2026 {Re}HAPPENING Call for Proposals

Proposals Due January 21st, 2026

Swannatopia’s Experimental Art Club – Fountain of You. Photograph by Michael Oppenheim.

Images (Left to Right): If these trees could talk (Artists: Forest Gamble, Liz Williams, Leslie Rosenberg, Joe Gamble, Aliya Miranda, Sophie Caswell and students from UNCA’s FYS 178 and NM 350 classes). | Tech Play (Artists: Heather Coker Hawkins + Dr. Maurice Moore). Photo © Jesse Kitt. | Troubled Water 2.0: Hell’n High Water (Artists: Caro + Chri). Photo © Eric Baden.⁠ | Superflower (Zoie Reamer). Photo © Jesse Kitt.⁠

Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center announces an opportunity for artists to participate in the 2026 {Re}HAPPENING on Saturday, April 25th at Camp Rockmont in Black Mountain, NC, the former Lake Eden campus of Black Mountain College.

We invite artists to propose projects that reflect the innovative spirit of Black Mountain College. Artists are encouraged to take risks and demonstrate elements of process, experimentation, and collaboration. Projects can be durational or scheduled and can be sited indoors or outdoors.

HOW TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL:

ARTISTS OF ALL DISCIPLINES are encouraged to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI). The LOI should be a brief one-page outline that describes the project, including participating artists, and articulates how the project connects to the Black Mountain College legacy. Please format your LOI as a PDF, Word Document, or Google Document.

 

Successful LOIs will:

+ Convey the visual and/or multi-sensory impact of the work

+ Utilize installation components to immerse visitors

+ Articulate conceptual resonances with the legacy of BMC

+ Incorporate visual or auditory work samples

+ Take into consideration our “leave-no-trace” installation policy

 

To submit your LOI, please fill out the {Re}HAPPENING Project Proposal Form. The form will ask for logistical information about your project and your contact information. You will also be asked to attach your LOI along with any visual or audio documentation you wish to provide. Please note that you will be prompted to sign into a Google account using your email address. This enables us to automatically send you a copy of your responses after submission. The submission deadline is January 21st, 2026.

Notification will be sent by February 12th, 2026. Questions? Email us at info [@] blackmountaincollege.org.

To see previous examples of projects, visit blackmountaincollege.org/rehappening

SUBMIT HERE
DOWNLOAD CALL FOR PROPOSALS PDF
About {Re}HAPPENING
Since 2010, BMCM+AC has hosted the {Re}HAPPENING inspired by John Cage and David Tudor’s 1952 Theatre Piece No. 1, an unscripted performance considered by many to be the first Happening in North America.
 
The {Re}HAPPENING is a day long event (3pm – 10pm) at the historic campus of Black Mountain College, known as Lake Eden – 20 minutes from Asheville. It is part art event, part fundraiser and part community instigator serving as a platform for contemporary artists to share their response to the vital legacy of Black Mountain College by returning to its original site in the present day.
 
General admission brings in hundreds of visitors annually. In addition to providing a forum for regional artists and an accessible, immersive, educational experience for attendees, every year the event is a community collaboration between local businesses and arts organizations. The 2026 {Re}HAPPENING on Saturday, April 25th will be open to the public from 3pm until 10pm.
 
About Black Mountain College
Founded in 1933, Black Mountain College was one of the leading experimental liberal art schools in America until its closure in 1957. After the Bauhaus in Germany closed due to mounting antagonism from the Nazi Party, Josef and Anni Albers readily accepted an offer to join the Black Mountain College faculty. During their 16-year tenure in North Carolina, the Alberses helped model the college’s interdisciplinary curriculum on that of the Bauhaus, attracting an unmatched roster of teachers and students including Buckminster Fuller, Elaine and Willem de Kooning, M.C. Richards, Franz Kline, John Cage, Merce Cunningham, Ruth Asawa, Ray Johnson, Robert Rauschenberg and many more.
 
About Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center
Black Mountain College Museum + Arts Center (BMCM+AC) was founded in 1993 to celebrate the history of Black Mountain College as a forerunner in progressive interdisciplinary education and its impact on modern and contemporary art, dance, theater, music, and performance.
 
The Museum is committed to educating the public about the history of Black Mountain College and promoting awareness of its extensive legacy through exhibitions, publications, lectures, films, seminars, and oral histories. Through our permanent collection, special exhibitions, publications, and research archive, we provide access to historical materials related to the College and its influence on the field.
 
BMCM+AC provides a forum for multifaceted programming in a dynamic environment in downtown Asheville, North Carolina at 120 College Street. Our goal is to provide a gathering point for people from a variety of backgrounds to interact – integrating art, ideas, and discourse.
 
Learn more about {Re}HAPPENING
APPLICATION FAQ
 
How long should my LOI be? What should I include in my LOI?
Your LOI should be no more than one page. You should include a detailed description of your proposed project. This description should clearly convey the visual and/or multi-sensory impact of the work, helping our selection committee to envision your project. It should also articulate conceptual resonances with the legacy of Black Mountain College. Finally, the LOI should also explain logistical details of the project and help us understand how you plan to install the work within the context of the historic BMC campus.
 
What kind of projects can I submit?
We are seeking proposals of experimental, multi-disciplinary, time-based projects (durational or scheduled). We are especially interested in projects with a strong visual installation component. In the past, projects have included multi-media installations, performances, experimental sound environments, embodied movement, elements of poetry and spoken word, interactive workshop components, projected film or video components, and more. We highly encourage you to visit the {Re}HAPPENING Archive webpage to see photos and videos of past successful projects.
 
Is there a project stipend?
BMCM+AC will offer a modest project stipend of $500 to each accepted project. Please note that these stipends are intended to help you execute your vision for the project, and thus are distributed by project, not by individual. In the past, artists have used this stipend to fund material expenses, travel, or lodging.
 
When is the {Re}HAPPENING? How long am I expected to be on-site? Where should stay while I am in town?
The 2026 {Re}HAPPENING will take place Saturday, April 25th, 2026, from 3pm to 10pm. Artists are typically present on-site the day before the event to install projects, as well as the day after the event to de-install. You will recieve a detailed timeline and further information about installation if your project is accepted. BMCM+AC does not offer lodging, so artists are responsible for arranging accommodations and transportation in the Black Mountain / Asheville area.
 
Can I submit multiple projects?
If you have multiple ideas for projects, we ask that you please limit yourself to one submission. Feel free to email us if you have questions about which project might be a better fit. If you are part of multiple distinct artist groups or performance ensembles, you are permitted to be a participant in multiple applications. We just ask that each individual limit themselves to serving as primary contact for only one project.
 
Can BMCM+AC provide me with equipment like a projector or PA system?
This is a low-tech event with a leave-no-trace installation policy. We ask that artists please plan to execute your project using equipment that you can source. BMCM+AC may be able to help source or provide equipment, but we are a small organization and cannot guarantee that we can satisfy equipment needs.
 
Is there power at the site?
Yes, there is electricity, but outlets are limited so we recommend bringing extension cords and a willingness to engage with the historic nature of the site.
 
I am familiar with the Lake Eden campus. Can I request a specific location for my project?
Yes, feel free to propose a specific location. We are not able to guarantee locations at the proposal stage, but we can try to accommodate your request. If you are not familiar with the Lake Eden campus, we will help you to identify a site for your project after the acceptance stage.