Deadline: Monday, November 10, 2025, at 23:59 PST

World Forestry Center seeks artists, foresters, researchers, architects, designers, engineers, and visionary thinkers to submit existing innovative forest-based research and solutions for our upcoming museum exhibition: Forest Hope Through Innovation opening February 2026.

In this era of profound climate uncertainty, World Forestry Center is leveraging creativity, aesthetics and art to spotlight forest-based climate solutions as an optimistic path forward. This interdisciplinary exhibition highlights the aesthetics of innovative forest-based research via emerging technology, design, engineering, and imaginative science-art collaborations. It is designed to spark climate hope and inspire community-based solutions that support the sustainability of future forests.

By displaying research happening behind the scenes in incubator-type spaces, the exhibition becomes both a gallery and living laboratory; transforming museum visitors from passive observers into curious, playful, and critical participants in imagining solutions for a sustainable forest future.

Forest Hope Through Innovation demonstrates how creativity drives forest research and solutions. By cultivating a space for inquiry, collaboration, and imagination, World Forestry Center showcases the potential of interdisciplinary innovation while inspiring communities to respond meaningfully to the climate crisis. This is not just art or science—it’s what becomes possible when the two intersect.

Types of Projects Sought

We’re looking for innovative interdisciplinary ideas, projects, research, products and art works that blend scientific inquiry with creative and reflective practices. Works can range from research studies, new technology, experimental forest management practices, visual art and community science projects to products developed in material science labs, sound ecology studies or art-science collaborative fieldwork. The gallery can accommodate a range of media, materials and mounting styles; hanging on walls and ceiling, display cases, and otherwise.

Example Themes (not limited to)

• Forest Restoration and Conservation
• Indigenous Knowledge and Stewardship
• Wildfire, climate, forest health
• Forest-Based Bioeconomy (alternative fuels, materials, products)
• Collaborative Environmental Governance
• Urban Forest Solutions
• Carbon Sequestering
• Forest Research Studies

We value ideas that open the door to complex dialogue, diverse perspectives, and ongoing exploration. Projects that include participant interactive elements, humor, provocation, speculation—anything that generates conversation about the current and future state of our forests—are especially welcome. We’re looking for anything that sparks curiosity first and encourages new perspectives to emerge over time.

*** If you have an idea or research that aligns with this open call, but don’t know how to display it in a museum gallery, our curatorial museum team wants to work with you to generate ideas.

APPLICATION GUIDELINES

Deadline: Monday, November 10, 2025, at 23:59 PST

Through an open call structure for participation, World Forestry Center is intentionally carving out a framework to not just include established creators and researchers but also emerging or less known talent. With an advisory group of esteemed professionals, we will have multiple perspectives reviewing the applications.

SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Email the following to: Stephanie Stewart Bailey, sbailey@worldforestry.org

1. Subject Line: Application – Forest Hope & Innovation
2. Email Attachments: (can be consolidated PDF or separate files)
   1. Proposal
   2. Concept Description (2-page max)
      1. Describe your innovation/art/research/work.
      2. Describe what objects or multimedia could represent your project and be displayed inside the gallery.
   3. Project Summary (200-words max)
      1. What is your brief elevator pitch? Describe your work to a public lay audience.
   4. Work Samples (10 examples max)
      1. Share actual images/multimedia representing your innovation/art/research/work (photos, weblinks, video, sound, etc.).
   5. Biography Summary (200 words max)
      1. Biography
      2. Contact information and if available, websites and/or social media handles.
         

ABOUT WORLD FORESTRY CENTER & ART GALLERY

Located at the heart of our forest-focused museum on a 5.5-acre campus in Portland, Oregon, World Forestry Center’s Discovery Museum houses a 1,000-square-foot gallery – a vibrant space where art, community, and forest science intersect. Dedicated to exploring the many dimensions of our relationship with forests, the gallery fosters bold inquiry, cross-disciplinary dialogue, and unexpected collaboration—elevating diverse voices and visionary ideas that imagine new futures for our global forests.

Learn more about our past art exhibitions at https://worldforestry.org/past-exhibitions

SUPPORT

Projects selected through our open call will be funded up to $1,000 USD. This budget includes a stipend, licensing and incidentals. If we invite you to host a public program in addition to the exhibition, we will discuss further support. If you need additional material support funds, please describe details and reasonings in your application.

Additionally, World Forestry Center covers shipping costs to and from the museum, printing labels, lighting, basic podiums, hanging materials and physical installation. We will not permanently acquire any of your materials through the open call or exhibition. If objects or multimedia are loaned, we will return them to you at the end of the exhibition term.

WHO CAN APPLY

We welcome applications from anyone with meaningful insights into the themes of this exhibition, especially those taking an interdisciplinary approach. You may apply individually or as part of a group. There are no restrictions based on age, education level, research background, discipline, cultural group, or identity—we value diverse perspectives shaped by different lived experiences. Ideally, the exhibition will feature contributions from universities, incubators, laboratories as well as independent artists, scientists, land stewards, and interdisciplinary thinkers exploring forest health. Students, Indigenous people and anyone who identify as underrepresented are encouraged to apply. We support emerging thinkers, creators and researchers who communicate knowledgeable forest science.

QUESTIONS? CONTACT: 

Stephanie Stewart Bailey, Experience Developer, World Forestry Center
Sbailey@worldforestry.org

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