Fees. Nothing fires up the comments on art organizations’ social media posts like an open call that requires a fee. While it’s definitely not a new thing, I feel like the discussion often ends up in a cycle with the organization saying, “We need this to offset our operating and administrative costs and pay our jurors or staff,” while artists more often than not sing refrains of, “It’s too much for just a chance,” or, “You should be paying artists, not charging them.”
Young Space relied partly on artist fees for a few years, between 2017 and 2020, when I organized numerous physical and online exhibitions. Especially early on, when Instagram was just making waves in the art world, it was seen as a good value for artists to have their work shared on a curated platform with a large, organic following. Work sometimes sold (you really never entirely know who’s paying attention) and like many, I was excited about the potential to network, exhibit, and introduce emerging artists to others in a way never previously possible.
This time period also marked a watershed moment in virtual presentations, as a physical show could be documented and shared online to a global audience in a way it never had before. Then during the pandemic, online shows were pretty much all we had. But that period passed, and value or merit of these dipped.
Early on, I think the most I ever charged for an entry fee was $35 for shows in which I would be presenting in a physical space, printing marketing materials, hosting a reception, etc. Then I dropped it to $25 at one point. I started doing online-only shows, but then the last few I organized were pay-what-you-can with a minimum of $5. A couple of times, a portion of these fees went to a nonprofit organization that the artists could select upon entry. I hardly kept any of the proceeds toward the end—I rarely ever paid myself.
Eventually, some of my stress boiled down to feeling guilty about charging any fees a t all. Every time I posted an open call, I’d received an incrementally bigger backlash from artists who insisted they’d never pay, that their artwork was to be discovered—not submitted—and where was the money going?
I think it’s important to lay that groundwork. As I’ve been sifting through others’ opportunities for this digest, I’ve been paying close attention to the range of fees and the types of organizations that ask for them. And it has helped to clarify for me that fees do indeed serve a purpose and perhaps should not always be viewed in such a dim light, but there are also some red flags to watch out for.
One argument in favor of fees is that it provides a filter. For me, even $5 per entry could add up to enough to compensate a guest juror or pay for website fees for a year, but mostly it was about placing a kind of dam on the river of submissions. As a one-person show, if hundreds of submissions rolled in, which they often did, that was an immense amount of time and labor on my part to sift through them. Those who choose to toss a few bucks toward the project were ultimately investing in the opportunity to have their work carefully considered, and the submissions were crafted with more care.
It makes sense to me that someone who likes a project enough to want to be a part of it won’t have too much of an issue contributing a small fee to help it succeed. But that says a lot about how much the artist trusts and values the project in the first place. That said, I still feel that anything over $25-or-so should offer some very good value in return, as the nature of open calls is quite subjective.
So this brings me to my main point, which is to consider not only how much fees are, but to whom, for what, and why are they required. Is the opportunity presented by an artist-run space? An individual curator? A not-for-profit? Does this place or person clearly demonstrate that they work hard to make exhibitions happen, provide plenty of resources or space during a residency, or consistently communicate and focus on relationship-building? I’m talking experimental independent platforms, cooperatives, or other initiatives that genuinely pay it forward with real opportunities for artists—not a commercial gallery funding its programming through submissions, for example.
Ironically—given my history with Young Space, I’ll be the first to admit—exhibition open calls are the most difficult for me to parse. On one hand, they can be a surefire way to guarantee that a curator or gallerist will see the work. There’s value in that. On the other hand, the decision is always a toss-up, and what actually happens when the work is accepted? Does that gallerist or curator have the ability to reach collectors or other helpful networks? If commercial in any way, is the work actually selling sometimes?
A fundamental baseline for a gallery is its ability to make sales and support its artists, who in turn support the gallery by making great work. If a gallery leans often on artists for their networks or income, it’s not doing its job. While less frequent, if a non-profit is asking for application fees, it’s smart to question the intended use of the fees and if there’s any waiver available for those with financial need.
It’s also important to note that one size does not fit all. There are plenty of pay-to-play residency programs out there, for example, that function kind of like B&Bs for creatives. Some of these look really great; others—it’s hard to say. One thing I keep coming back to, though, is that it seems in poor taste to charge entry fees for anything in which artists are expected to cover their own costs, which can easily amount to hundreds or thousands of dollars for things like shipping or residencies.
One model I’ve been seeing more frequently involves having artists pay a predetermined entry fee only if the work is selected. That way, the project becomes a bit of a collective endeavor, with each artist pitching in just a bit for something they are guaranteed to be a part of, like a magazine or a large group show.
