Rough Gems 2025 Curatorial Program

Co-curators Nadiya Jackson and Florence Blackwell were familiar with Union Hall's mission before submitting a proposal to the Rough Gems curatorial program for their exhibition 'The Ultimate Boon’. Nadiya mentioned that they are “really grateful for Union Hall and the intentionality they put into the shows they curate and the guest curators and artists they have featured in their space. I recall the first two shows I attended at Union Hall featured Queer people of color, and it felt so aligned that our show be included in their roster of Union Hall’s exhibits.”

Rough Gems is an annual program developed by Union Hall to support creatives in cultivating strong leadership and curatorial skills and gaining first-hand experience organizing an exhibition from start to finish. We at Union Hall believe anyone with curiosity in the arts can organize an exhibition. A curator can be a student, an artist, or anyone with the seed of an idea, which pulls together artists and artwork that is meaningful to them. 

Stemming from the latin word “curar,” meaning “to take care of,” a curator aims to take care of the artists in an exhibition and help elevate their artwork, while advocating on their behalf. Not all curators who complete the program will go on to become full-time curators, but navigating the collaborative group experience and commitments of exhibition-making leaves the participants with skills and knowledge in art handling, contracts, budgets, and leadership that will propel them forward in their creative careers. 

Union Hall's Rough Gems Curatorial Program has been written about in Denverite Magazine, the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver's Blog, 303 Magazine, and Southwest Contemporary.

We are committed to increasing stipends year-over-year for curators who are a part of the program and expanding the resources available to them. Help us transform the lives of creatives by supporting Rough Gems!