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Cursed Objects Juried Exhibition
Type: Exhibition Opportunities [View all]
Posted by: Department of Art, Art History and Design at Michigan State University
Deadline: Tue, July 21st, 2026
National Juried Call for Cursed Objects Exhibition
The Department of Art, Art History, and Design at Michigan State University is seeking contemporary artworks for Cursed Objects addressing the concept of cursed persons, places, or things. This call is open to national artists in all mediums and styles. The juried exhibition will take place at (SCENE) Metrospace in downtown East Lansing, Michigan, from Friday, August 28, 2026 to Sunday, October 18, 2026. Deadline for submissions: Tuesday, July 21, 11:59pm. Each applicant may submit up to 3 artworks for consideration.
All artwork submitted must be installation ready.
***Label all files in the following format prior to uploading: last name_first name_artwork title_dimensions
***Videos need to be uploaded as MP4 format
The $25 application fee must be paid for submission to be considered. Payment can be made here: commerce.cashnet.com/storefront/msu_3799
About the Theme:
In the 1980s, there was a series of house fires where the only object remaining was a copy of the mass-produced painting The Crying Boy, leading people to believe the painting was cursed.
The greater Lansing area has its own history of curses; the blood from a man’s death poisoned the water supply in 1879. Over the next 100 years, a series of destructive fires would reduce significant portions of the town to rubble, prompting whispers of curses among residents.
People are intimately connected to the places they live and the objects that make up those places. When tragedy repeatedly strikes, curses become a device for remembering those stories.
We are looking for contemporary works that address what it means for something to be cursed in 2026. Some potential themes to consider are:
· What does it mean for something to be cursed in 2026?
· The ways curses/cursed objects affect us (mentally, physically, metaphysically, …)
· Are curses/cursed objects drawn to certain individuals, groups, places, etc.? Are they transferable or targetable?
· The role of science, the internet, social media, AI, etc., on the ability to debunk or perpetuate the effects of curses.
· What is the relationship between curses and the “aura” of an art object?
· How to detect curses/cursed objects in 2026.
· How to get rid of/cure/debunk curse objects in 2026.
· When do cursed objects shift into good luck charms?
· Can we wield curses to protect the sacred and vulnerable?
· Other interpretations of curses/cursed objects are welcomed and encouraged!
____________________________________________________________________________
Emily. 2019. “The Curse of the Crying Boy.” Medium. November 12, 2019.
Carpenter, Jenn. 2015. Haunted Lansing. Arcadia Publishing.
Ocker, J W. 2020. Cursed Objects: Strange but True Stories of the World’s Most Infamous Items. Philadelphia: Quirk Books.
About the Juror: Hailey Becker is an intermedia artist and researcher interested in how materials, natural resource management, and social science inform built environments. Currently, her work explores the relationship between infrastructure and ecological grief. To learn more visit:haileybecker.com
Exhibition Timeline:
Deadline to Submit: Tuesday, July 21, 2026 at 11:59pm
Notification to Artists: Thursday, July 30, 2026
Accepted work drop-off: Shipped work by Friday, August 21; in-person drop-off August 20-August 22 from 12-5pm
*Shipped works must include return shipping in the packaging*
Show Dates: August 28, 2026 - October 18, 2026
Reception: Friday, October 16, 2026 from 5-7pm
Artwork Pickup: In Person Pickup: November 1-2 from 12-5pm
About the Location:
(SCENE) Metrospace was founded by the City of East Lansing in 2004 and continues to be operated by the Department of Art, Art History, and Design at Michigan State University. Located in downtown East Lansing, it was founded as a response to the “Cool Cities” initiative set forth by former Governor Granholm. (SCENE) Metrospace has maintained a diverse range of visual art exhibitions, musical performances, and other forms of expression since its opening. In 2015 the City of East Lansing and Michigan State University joined forces to program and operate the space. (SCENE) Metrospace hosts 6-week themed exhibitions featuring work by contemporary artists.
(SCENE) Metrospace at 110 Charles Street in East Lansing, Michigan 48823, is free and open to the public, with the exception of some special programming. The gallery is handicap accessible and offers 1,500 square feet of raw exhibition space in a contemporary urban setting.
Questions? Email Laurén Gerig, Director of Galleries and Outreach, at gerigla@msu.edu
Posted on Fri, June 12th, 2026
Expires on Tue, July 21st, 2026
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