And on the topic of expenses, if you’re an artist in the U.S., report yourself as self-employed on your taxes, and write those fees off!!
I’d love to hear your thoughts about this. Paid subscribers, feel free to pop a comment in below.
See you next week.
—Kate
Become a paid subscriber to directly support this newsletter and independent arts writing on Dovetail. You’ll be the first to see new opportunities, with access to the entire list all in one place—updated a few times each week.
What you’ll find below:
Featured artist: Brie Ruais
Four exhibitions to see in Boston, Dallas, London, and Toronto
Eleven opportunities for artists with deadlines coming up soon
Featured Artist: Brie Ruais
130 pounds of clay form the basis for each of Brie Ruais‘s sculptures, echoing her own physical weight and the visceral movements of her body. Working with earth through a gestural process, the material fans out into radiating, organic geometries.
Ruais recently moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, from New York, where she continues to engage with materiality, feminism, and embodiment, markedly with a view beyond an anthropocentric view of the world. Her move to the desert of the American Southwest spurred even further interest in lunar phases, wildfires, the wind and weather, and the landscape more broadly. Mirroring orbital cycles of the sun and moon or the changes in the seasons, she builds up reflections of human emotional and bodily cycles—birth, life, death, decay, and rebirth.
See more on Dovetail.
Exhibitions
LONDON | HUXLEY PARLOUR
Jamie Hawkesworth: The British Isles
I don’t typically share a ton of photography—usually the focus is more on painting and sculpture. But every once in a while I’m just blown over by lens-based work, and Jamie Hawkesworth’s images of Britain really strike something special indeed.
Runs through August 9
BOSTON | STEVEN ZEVITAS GALLERY
NIGHT SWIMMING
NIGHT SWIMMING: New American Paintings 2024 Summer Review brings together eleven artists whose work has been featured in the magazine New American Paintings over the past year, including Grace Bromley, Shyama Golden, David Shrobe (pictured), Ramón Vargas, and more.
Runs through August 31
TORONTO | COOPER COLE
Of Doubts and Dreams
This group exhibition draws on the sci-fi/fantasy novels of Samuel R. Delany, whose world-building captures the human condition and evokes wonder, unease, and resilience. Artists featured include Aysha E Arar, ektor garcia, Timothy Yanick Hunter, Manuel Mathieu, Naudline Pierre, Nickola Pottinger, LaRissa Rogers, Brie Ruais, and Chrysanne Stathacos.
Runs through September 7
DALLAS | DALLAS CONTEMPORARY
Patrick Martinez: Histories
I remember meeting Patrick Martinez when he was standing behind the former bar of Fort Gansevoort Gallery in New York back in 2019. Then he released a limited-edition series of “remixed” election lawn signs in 2020. His solo exhibition at Dallas Contemporary includes large-scale sculptural installations and his characteristic neon works that reflect the evolving landscape of Los Angeles.
Runs through January 5, 2025
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.
AWARE Marie-Solanges Apollon Program
Deadline: August 18
AWARE: Archives of Women Artists, Research and Exhibitions, with the support of artist Manuel Mathieu, is launching the second edition of the Marie-Solanges Apollon program with the goal of giving visibility to women artists from the Black Atlantic, from the 19th century to today. Special attention will be given to research propositions that focus on performance art by women artists from Africa and of African descent. The residency rums for three months from April 1 to June 30, 2025, and the selected artist receives live-work accommodation in Paris, roundtrip travel compensation, a €1,000 monthly living allowance, and support from the AWARE team.
Submission fee: none
Bronx Cultural Visions Fund
Deadline: August 19
The Bronx Cultural Visions Fund (BCVF) seeks to support the development of new ideas and the production of new work in the performing arts, including but not limited to dance, music, theater, performance art, and multi-disciplinary performance work. Open to Bronx-based emerging and mid-career individual artists and organizations with budgets up to $250,000, BCVF awards are intended to have a meaningful impact on an artist’s career or an organization’s development.
Submission fee: none
The Residency Project x 880
Deadline: August 20
Based in a lively urban neighborhood in Pasadena, California, The Residency Project @ 880 provides space to live and work in an intimate, shared-living environment with access to the thriving arts scenes, diverse cultural landscape, and natural resources of Los Angeles and the San Gabriel Valley. Residents are not required to end their residency with a finished "product." Rather, TRP encourages artists to research, explore, experiment, and play with new concepts and modes of making. Each three-week residency includes a $300 stipend, private room, studio space, fully-stocked, self-service kitchen, mentoring, optional excursions, and more.
