“If I wait for someone else to validate my existence, it will mean that I'm shortchanging myself.” —Zanele Muholi
(You may recall that I said this would be a brief digest this week for the holiday, but I lied. It’s just a normal, verbose one. Onward!)
Every few months, I receive a request from an artist to delete an Instagram post, interview, or article about their work from a few years ago. (The web archive contains more than 800 interviews.) Almost without fail, these artists were rather early-career at the time that their work was shared. A few years later, they’re still at an emergent or early-career stage, but perhaps they’ve garnered more recognition, begun to work with a gallery more formally, or have changed direction in their work. What it boils down to is a desire to control the image—the brand.
Every time I see these requests, I comply. Every time, though, I get weirdly annoyed. Of course, it’s not my work, and I respect the artist’s wish to remove earlier reflections that may not align with a current direction or relationship. However, it begs the question: what’s so wrong with allowing others to see the natural evolution of your work? Is it a service or disservice to self-censor?
Our creative practices don’t hatch out of eggs, fully formed. My own work, though not paint on canvas or ceramics, etc., has changed so much in the past ten years that I wouldn’t necessarily want to do the things I was doing ten years ago. And if I did, my approach and methods would be totally different. Some of it was a bit cringe—but it taught me a lot, so I value every trial and every error. I’m proud of all the things I did that led up to what I do now, part of a multifaceted practice that continues to evolve (and hopefully always will).
So, the other day, I received an Instagram message from an artist who had just graduated from art school when I shared her work a little over four years ago. She had searched her own hashtag on Instagram and sent a screen grab of the Young Space post she wanted me to delete, saying that her gallery was trying to make improvements to her digital presence to “optimize the digital content” around a more carefully-selected group of works that align with the direction she’s heading.
Fair enough. But I’m in the publishing and curatorial business, and I find this pretty disappointing… not so much from the artist but from the gallery (not sure which) that implies representing earlier stages of a practice aren’t as valid as the current—or the future. Of course, we’re in an age of sharing, and perhaps we’ve come to take it for granted that we can follow many artists’ practices as they develop. But if it felt like a good idea to share the work four years ago, why is it now a bad idea to have that out in the world?
Firstly, I realize that the art world exists in overlapping Venn diagram-style bubbles. In one (among many) there’s the conceptual rigor of academia or institutional programming. In another one, there’s the commercial market. For the former, it’s frowned upon to view art as “content.” For the latter, art is absolutely content insomuch as it is a commodity that must be marketed. The more the content is controlled, the more control there is over the image and brand, and therefore the more who sees it and how it’s seen can also be better predicted.
Honestly, when I try to whittle down what bothers me so much about it, it’s hard to find the edges. Since the advent of social media, we’ve been carefully curating our images, sending out into the world representations of certain sides of ourselves, and when it comes to professional aspirations, it’s no different. But something is sadly lost when we retroactively conceal the journeys we took to be where we are today.
Isn’t it ostensibly a good thing that a platform recognized your work when you were straight out of college? Doesn’t pretty much everyone know that the likelihood of your work staying the same as it was in college is basically zero? Aren’t we expecting change? Isn’t that just more interesting!?
Ultimately, it’s always up to each individual to determine what they’re comfortable with when it comes to putting work out into the world. But editing your “presence” years later illuminates—to me, at least—a lack of confidence. Not to mention that, for the most part, when you speak about your work, such as in an interview, and it’s published in a magazine or a newspaper somewhere… that’s it. What if it was in print? There’s no redacting it later.
We’re in an era where we can easily archive or delete information and streamline how we are seen. The meat of it—the process, the nuts and bolts and gears and occasional malfunctions—that goes into the work is what writes the history of who an artist is, what problems they’re trying to solve, or which experiments they’ve attempted. Regardless of whether every detail is shared online or how much, today the journey is a valued in a way it has never been before. Be careful to not sabotage your own story!
See you next week.
—Kate
P.S. I was disheartened to read this Guardian article, “Britain faces ‘talent drain’ of visual artists as earnings fall by 40% since 2010,” but it’s worth the read. Also: I just ordered this book: Culture is Not an Industry, by Juston O’Connor. Have you read it?
P.P.S. Paid subscribers, I’ve expanded opportunities listings into two lists! You can now find separate pages for visual arts open calls and opportunities for curators, scholars, and arts workers. I’m always adding to these—more than a dozen in just the past couple of days—so if you know of any funded or unique programs that should be included, just reply to this email! I’d love to see what more is out there for independent journalists, researchers, and organizers.
