedule and coordinate the pickups. Each piece will arrive with a record identifying the artist, their site, their artist statement, and a photo of the artist. Please note that the fee is inclusive of your own local travel; mileage for pickups, installation, and related trips within the metro is not separately reimbursed.
• Inventory and tracking. Keep meticulous records from the moment work comes in. Build and maintain a working log of every piece: the artist and their site, the medium, whether it needs framing or another display solution, what preparation it requires (for example, a digital photograph that needs printing and mounting), its condition on arrival, and its status as it moves through preparation, installation, and return. This log is the backbone of the project. It keeps every piece accounted for, the work organized, and the materials budget on track as costs add up.
• Preparation and framing. Get pieces display-ready across a range of media and sizes. Framing is done with affordable, ready-made retail framing, for example from Michael’s or similar sources, not custom, archival, or conservation-grade framing. The goal is a clean, dignified, gallery-ready presentation. Affordable does not mean careless: frames should be square, clean, and secure, and every piece should be presented like the work of art it is. You will also determine appropriate display solutions for work that is not framed, such as sculpture, written pieces, and digital prints, in coordination with the venue. You may use your own workspace and storage for preparation, which is preferred; if you do not have suitable space, CommonBond can provide it.
• Didactics and labels. Design and produce the object labels and exhibition panels so that every piece connects clearly to the person who made it: the standard label line, each artist’s own statement about their work, and their photo, laid out, printed, and mounted. Residents provide their own words; you present them faithfully, with light editing for length and clarity that keeps each artist’s voice intact. Accuracy is part of the craft: each artist’s name spelled correctly, the right statement with the right piece, the right site. The bar here is on a clean, consistent, legible design across all the labels and panels.
• Gallery guide and promotional flyer. Design and produce a printed gallery guide that visitors can pick up to orient themselves, and a promotional flyer (print and digital) that site staff can post and circulate to residents ahead of the show. CommonBond provides the written copy; your focus is layout and design.
• Layout and design. Design the layout and visitor flow of the exhibition within the UROC Gallery, accounting for the mix of media and for an audience that includes older adults and visitors with limited mobility or vision, so labels are legible and the gallery is easy to move through.
• Opening reception production. Design and produce the opening invitation (print and digital) and a printed program, design the reception signage and the gallery setup and flow for the event, and provide day-of coordination so the reception runs smoothly. CommonBond invites residents and arranges their transportation, handles leadership remarks and the guest list, and makes catering decisions.
• Venue coordination. Work directly with UROC’s Exhibitions Manager on venue logistics, scheduling, and requirements.
• Installation and de-installation. Oversee the installation ahead of the opening, with UROC’s Exhibitions Manager assisting, and the de-installation after the show closes, including coordinating the safe return of every piece to its site in the condition it arrived.

What you will produce

By the close of the project you will have delivered:

• Object labels for every piece: the standard label line (artist name, site, title, medium, year) plus the artist’s own short statement about the work, with their photo, designed, printed, and mounted.
• An exhibition title and introduction panel at the entrance, plus any additional panels the show calls for (up to four).
• A printed gallery guide: a take-away handout (single page or simple folded guide) with a short introduction, the list of participating artists and their sites, and a simple map or suggested flow.
• A promotional flyer in print and digital form, suitable for site staff to post and circulate to residents and for CommonBond to share digitally.
• Opening reception materials: an invitation (print and digital), a printed program, and reception signage.
• A complete inventory and condition log: a record of every piece, its artist and site, its framing and display needs, the preparation done to it, and its condition at intake and at return.
• The fully installed exhibition, and its de-installation, including the safe return of every piece to its site in the condition it arrived.
• A digital handoff: final files for all labels, panels, the guide, and the flyer, plus photo documentation of the installed exhibition.

Who we are looking for

A strong candidate will bring:

• Experience producing, installing, or preparing exhibitions, or comparable hands-on art handling experience
• Careful, responsible handling of original artwork
• Comfort with layout and design tools (such as Canva, InDesign, Affinity Publisher, or similar) to produce clean, consistent, legible, print-ready labels, panels, and guides; this is a core skill for the role
• Comfort working across multiple media and improvising sound, affordable display solutions
• Meticulous organization and record-keeping: the ability to track dozens of pieces, their status, and a running materials budget, and to work independently to a fixed deadline
• Clear, careful writing for light editing of artist statements and labels, with respect for each artist’s own voice; stronger writing is always a plus
• Reliable transportation for artwork pickups across the metro
• Access to your own workspace and storage is a plus
• Comfort and respect in working with older adults and community-based art
• Alignment with CommonBond’s commitment to equity, inclusion, and belonging

Lived experience, community ties, and a personal creative practice are all assets. This role would suit an independent artist, arts administrator, recent graduate, or emerging curator looking for a substantial and meaningful project.

Compensation and terms

This is a flat project fee of $6,000, paid as an independent contractor. The fee is paid in two installments: 50% at contract signing via the first invoice, and the balance once the exhibition is installed and open. The fee is inclusive of your own local travel; mileage for pickups, installation, and related trips within the metro is not separately reimbursed. Invoices are paid within 30 days, and typically much sooner. The final payment schedule is confirmed in the contract.

Exhibition materials, including frames, mats, printing, and mounting hardware, are covered separately from your fee and do not come out of it. CommonBond will provide a materials advance for incidental purchases and pays vendors directly for larger items, so you are not left fronting significant costs. Itemized receipts are required. Details are confirmed in the contract.

This role requires general liability insurance of $500,000 per occurrence / $1,000,000 aggregate. CommonBond can help you arrange coverage and reimburse the costs it if you do not already carry a policy.

To apply

Please send a resume or CV and a brief note about why this project interests you to colin.kloecker@commonbond.org. If you have produced, installed, or designed exhibitions before, we would welcome images, a portfolio, or a link to past work. Writing samples are not required, though you are welcome to include one.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, with priority given to those received by Friday, June 26, 2026. The posting remains open until the role is filled, so early submissions are encouraged.

About CommonBond Communities

CommonBond Communities is a nonprofit that develops and owns affordable housing communities paired with on-site services that help residents thrive. Arts & Aging is one of those services: free, professional arts education offered to older adults right where they live.

CommonBond Communities is an equal opportunity employer, committed to building a team and communities that reflect the diversity of the residents we serve. We strongly encourage applicants of all backgrounds to apply.