Open Call

Launched as part of The Shed’s inaugural-year program, Open Call is a large-scale commissioning program for early-career, NYC-based artists. Representing disciplines from music performance, poetry, and puppetry to painting, sculpture, and video, Open Call exemplifies what The Shed does best in championing dynamic, innovative art of all kinds. For its fourth edition, 17 exceptional artist proposals (out of 1,000 total submissions) were chosen by 72 interdisciplinary professionals, all leaders in their fields, including other artists and members of The Shed’s staff. The work by these emerging artists, all living or working within the five boroughs, will engage and inspire audiences with powerful reflections on the urgent issues of our time through the intersection of personal identity and historical narratives. Five performing artists/collectives will present in summer 2026. Admission is free to all Open Call events. Open Call events run from June 26 to July 25, 2026. The start of each performance varies and is listed on The Shed's Website.