Consider becoming a paid subscriber and 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: Myriam Dion
Four exhibitions to see in Chicago, Los Angeles, Madrid, and Maspeth
Fourteen opportunities for artists with deadlines coming up soon
Featured Artist: Myriam Dion
I’m cheating just a tiny bit by nudging you over to the article I recently published on Colossal, on Myriam Dion and her current solo show, Timelines. Known for reimagining newspapers into sculptural, geometric works, the Montréal-based artist has recently begun experimenting with a range of found materials, like gouache-painted samples of antique textile patterns and pages from old garden books. Lately, she has taken inspiration from the geometries of darning samplers.
The stories Dion chooses to highlight often revolve around women and their accomplishments. “It is interesting to see how women are documented in the media,” she says, “especially at a time when newspapers were written by men for men and how this evolves and sometimes regresses depending on the subjects.”
Timelines continues at Arsenal Contemporary in New York through December 14.
Exhibitions
LOS ANGELES | PHILIP MARTIN GALLERY
Christy Matson: Index Color
Matson works with painted and hand-dyed woven paper, cotton, and linen to create abstract compositions that hint at the landscapes of California, where the artist is based.
Runs through December 21
CHICAGO | VOLUME GALLERY
Ricki Dwyer: A Mobilizing Force
I first met Ricki when he led an amazing workshop in Black Mountain, NC, on a giant handmade loom on which the warp and weft were thick pieces of rope, requiring a bodily and communal effort in the action of weaving. “With two new bodies of work—a quartet of painting groupings and a constellation of sculptures—Ricki Dwyer inextricably intertwines heart and mind in A Mobilizing Force. The New York-based artist has crafted an intricate choreography between erudite conceptualization and intuitive expression, controlled manipulation and agency, and the individual and the collective.”
Runs through December 21
MADRID | CARLIER GEBAUER
Stevie Dix: CHAOS
Stevie Dix unveils new multi-panel paintings made from a blend of oil, wax, and charcoal that traverse the boundary between structure and spontaneity.
Runs through December 21
MASPETH | MRS.
Hilliary Gabryel: Bedroom Eyes
Working in mixed media, this solo exhibition focuses on the Queens-based artist’s series of sculptural, altered headboards and vanities.
Runs through January 11
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 and curators. Deadlines are coming up soon to apply for these grants, fellowships, residencies, and more.
Paid subscribers, check out the whole list anytime at yngspc.com/opportunities and enter the password you received in your signup email. Can’t find it? Just shoot me a note. Thank your for your support!
NESR Art Foundation Residency Grants for Emerging Artists
Deadline: November 28
Taking place in Luanda, the NESR Art Foundation's residency program is open to all emerging artists from Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea - Bissau, Mozambique, São Tomé e Príncipe, and the selection is made by the foundation's Artistic Committee following an open call for applications. The residencies' mission is to establish deeper engagement between artists and curators, and to create opportunities for practical and theoretical mentorship. The program welcomes 6 artists per year, in 3 sessions of 10 weeks each, with 2 artists at a time. Residents receive a fully furnished studio and living space, as well as a stipend and production grant.
Submission fee: none
Gasworks Residency for Artists Based in Spain
Deadline: December 2
This residency open call is for an early-career artist based in Spain. The eleven-week, fully funded residency will take place at Gasworks in London from April 7 to June 23, 2025.
Submission fee: none
M+ Sigg Fellowship for Chinese Art Research
Deadline: December 2
The fellowship supports new research on Chinese art in dialogue with the M+ Collections. The research direction of this edition of the Sigg Fellowship aims to generate a holistic view of the dialogue between Chinese contemporary art and sites from the 1990s to early 2000s, focusing on areas and cases that have not been fully explored in the current art historical discourses. The fellow will be awarded a grant of HKD 200,000 to cover all expenses, including travel, living, insurance, and research-related costs. The awarded fellow is expected to be attached to M+ for a period of three to six months.
Submission fee: none
Les Rencontres d'Arles Curatorial Research Fellowship
Deadline: December 5
The Rencontres d'Arles €20,000 curatorial research fellowship is open to all exhibition curators. The project chosen will be carried out in two stages: research and production (after approval, if the project is included in the Rencontres d’Arles program). The maximum €20,000 grant includes an initial amount of €5,000 in copyright acquired for the winner and a second amount of €15,000 for producing the project; in case of approval by Les Rencontres d’Arles.
Submission fee: none
Foyle Visual Artist's Residency at Hospitalfield
Deadline: December 8
The Foyle Foundation Residency is a four-week funded program with 6 places available for U.K.-based contemporary visual art practitioners. Selected artists receive a bursary that supports them during the residency, which runs from March 31 to April 27, 2025, and includes a £2,200 bursary and a travel budget of £100.
