Emerging from Rupture: Chinese Adoptee Voices

Pao Arts Center is looking for Chinese adoptee artists whose practice engages with adoptee identity as a central theme. This exhibit centers the voices of Chinese adoptee artists, illuminating the lived experiences and creative expressions that emerge as they negotiate, reimagine, and reclaim their complex identities.

This call for artists is organized around the Adoptee Consciousness Model—an academic framework that traces the nonlinear, ever-evolving path of adoptee identity. The model features five “touchstones” or defining moments which “propel the adoptee to a different aspect of consciousness, rather than a linear set of stages with a ‘final’ or desired outcome.” The touchstones are: status quo, rupture, dissonance, expansiveness, and agency. During the submission process, Pao Arts Center asks artists to reflect on their work in relation to the Consciousness Model.

This exhibit will be curated by Maia Erslev (they/them), a Chinese adoptee and the Visual Arts Manager at Pao Arts Center. If you have any questions or would like to arrange a virtual meeting, don’t hesitate to reach out to Maia Erslev. It will be on view from November 12, 2026 to January 15, 2027.

Requirements

Pao Arts Center welcomes submissions from Chinese adoptees of all backgrounds and mediums and will consider both existing and new work. This is one of the first exhibits to center Chinese adoptee voices, and they hope to use this unique opportunity to foster meaningful connections between selected artists and a broader community of AAPI artists through Pao Arts Center’s extensive network. Artists who are actively seeking connection with other adoptee artists are strongly encouraged to apply.

Please note that Pao Arts Center does not currently offer a travel stipend. Artists are responsible for arranging and covering the cost of transportation of their artwork to and from Pao Arts Center.

Two required cohort gatherings will be held in Boston, with virtual options available.

Selected artists are required to attend the opening reception in person on Thursday, November 12, 2026.

The call for submissions is open May 18–August 9. Submissions will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Application Instructions

Submit an application via this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScCs3pdYe34xW-oW-5KRNki0-Pdf0ktayO5-nx7IVocbLHC8w/viewform