The Garage at Rocking S Art Ranch

Call for Proposals

The Space

The Garage is a 22 ft × 32 ft project and exhibition space at the Rocking S Art Ranch, an artist studio complex in Phoenix, Arizona. It is one of three buildings on the property and is accessed by an interior door and a roll-up garage door on the north end.

• Light: Natural light comes from a single skylight, plus the garage door when open. Fluorescent and track lighting are both installed.
• Walls: Two walls are sheetrock, one is the original tongue-and-groove wood, and the fourth is sheetrock and the garage door.
• Ceiling: 11 feet at its peak, with three crossbeams at 8 feet. The ceiling is covered in white insulation material.
• Floor: Sealed concrete.

The vibe is raw, freshly painted, and full of potential: a space for concepts that push to the next level and might not work anywhere else.

Access and Logistics

The Rocking S Art Ranch is on private property and is open to the public only during special events or by appointment. We have no staff to monitor the project space, but when a resident artist is present, the space can be open additional hours. An exhibiting artist may also arrange to gallery-sit, in which case they would have 24-hour access.

Artists are responsible for insuring their work while it is on view. We provide the space; you provide the rest, including installation, deinstallation, any necessary equipment, and signage and labels.

This is a new endeavor, and we expect to work out problems as they arise. Your flexibility is appreciated!

What We’re Looking For

We welcome proposals for performance, installation, sound, or exhibitions generated by an individual artist or a curator. Our goal is to provide an alternative space for artists of all disciplines who need to try out an idea and whose work may not fit a commercial mold. We hope to build a national conversation and especially encourage proposals from artists and curators outside Arizona.

Timeline: Our soft opening is November 6. For December, we are interested in short-term projects, with an official launch on January 1, 2027. Exhibitions typically run 4–6 weeks, while a performance may be a single weekend. Flexibility, experimentation, and creativity are the goals.

Funding: There is no fee to submit. Some proposals may be eligible to receive funding up to $500 for artist or material costs. We encourage you to seek independent funding and will support any applications you make.

How to Submit

Submissions are now open for 2027/2028 and will close December 15^th.

Email your proposal for an exhibition, installation, performance, or idea to rockingsartranch@gmail.com. Please include:

1. A description of your proposed project
2. An artist statement
3. CV
4. 10–20 images, video links, or excerpts of current work
5. Contact information for two references who can speak to your work and character
6. A suggested timeline for the project

Images and floor plan of the space will be posted here soon.

Mission

The Garage Project Space was founded to provide a raw, flexible room for the artist driven project that needs space to find out what it could be. We want this to be an exhibition space that people are excited to return to. We offer artists, performers, and curators of all disciplines, from Phoenix and beyond, a place to test, stretch, and share new work, and we offer our community a reason to keep coming back to see what’s next.

The Garage Project Space is proudly non-commercial and independently operating under the project umbrella of the Phoenix Institute of Contemporary Art, a private, not-for-profit 501(c)3 educational organization committed to arts advocacy and education through its programming.