Submission fee: $25
Daniele Tamagni Grant
Deadline: August 20
The Daniele Tamagni Grant brings together material and intellectual resources to address the creation of a long term value program focused on photography, photojournalism, and education. The grant is addressed to emerging photographers whose work engages with the African continent or its diaspora, without restrictions in terms of the applicant’s nationality. Selected artists receive a one-year scholarship to attend the Photojournalism & Documentary Photography Programme (PDP) at the Market Photo Workshop in Johannesburg, a €700/month stipiend, and the opportunity to showcase the body of work developed during this time at the Africa Foto Fair 2025.
Submission fee: none
Adélard Immersion Residency 2025
Deadline: August 25
Adélard announces its call for projects for Summer 2025. Artists are invited to submit a proposal for the Immersion residency program. This program is for professional artists, emerging or established, practicing all forms of visual arts. The residencies, each lasting six weeks, take place between May and September in Adélard’s heritage barn in Frelighsburg, Québec, Canada. The residency program includes: a working studio; an exhibition space on the upper floor of the barn; private lodging; an honorarium of CAD$2,000; a CAD$300 honorarium for each cultural mediation activity; CAD$500 exhibition royalty for the artworks presented on the upper floor of the barn; and access to local resource persons, among other things, to facilitate contact with the community and organize cultural mediation activities.
Submission fee: none
Ian Potter Cultural Trust x Sydney Myer Fund Creative Fellowships
Deadline for nominations: August 25
In 2024, The Ian Potter Cultural Trust joins the Sidney Myer Fund to support artists and cultural leaders through the appointment of Creative Fellows. The Trust will award two Ian Potter Creative Fellowships annually. The Fellowships will provide unrestricted, tax-free grants of AUD$200,000 over two years to individual Australian artists, creatives, and cultural leaders. Specific outcomes for the Fellowships are not required. Nominations are welcome for individual artists, creators, and cultural leaders throughout the spectrum of the arts, from visual and performing to interdisciplinary, new media, literature, and the humanities.
Submission fee: none
Gasworks Residencies for Artists Based in Central Africa
Deadline: August 27
This residency open call is for an artist based in Central Africa (Angola, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Sao Tomé and Principe), who has already presented their work in several venues. The eleven-week, fully funded residency will take place at Gasworks in London from January 6 to March 24, 2025.
Submission fee: none
Bow Arts East London Art Prize
Deadline: August 27
The East London Art Prize celebrates and promotes the incredible talent and diversity of art made in the cultural hive of east London. Proudly sponsored by Minerva and Prue MacLeod, the winner receives a cash prize of £15,000 and a solo exhibition at our Nunnery Gallery. The runner-up second prize is a year’s studio space with Bow Arts. The entire shortlist is presented at an exhibition at the Nunnery Gallery, with all artists given mentoring and career development opportunities.
Submission fee: none
The Old Lock Up Gallery Fully Funded Residencies for Lower-Income U.K. Artists
Deadline: August 30
For the first time, The Old Lock Up Gallery in Derbyshire will be offering a fully funded residency opportunity in 2025. To apply/qualify, the artist's income will need to be below £18,000, with no more than £5,000 in savings, resident within the U.K. and available to be in residence at The Old Lock Up Gallery from January 27 to February 3, 2025. This week long residency also includes £150 towards any travel/materials costs. The opportunity includes 24/7 access to the beautiful space and a place to stay for 7 nights.
Submission fee: none
Aesthetica Art Prize
Deadline: August 31 (late entries accepted through September 30)
The Aesthetica Art Prize celebrates contemporary art across a range of media. This award offers artists opportunities for exhibition at a major public gallery alongside publication in Aesthetica Magazine. This winner will receive prize money of £10,000 as well as opportunities for wider exposure and development. There is also an Emerging Prize open to students and recent graduates with a £1,000 prize.
Submission fee: £25 if submitted by August 31, then £35
LATITUDE Chicago Artist-in-Residence 2025
Deadline: August 31
LATITUDE's Artist-in-Residence Program is a one month production residency where 8 to 10 artists are granted full access to its facilities and community to develop their practice. The selected artists are given unlimited scanning, an ink stipend, a personal workstation, training and guidance by our staff, an organized public event to present their new work, and lifetime free lab access.
Submission fee: none
See all opportunities
Paid subscribers can access a full list of all current opportunities anytime—updated at least a couple of times each week.
Whether you’re a free or paid subscriber, you can also browse through listings in earlier digests in the archive.
Visit on the Young Space Instagram.
Read more on Dovetail.