ShowUp Announces Roll Call
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 15, 2026, Boston – ShowUp is pleased to announce its upcoming initiative, Roll Call: A Show of Shows on view from June 25 - August 30, 2026. During this wide-ranging summer anthology exhibition, the gallery will host over a dozen pop-up shows, in four unique combinations.
The first collection includes the group show Domestication Syndrome, curated by Amalya Megerman examines different ways people and animals are exploited. It features work by Heather Baumbach, Tyson Gentry, Amalya Megerman, Ashley Rabanal, Jessica Swank, Annabel Turrado, and Rochelle Voyles. Concurrently, in Home Studio, photographer Quincey Spagnoletti explores themes of nostalgia and space. Kaumero, an exhibition by designer Steven Kauvaka, showcases fashion through a variety of shapes, silhouettes and textures. Round 1 runs June 25 - July 12, with an opening reception on Thursday, June 25th from 5-8pm.
The second installment of Roll Call features curators Enzo Nguyen and Marisa McCarthy’s Were You Always There? exploration of liminal space as places of belonging with artwork by McCarthy, Charlie Dov Schön, Ashley Jin, Angela Wei, and Gina Yu. In parallel, Ileana Doble Hernandez’s Animal Nature documents life with pets as everyone adjusts after an immigration journey. Adric Giles’ experimental MONDO FIASCO combines durational music performance, painting, sculpture, and video projection. Round 2 runs July 16 - July 26, with an opening reception Thursday, July 16th from 5-8pm, and will feature performances by Giles.
The third edition of 2026’s Roll Call is all solo exhibitions. Destiny Palmer’s Where a Name Should Be features her signature, colorful, large-scale installations. In Speculative Monuments, Dina Gjertsen offers scaled down reimaginings of American institutions and monuments. SINKHOLE! explores Joseph Smolin’s experience of losing his home to Hurricane Helene. Photographer Sonya Tanae Fort explores the relationships, moments, and cultural influences that shape who we become in The Ties That Bind Us. Round 3 runs July 30 - August 9, with an opening reception Thursday, July 30th from 5-8pm.
Roll Call 2026 finishes strong with both group and solo exhibitions in a variety of media. Artwork by Ayana Mack, Naijah Nine and Michael Talbot explore the connection between flowers and emotional states in Beyond the Surface. The Miracle of Coherence showcases photography grappling with the relational and existential by Brynne Quinlan, John Savoia and Cassidy Thurber. Nick Ward’s exhibition Dandelions presents paintings featuring the delightful bloom, pesky weed, or possibly dinner, to bring new perspectives to questions of power, control, and traditional family values. Round 4 runs August 13 - August 30, with the final opening reception Thursday, August 13th from 5-8pm.
“This ambitious series of exhibitions is one we are so excited about. ShowUp is dedicated to providing opportunities to local artists to experiment and to connect with both audiences and each other. This exhibition model was one we specifically chose in order to give more artists the opportunity to exhibit and to engage with each other” says Christine O’Donnell, Executive Director of ShowUp. “We are so excited to see these exhibitions come together. With over 50 submissions for just a dozen spots, there’s clearly an appetite for more similar opportunities, and we hope that this proof of concept will help to inspire others to follow our lead, or others to join us in supporting this high-impact exhibition model.”
ShowUp is open Thursdays - Saturdays 12-5 and Sundays 11-4.
About ShowUp
ShowUp is a Boston-based contemporary art gallery and education space focused on featuring underrepresented visions and voices. Focused on sustainability practices, ethics, and the power of representation, ShowUp works to nurture the careers of high-potential, talented curators and artists through thoughtful support, an innovative environment, and unique opportunities.
Its mission is to
CONNECT artists to local communities and beyond
AMPLIFY artists and their voices
PROVIDE artists tools for self-sufficiency
EMPOWER artists and curators to experiment, learn, and have meaningful exchanges
Learn more on ShowUp’s website and Instagram.
# # #
