Hello, friends—
During the second half of last week, I was in Minneapolis as part of a convening of Midwest media organizations that focus on stories around art and creativity. The ten-strong cohort is part of an inaugural grant program funded by Arts Midwest to facilitate projects that elevate arts stories. Along with one other art-specific publication, Sixty Inches From Center—a Chicago-based publication well worth checking out—I was there primarily representing Dovetail.
My colleagues in the cohort are all doing important work in their communities, from LGBTQ+ advocacy in Ohio to independent Native news in South Dakota. It got me thinking a lot about impact—the “why” for doing what we do.
In particular, when world news seems extra dire, I wonder what it matters to be writing about paintings or an exhibition somewhere when it often feels miles apart from pressing, profound issues around the world. My work would rarely be considered reporting, and probably never investigative. It’s hardly ever even really critical, as in art criticism (although I would like it to be more so). But if it’s typically descriptive, perhaps educational, is that enough?
A colleague and I were talking the other morning and she said, “So what?” She wasn’t shrugging it off but instead asking: Why should we care? At what point does a reader—or viewer—ask, why is this important to share?
This brought me to something that I circle back around to often, too: the world—its histories, cultures, belief systems, politics, and mysteries—is reflected through the work that artists make. Art is a lens, and the “so what” is often that it provides a launching pad or a meeting ground for disparate or alternative ideas.
During the gathering in Minneapolis, we talked a lot about solutions journalism, which focuses on responses to problems. Not having a journalism or media background, this was a novel concept to me. I thought, how can what I write be more impactful—even useful? Of course, one way to look at this is that artists themselves are literally making the responses. The job of the writer may be to help add context to the narrative and to advance related dialogues.
Not every story, artwork, or exhibition will fit these parameters, and that’s also OK. Sometimes art is an escape or an exploration, but the point is that art worth writing about is always doing something to make us reflect on what we know or consider alternative strategies. The key may be finding opportunities to dig deeper, especially in our age of one-liner memes and quick-fire social media headlines.
See you next week.
—Kate
P.S. I’m off to New York tomorrow for a seven-person show I’ve co-curated at CARVALHO PARK, Eutierria, which opens on Friday, May 17, if you happen to be in the area. More information on that below. And the next time you hear from me, I’ll be en route to Denver to install Desire Lines at David B. Smith Gallery. It’s a busy month! I’m excited to share more with you.
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What you’ll find below:
Featured artist: Saba Farhoudnia, with text by Hannah Yang
Featured show: Eutierria at CARVALHO PARK
Five exhibitions on view this week in Canning (N.S.), Columbus, London, and New York City
Fifteen opportunities for artists with deadlines coming up soon
Featured Artist: Saba Farhoudnia
This story has been made possible through the direct support of paid subscribers to this newsletter. Thank you!
Text by Hannah Yang
Amidst urban sprawl, where the tumult of modern life churns endlessly, Saba Farhoudnia’s latest series, Falling Petals, Standing Roses, emerges as a poignant exploration of resilience in the face of disruption. On display at Fou Gallery and curated with thoughtful precision by Lynn Hai, the exhibition captures the dual essence of decay and endurance, reflecting both the fragility and persistence of nature within an urban environment. The artist vividly portrays the tumult of uprooting and the subsequent quest for identity through the metaphor of falling petals and standing roses, symbolizing resilience amidst disruption.
Farhoudnia’s approach to the canvas is both fierce and delicate, intertwining environmental concerns with profound explorations of femininity. Through her artwork, she weaves themes of women's resilience and power, reflecting on the unique challenges and strengths found in women's experiences. “The falling petals represent the inevitable losses we face—personal, environmental, and societal. Yet, the standing roses represent hope, the enduring parts of our spirit that persist through hardships, much like the steadfast spirit of women,” Farhoudnia explains.
Continue reading on dovetailmag.com.
Falling Petals, Standing Roses continues through May 25 in New York City. See more on Farhoudnia’s website and Instagram.
Featured Show: Eutierria
It’s an honor to have been invited to co-curate a group exhibition with CARVALHO PARK for the gallery’s newly expanded space. Eutierria brings together textile and sculpture work by Taylor Kibby, Liam Lee (pictured), Cato Løland, Se Yoon Park, Brian Rattiner, Pauline Shaw, and Grace Woodcock, and coincides with a solo exhibition by Gillaume Linard Osorio.
Join us at CARVALHO PARK, 110-112 Waterbury Street, Brooklyn, for an opening reception on Friday, May 17 from 6-8pm. Eutierria continues through June 29.
Exhibitions
NEW YORK CITY | RUTTKOWSKI;68
Fabian Treiber: It’s Not Late, It’s Only Dark
I’ve known Fabian Treiber for at least eight years now, and his work was featured in some of the very first Young Space projects back in the day! So it’s lovely to see his first large-scale exhibition in the U.S. featuring several sprawling, spontaneous paintings of “strangely unstable” spaces merging interior scenes with the outdoors.
