Student Spaces for Art and Collaboration
The Student Spaces for Art and Collaboration encompass Columbia College Chicago's student centers dedicated to student professional practice and creativity. An extension of the studios and classrooms, the department fosters vibrant environments for students to interact, exchange ideas and view and showcase bodies of work within the larger urban community. The spaces provide students from every discipline myriad opportunities to gain essential, hands-on experience, stimulating artistic expression and professional development through collaboration.
Please REVIEW each category thoroughly to make sure you are submitting your proposal to the correct opportunity.
Hokin Gallery
Show your work!
Any questions you have can be directed to Senior Exhibitions Coordinator Mark Porter (mporter@colum.edu) or 312-369-6643
ShopColumbia
Sell Your Work!
ShopColumbia at Averill and Bernard Leviton Gallery serves the Columbia College Chicago community by fostering the representation and sale of professional work and talent from multiple creative fields. As an extension of the classroom, the Shop supports students by providing a professional environment to hone the process of presenting, marketing, and selling work to the public. Through community partnerships, ancillary programming and representation of alumni, faculty and staff, ShopColumbia bridges professional practice with the student learning experience.
Final decisions for consignment will be made by ShopColumbia's review board. The Board is looking for originality, quality craftsmanship and cohesiveness. Students earn 75% of every sale. Alumni, faculty and staff earn 50%. You can submit to ShopColumbia’s General Consignment during one of our three submission periods or to any of our Spotlight Exhibitions + Calls for Work posted throughout the year!
Fall Consignment: September 1 – December 31
- Open Submission + Artist Meetings with Shop Staff: August 23, 2026 – September 23, 2026
- Feedback from Review Board by the first week of October.
Spring Consignment: January 1 – August 31
- Open Submission + Artist Meetings with Shop Staff: December 13, 2026 – January 31, 2027
- Feedback from Review Board by the second week of February.
Spring /Summer Consignment: January 1 – August 31
- Open Submission + Artist Meetings with Shop Staff: May 1 - 30, 2027
- Feedback from Review Board by the first week of June.
Annual Spotlight Exhibitions + Calls for Work
- Dark Market
- Winter Holiday Market
- MINI MINI: A Showcase of Miniature Works
- Manifest Grad Showcases
For all calls and submissions, ShopColumbia restricts the sale of the following products as deemed by the Review Board:
- Due to safety concerns and legal requirements for candle makers and candle sellers, ShopColumbia is no longer accepting submissions of candles.
- Food items or perishable products
- Products with text or images that infringe on any intellectual property rights including, but not limited to copyrights, trademarks, and rights of privacy/publicity
- Businesses with multi-tiered sales structures
- Items that are unsafe or contain hazardous materials
- Products with content that is libelous or defamatory; contain or promote hate speech; can reasonably be viewed as harassing, threatening, or otherwise harmful; and can reasonably be viewed as discriminatory based upon race, ethnicity, national origin, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity or disability
- Products that violates any federal, state, county or municipal law, ordinance or regulation, violates any college policy, regulation or rule as outlined in the Student Handbook and Columbia's Student Code of Conduct
- Per Academic Affairs and the Office of the Provost: Columbia College Chicago Faculty are unable to sell self-published materials
- Due to the regulations that govern student employment for international students on a student visa, we are unable to accept items for sale from F-1 and J-1 students unless they are on approved pre or post-completion Optional Practical Training (OPT). Please contact isss@colum.edu if you need further clarification on the regulations that govern international student employment.Please direct any questions to shop@colum.edu or (312) 369-8616
Makerspace
Join a community of makers!
Please direct any questions regarding Makerspace opportunities to: makerspace@colum.edu.
Hokin Gallery Invites you to submit a proposal for a group exhibition!
We seek exhibition proposals that feature works created by at least 9 Columbia College Chicago students from any academic area. Your proposal should clearly communicate the overall theme of the exhibit, the student participants and what they would like to exhibit. The proposal may contain documentation of works in progress. We encourage you to include related programming as part of your exhibit such as a workshop or exhibit tour. Proposals that contain programming ideas will be prioritized. Recent graduates (2026) are eligible, however the majority of the participants must be actively enrolled.
