Submissions and Proposals

Are you interested in booking a show or submitting a proposal for a project, exhibition, or workshop at The Bridge? The best thing to do is to speak directly to our Managing Director, Greg Kelly. We’re a relatively small organization and we like to keep things on a straightforward, personal level whenever possible. However, you may want to first read the guidelines below to get a sense of what our requirements and limitations are, and to get a sense of what type of events are appropriate for The Bridge.

Gallery Exhibitions

The Bridge is not your standard “white box” gallery — our space hosts a myriad of events and programs through out the year. It is common for groups and individuals to overlap in some form or fashion. Gallery exhibitions, live performances and film screenings are just a few of the programs which we host. There are exposed wires and pipes in some corners of the space, concrete floors and raw timber ceilings. Feel free to download a pdf of the Floor Plan to see if the space is right for your needs or stop by and take a look in person.

Exhibitions are installed the week prior to opening. Artist/s are expected to install their work w. assitance from our staff and volunteers. The Bridge will do it’s best to provide material and technical support to accommodate specific needs. If necessary, we can also assist in transporting work to the gallery. The artist will be responsible for retrieving works after the show comes down.

Sales of work are optional. The Bridge receives a 25% commission on sales of artwork or related materials for the duration of the exhibition. If you require special arrangements that are different than this, you must talk to us in advance of your show.

Artists must provide a brief descriptive and hi-resolution images of their work for purposes of promotion. The Bridge will post the exhibit on our website, distribute a formal Press Release and announcements to our Mailing List prior to the exhibition. The Bridge will provide a print ready version of our logo; we ask that this be included include on any additional promotional materials.

Interested parties should e-mail our Managing Director Greg Kelly, at greg@thebridgepai.com.

Film Screenings

Our Film Series is organized by a small group of volunteer curators and we often invite local artists or academics to host a screening. We also welcome suggestions from the larger community about ideas for specific screenings; our focus is primarily on films that are experimental, underground, independent, local or international. We screen both feature-length works and shorter films and videos.

We are especially interested in films that would not otherwise screen in the Charlottesville area; we tend to avoid showing work which would overlap with screenings at places like OffScreen, Cinematheque, and the Virginia Film Society. However, we have collaborated with some of the above organizations, and we welcome the opportunity for cross-promotion and cultural exchange with other groups.

It is our policy at The Bridge that we do not screen any films illegally; we rent Films from distributors, pay screening fees to rights-holders, and/or obtain the permission of the film-maker(s) for everything we screen, unless the film falls within the public domain. We regularly rent short films and videos from Canyon Cinema, The Film-Maker’s Cooperative, Women Make Movies, the Video Data Bank, and Electronic Arts Intermix, as well as securing screening rights for longer works from a variety of independant distributors.

If you are a local or touring filmmaker who is interested in showing your own work at The Bridge, it would be helpful to provide either a preview copy for our staff to review, or if this is not possible, links to online resources or reviews where we can find out more about your work.

The Bridge is capable of screening in the following formats: 16mm film, DVD, and VHS. For different formats like Super 8, DVCAM or BetaSP, arrangements can be made. We cannot screen 35mm films.

If you are interested in organizing a screening at The Bridge, please contact James Ford, the series’ Director.

Live Music

The Bridge PAI is NOT a traditional music venue. The Bridge is an non-profit art space where music performances share the bill with art exhibits, film screenings, and numerous other events and activities year round. The Bridge is an intimate venue. We do NOT offer guarantees to bands. We provide an opportunity for musical acts to share their work with a receptive audience in a comfortable space. If you are musician or promoter who is interested in scheduling a concert at The Bridge, please contact our Music Coordinator Adam Smith.

The Bridge will provide volunteer support and will work to accommodate sound equipment. We will also provide promotion via our mailing list and website, and a press release to local media; the promoter will primarily be responsible for any other promotion. Most shows at The Bridge are $5 suggested donation; we ask for a 30% cut of the door. Musicians may sell any merchandise and keep 100% of the profits. Outside promoters will be asked to sign a terms of liability agreement and be accountable for related responsibilities (space clean-up, etc. ) All events in the Bridge space must end before midnight, and there is no alcohol allowed.

Other Performances

The Bridge also hosts a variety of other events, ranging from offstage theatre troupes and modern dance to artist talks and poetry readings. Many of the criteria listed above apply to these events as well; we will assist your efforts to promote the event, and may ask for a cut of the door depending on the circumstances. Please bear in mind that our space is mixed-use, and that these performances may be taking place in the middle of a gallery during a month-long art installation, rather than on a traditional stage or lecture hall. Interested parties should contact Managing Director Greg Kelly.

Workshops and Special Events

We regularly open our space for community workshops, on topics ranging from photography and circuit-bending, to recovering from sexual abuse. We have hosted several intensive workshops for students, as well as one-day events which are open to the general community. We also occasionally organize larger, weekend-long projects, with events taking place around town, roughly once a year. The details for these types of workshops and projects, such as the scale of the event or the degree of the Bridge staff’s involvement, may vary widely depending on the circumstances; it’s best just to contact us directly with your proposal.