Runs through May 18
LONDON | SOUP
Anna Clegg: Stainless
“Anna Clegg’s paintings oscillate between quotidian observations of interiors to close-up portraits,” writes Ted Targett in the exhibition text. “Arranged at Soup like a circuitous train of thought, we witness sights from her kitchen and the interior of a gallery, as well as studies of musicians and album covers. But it’s in these arbitrary encounters where she traces a deeper meditation about how memories are valued…”
Runs through June 1
NEW YORK CITY | MONYA ROWE GALLERY
Rahn Marion: Medieval Jazz
Drawing on Southern American artistic traditions like folk art and the quilters of Gee’s Bend, Rahn Marion also looks deep into history for inspiration, from ancient Egypt to medieval art, in a practice focused on confronting oppression and upturning narratives about gender.
Runs through June 14
CANNING, NOVA SCOTIA | ROSS CREEK CENTRE FOR THE ARTS
Bree Hyland + Ian Funke-McKay: in the garden
This two-person show featuring the work of Bree Hyland and Ian Funke-McKay delves into the idea of gardens and the compelling relationship between artificiality and the natural; control and chaos.
Runs through June 16
COLUMBUS | COLUMBUS ART MUSEUM
Robin F. Williams: We’ve Been Expecting You
The first institutional exhibition of Brooklyn-based artist Robin F. Williams opens in the artist’s hometown of Columbus, Ohio, showcasing her cinematic, occasionally deadpan, often rather eerie figurative paintings.
Runs through August 18
Artist Opportunities
Young Space emphasizes fully-funded opportunities with low or no entry fees and programs that focus on creative and professional development for visual artists. Deadlines are coming up soon to apply for these grants, fellowships, residencies, and more.
Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park Residency
Deadline: May 17
The National Parks Arts Foundation invites artists, writers, musicians, or performance artists to apply for a residency running February 4 to 27, 2025, at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. Artists will stay at a spacious house just outside the park boundaries. Close to the beaches, 30 minutes by car to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Headquarters. Minutes to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park Kahuku Unit and less than 30 Miles to the Visitor Center. This residency includes a $4,000 stipend.
Submission fee: $60 (single artist), $120 (couple or duo), $160 group (3 or more)
Bibliothek Andreas Züst Autumn 2024 Residency
Deadline: May 19
In autumn 2024 the Bibliothek Andreas Züst, in Oberegg, Switzerland, offers four studio residency stipends for stays of four weeks. Application for the Studio Residency Stipend is open to national and international cultural workers (individuals or teams of a maximum of four persons) across numerous disciplines . The Bibliothek Andreas Züst is especially seeking projects that deal with the library as a whole or one of its sub-areas. Each participant receives access to a private bedroom, a shared studio, dining and living rooms, and the Bibliothek Andreas Züst. Accommodations, meals, and use of the studio are free of charge, and travel costs are also covered. A separate request can be made for an additional subsidy for living costs of up to CHF 500.
Submission fee: none
Delfina Foundation Residency Open Call
Deadline: May 19
Delfina Foundation announces an international open call for its upcoming winter 2025 residency season (January 6 to 30 March, 2025) under its recurring thematic program, science_technology_society. This opportunity is open to practitioners from around the world as well as across the U.K. Participants from the U.K. will receive a flat fee of £3,000. International participants receive a return economy-class flight, reimbursement of visa fees (if required), per diems of £35 per day, a materials budget of £800, a travel pass for London’s public transport network, and a single bedroom with a desk at Delfina Foundation's house in London.
Submission fee: none
Midwest Award for Artists with Disabilities
Deadline: May 23
Visual artists with disabilities, across many lines of difference, are doing incredible work around the Midwest. The Midwest Award for Artists with Disabilities recognizes and celebrates their efforts and encourages their future work. Arts Midwest invites mid-career 2D and 3D visual artists with disabilities to apply for this award. Each awardee will receive a $3,000 check award. There are no requirements for how awarded funds are used, though awardees are encouraged to use it toward growing their art career. Awardees’ submitted work will be featured on the Arts Midwest website.
Submission fee: none
ARTIST-RUN
GHOSTMACHINE Exhibition Open Call
Deadline: May 26
GHOSTMACHINE announces an open call for a two-person exhibition that will be on view from July 12 to August 3, 2024, in the gallery’s new storefront location on 23 Monroe St., in the Chinatown/LES neighborhood of New York. Visual artists of all disciplines, ages, and demographics are encouraged to apply. GHOSTMACHINE will select two artists based on the quality of their work and commitment to their practice.
Submission fee: $25
Craft Ontario Call for 2025 Exhibition Proposals
Deadline: May 27
Craft Ontario is currently seeking proposals for solo and two-person exhibitions to take place in the Craft Ontario Gallery, 1106 Queen St West, Toronto, in the 2025 calendar year. The organization provides curatorial support, installation assistance, insurance, and pays artist fees in line with CARFAC (Canadian Artists’ Representation / Le Front des artistes canadiens) guidelines.