You may reach out to Senior Art Program Coordinator, Mark Porter with any questions on how to develop your proposal- mporter@colum.edu
Important dates:
Exhibit dates: March 31-April 28, 2027
Opening reception: Thursday, April 1, 4-6pm
Install: March 23-30
De-install: April 29
Proposal Requirements-
Your proposal MUST CONTAIN ALL OF THE FOLLOWING 8 items, assemble all items into a single PDF and upload to the window below:
1.Exhibit concept, a 150-500 word description of your exhibit idea
2.Contact name and email of main organizer
3.Names of individuals participating include their major and graduation year (minimum 9 people)
4.A diagram of the exhibit layout (we need to know that you have plans to fill the entire exhibit space) You may use the gallery floorpan below. Please note you can adjust the layout later if needed
Hokin Gallery Floorplan- (please Copy+Paste this link in your browser:
https://students.colum.edu/ssac/hokin-gallery-floorplan.pdf
5.Works to be exhibited (may be works in progress), the more detailed, the better! Please include information about works by each participant, Photo documentation of the works is required.
6. Related event. In addition to Hokin Gallery, SSAC Manages Makerspace, Shop Columbia and event spaces. Priority will be given to an exhibit proposal that includes related programming that utilizes other SSAC spaces. For example, an exhibit that incorporates a workshop held in Makerspace, related artworks for sale in ShopColumbia or a performance held in an event space such as Haus.
Here is an example of a program that was included in an approved proposal:
"Adventures with Monoprint: Alternative Uses of Lamination in Printmaking
Wednesday, February 7th, 5:30-7:30 p.m., Makerspace, 754 S. Wabash Ave,
2nd Floor. Join artist and printmaker XXXXXXXX to explore alternative methods
of printmaking with laminated textures and objects. In this two hour workshop,
you will learn to laminate textural objects and make basic monoprint designs
(a la texture rubbings). Attendees will leave with a successful monoprint and
the laminated “block” that can be used to reproduce. Armed with the basics of
laminating and relief printing introduces new, alternative ways to incorporate
printmaking at home. Please bring your own objects, ephemera, and textures to
work with!"
If you need to upload video, audio or large files separately, you may do so below
As mentioned above, Feel free to contact Senior Art Program Coordinator Mark Porter if you are seeking advice on what to exhibit or how to assemble your proposal.
Sell with ShopColumbia this holiday season!
ShopColumbia is accepting submissions of the best Columbia created designs and products for the winter holidays for ShopColumbia's 18th Annual Holiday Market, December 1 - 18, 2026!
ShopColumbia is seeking the following, but not limited to: framed and unframed photography, prints, and paintings; mixed media sculpture, housewares, ceramics, fashion apparel and accessories; jewelry, enamel pins, patches, postcards, greeting cards, notebooks, blank books, artist books, zines, comics, novels, CDs, and holiday merchandise.
Eligibility: All currently enrolled Columbia College students, alumni, staff or faculty will be considered. Students earn 75% of sales and alumni, staff and faculty earn 50%.
Submission Deadline: November 4, 2026
Inventory Deadline: November 12, 2026
Final Inventory Deadline: November 19, 2026
Additional Details:
- Artists should have adequate inventory for the duration of a month-long market. Artist are able to and encouraged to replenish stock throughout the market.
- Artists are encouraged to brand products or include business cards with products.
ShopColumbia is inviting Columbia College Chicago Academic Departments, Student Affairs, and Campus Events to partner with the store for their fundraising efforts. ShopColumbia will facilitate all sales in store and on our webstore.
Prior to submitting, please read the ShopColumbia Partnership Proposal Guide.
ShopColumbia is inviting Columbia College Chicago student organizations to partner with the store for their fundraising efforts. ShopColumbia will facilitate all sales in store and on our web store.
Prior to submitting, please read the ShopColumbia + SOC Fundraising Guide
Please note: ShopColumbia is fully booked for Spring 2026. We are currently accepting proposals for the Fall 2026 semester. Events should be submitted 3-6 months in advance in order to establish procedures with partners and to allocate campus resources.
Student Spaces for Art and Collaboration (SSAC) is seeking to honor our campus Veterans. If you are either a Veteran, Active Duty Military, Reserve or National Guard; we encourage you to submit your work!
Deadline to submit: November 3, 2026.
Selected artists will have their work displayed or presented at as special event at the Student Center on November 11, 2026.
- Open to students, alumni, faculty and staff veterans.
- All work should be original works.
- Submissions may include but not limited to: visual arts (photography, illustration or fine art), video-based or written works of poetry, fiction or non-fiction.