Submission fee: none
Open Call for Curatorial Proposals at The Latinx Project
Deadline: December 9
The Latinx Project at NYU announces an open call for curatorial projects. Interested applicants are invited to submit specific proposals to be considered for an exhibition to be held in Spring 2026 and Spring 2027. Applicants can submit a proposal on any theme and/or participate in our special call on Rasquachismo in the 21st Century. Additionally, an exhibition catalog and at least one robust public program related to the exhibition will be produced. The selected curator will receive mentorship support and access to our national network of artists, scholars and collaborators, as well as research resources via NYU Libraries. Curatorial projects will be supported by a budget of up to $20,000 managed in consultation with The Latinx Project.
Submission fee: none
Lower East Side Young Artist of Color Fellowship
Deadline: December 9
The Lower East Side (LES) Young Artists of Color Fellowship is a program of FABnyc, supporting early career artists interested in building a peer network of mutual support, meeting with experienced artists and producers of color to help shape strategies for furthering their work in the field, and participating in a culminating public showcase of original work. The program is accepting 8 artists for the 2025 cohort. Each fellow will receive a $500 stipend; participate in weekly meetings with the full fellowship; meet and hear from established arts professionals of color; share artistic works-in-progress and career challenges; identify topics of interest for workshops such as fundraising, marketing, and portfolio development; and present work through a culminating exhibit or performance.
Submission fee: none
Innovate Grant Fall Open Call for Visual Artists and Photographers
Deadline: December 12
Innovate Grant distributes two $1,800 grants each quarter, one to a visual artist and one to a photographer.
Submission fee: $35
Artists in Queens Grant
Deadline: December 12
The Artists in Queens Grant supports individual artists that live in Queens for the creation of new work in a community setting. These grants highlight the role of artists as important members of the community as they enhance the cultural climate in communities and neighborhoods where they live and work. Grants are awarded in amounts of $3,000.
Submission fee: none
Collide Copenhagen International Residency Award
Deadline: December 13
Artists and collectives from any country are invited to submit a proposal for a fully-funded, two-month residency split between CERN and Copenhagen Contemporary. Collide is an annual residency program for artists with a distinct interest in science and technology, who have a strong motivation to engage in dialogue with scientists and engineers. Collide provides travel costs and accommodation within a fixed budget and a production stipend of CHF 15,000. (For artist collectives, all these costs will be split between the members. A maximum of 2 members of a collective can be hosted at the same time as residents.)
Submission fee: none
The Luminary 2025 Residency
Deadline: December 14
The Luminary 2025 Residency Open Call supports creative practitioners who engage with the pressing issues of our time. As a residency focusing on process and research, The Luminary will provide two cohorts of individuals, small collectives, and collaborations with the space and time to rest, reflect and relate around a line of inquiry. The intention is that residents can focus on their research process, free of expectation of a final product. The Luminary welcomes national and international applicants of all backgrounds, such as artists, curators, writers, designers, educators, and arts administrators. Non-traditional backgrounds are welcome. In addition to time and space, each resident receives a weekly stipend for their project and funded travel to The Luminary in St. Louis.
Submission fee: $15
Newberry Artist in Residence Program
Deadline: December 15
Apply for three different fellowships for visual and performing artists, writers, journalists, filmmakers, and other humanists, each with a $3,000 stipend.
Submission fee: none
Quinn Emanuel London Residency
Deadline: December 15
This residency is open to emerging and mid-career artists working in all disciplines across London. For four months, the artist-in-residence will be given a studio in the Quinn Emanuel London office to support their existing practice or a new project as appropriate. At the end of the residency, an exhibition will display the artist's works, and at least one piece will be incorporated into the permanent collection. The residency period begins in February, and the selected artist will receive £3,000 per month over the course of four months, for a total of £12,000. In addition, Quinn Emanuel will provide an allowance of up to £1,000 for purchase of art materials.
Submission fee: none
Roman J. Witt Residency at the University of Michigan
Deadline: December 15
On behalf of the University of Michigan’s Stamps School of Art & Design and the Museum of Art (UMMA), the University of Michigan invites artists to apply for the 2025 - 2026 Roman Witt Residency, specially themed to explore the upcoming United States Semiquincentennial (2026). The program especially encourages artists to apply who focus on social practice, performing, and performance artists with an interest in issues of national identity, commemorative practices and memory, and the history and future of the United States. A $20,000 honorarium is provided.
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.
If you are part of an organization or art business that offers opportunities or services you think artists should know about, consider a featured listing or post. Email me at kate@young-space.com or just reply to this email for more info.
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