Submission fee: none for members; CAD$10 for non-members
Supporting Act Foundation Impact Grant and Bursaries
Deadline: May 27
For the Impact Grant, 12 grants of €50,000 will be offered across two years to artist-led non-profits supporting marginalized communities and using arts for social change. They are open to non-profits registered in the U.K., the Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, or with a fiscal sponsor in one of these countries. Twenty bursaries of €10,000 will be offered over a year to emerging artists from underrepresented groups looking to develop their practices and initiate positive change for their communities. They are open to students entering the final year of their studies based in the U.K., the Netherlands, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain.
Submission fee: none
Causability Grants for Program Development with a Nonprofit
Deadline: May 31
Open to U.S.-based creatives working with nonprofits, Causability recognizes that creatives are often asked to donate their art or time to nonprofits without payment. This mindset can contribute to an undeserved or ‘starving artist’ stereotype. Each grant is $5,000, providing creatives the ability to collaboratively develop an creative related event, program, or fundraiser with a local nonprofit.
Submission fee: none
Culture Moves Europe Mobility Grants
Deadline: May 31
Culture Moves Europe provides mobility grants for artists and cultural professionals in all 40 creative Europe countries. It covers the sectors of architecture, cultural heritage, design and fashion design, literature, music, performing arts, and visual arts. The scheme consists of two action lines: individual mobility (for individuals and groups of up to five persons) and residencies.
Submission fee: none
Open Call for Kunstenfestival Watou
Deadline: May 31
Watou Arts Festival. is seeking collectives or collaborations (a minimum of 3 people) to participate in the next edition. The total budget for the Open Call is €120,000, and as a collective/collab you can submit projects in two categories: a proposal for up to €10,000 or a proposal for up to €25,000. The theme of this year’s open call is “The Smell of Grass is Changing."
Submission fee: none
Torrance Art Museum x Cycladic Arts Residency
Deadline: May 31
Torrance Art Museum has partnered with the Cycladic Arts in Alyki, Paros, Greece, to select a Southern California based artist to take part in this cross-cultural artist residency, which hosts one artist each year for a 25-day residency, this year in September, directly followed by the body of work being displayed on the program webpage for an online exhibit and inclusion of the work in a triennial exhibition of residents' work in-person at Torrance Art Museum. Cost of travel and the residency are covered by the museum and Cycladic Arts.
Submission fee: none
Finnish National Gallery Open Call for Combine24
Deadline: May 31
The Finnish National Gallery is hosting an open generative art competition Combine24. Participants are asked to create a new generative artwork that innovatively uses the copyright-free, CC0-licensed collection data of the Finnish National Gallery in its implementation. A competition exhibition will be held in autumn 2024. First prize is €10,000, second is €8,000, and the audience favorite prize is €5,000.
Submission fee: none
Eliza Moore Fellowship for Artistic Excellence at Oak Spring Garden Foundation
Deadline: May 31
The Eliza Moore Fellowship for Artistic Excellence is awarded annually to one outstanding, early-career artist who is developing new works that address plants, gardens, or landscapes in the broad sense. This award is open to visual artists, literary artists, dancers, and musicians. The award includes a $10,000 individual grant and requires a 2 - 5 week stay at Oak Spring. While at OSGF, the Fellow will be able to meet with staff, explore the organization’s 700-acre landscape and efforts in sustainable land management, and visit the rare book library that holds over 19,000 objects, including many examples of botanical art.
Submission fee: none
"Sharing Future" Residency for European Artists
Deadline: May 31
The International Elias Canetti Society's Canetti Artist Scholarship is aimed at artists from all over Europe. It is also advertised to artists from neighboring countries, from the Western Balkans and Turkey, to provide opportunities for international, artistic exchange. The one-month residency at the historic Canetti House enables the successful candidate to pursue their artistic work undisturbed in the spring/summer of 2024 in Ruse, Bulgaria. Artists receive accommodation, a €1,200 stipend, and €300 for travel.
Submission fee: none
Joshua Tree National Park Artist in Residence
Deadline: May 31
The Joshua Tree National Park Artist in Residence Program (AiR) is open to visual artists, performing artists, musicians, and writers. Artists are invited for a one-month stay in fall or spring. There are two objectives for this residency: one is to give artists time to explore the park and pursue their own creative practice, and the second is for the artist to share their unique perspective of the park’s resources with others. Artists sleep in the studio space in the Black Rock Campground, which is furnished with a twin bed and bureau. Though housing is provided, artists are responsible for their own expenses, such as meals, personal art supplies, transportation, etc. Only one occupant is allowed at any time in housing.
Submission fee: none
If your organization hosts valuable opportunities for artists and you’d like to learn more about featuring it in this digest and on Instagram, I’d love to hear from you! Reply to this email to inquire or check out yngspc.com/sponsor.
See all opportunities
Paid subscribers can access a full list of all current opportunities, including many that are further in the future or that don’t even make it into the digest on time! The list is updated several times each week.
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congrats on the upcoming exhibition! I can't wait to see the curation xx