“It is easy to follow, but it is uninteresting to do easy things. We find out about ourselves only when we take risks, when we challenge and question.” —Magdalena Abakanowicz
Sometimes I think I should quit writing about art and switch gears entirely. Maybe I could find a job in a museum—I’d move to a new city, meet new people, try a new thing. I could start a gallery (I’ve certainly thought about it and even tried, albeit halfheartedly). Maybe I could even write about nature instead. Or travel. Or history. I love these things and have studied or experienced them enough that I think, yes, that would be a great pivot. Who wouldn’t want to wax on about bird sightings along the trail or the discovery of an ancient structure in Peru? Lord knows there’s no money in any it, but it’s never about that, really.
But then I remember how I came to those things in the first place. And anyway, where would I start? I remember learning about the Second World War in a 20th-century art history survey class. I’ve learned about global diasporas, architecture, material culture, politics, economics, science, and so much more specifically because an artwork or an artist’s practice confronted me with something I’d never heard of or a question I didn’t know the answer to.
Perhaps from time to time, it’s natural to think about quitting something you’ve been doing for a long time because there are so many other things one could try or learn about or do in the brief lifespan we’re afforded. And it’s probably a bit of a misnomer to say “quit” anyway, because I don’t feel like giving up; I always just want to try something new.
I remember seeing a meme a while back that showed two heads with thought bubbles and a cyclical arrow going back and forth between them. One bubble read something along the lines of, “I’m quitting the art world,” and the other read, “But what else would I do?”
So, here I am—and here we are—and the sheer love of what art teaches, challenges, connects, and communicates is what carries me back to it day after day. What else could I do? Anything I’m interested in will always be viewed through its lens, whether I want it that way or not. The art goggles are firmly on! At some point, it became hardwired into the way I perceive the world around me.
So many possibilities exist in this sphere to pursue a huge range of interests and intersections. It is always challenging, even if sometimes that challenge actually comes in how narrowly or broadly I am able to see things. When I think about “quitting,” is it because I’ve gotten myself into a rut? What am I missing? (I always know I’m missing so much.) How many other subjects open up the world to us in this way?
Also, as I sometimes feebly amble along through my work in periods of unrest, wondering what the point of it all is when the world feels turned upside-down, I try to remember that making art and supporting or encouraging artists—focusing on open dialogue and and connections and moments of revelation and joy—can be a radical and potent tool in the face of hate and division. It not only sustains those of us who are a part of it, but demonstrates a refusal to be tyrannized and that there is always potential for change.
See you next week.
—Kate
P.S. As if knowing this was a time I needed to see it, Susan Cain—author of Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking and Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole—sent a newsletter with a top ten list of main points from the latter. The issue was aptly titled—a pertinent reminder—“Whatever pain you can’t get rid of, make it your creative offering.”
Consider becoming a paid subscriber and directly support this newsletter. 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: Signe Emdal
Four exhibitions to see in Aarhus, London, New York City, and San Francisco
Fifteen opportunities for artists with deadlines coming up soon
Featured Artist: Signe Emdal
Signe Emdal’s gorgeous woven wall works are like chromatic explosions of fiber, emphasizing the range of the medium’s textural possibilities. She often travels to different locations, describing how different places and their rich cultural fabrics nourish her practice.
Emdal creates site-specific works and sculptural tapestries that are always influenced by movement, emotions, and changes of scenery. “The work is always a direct manifestation of the present moment,” she says.
Find more on Emdal’s website and Instagram.
Exhibitions
AARHUS | JACOB BJORN GALLERY
Rasmus Eckhardt: Pilgrim
Deamlike scenes by Rasmus Eckhardt trace anonymous figures amidst flowering landscapes, meadows, gardens, and shorelines.
Runs through February 12
SAN FRANCISCO | JESSICA SILVERMAN
Davina Semo: A Serious Celebration
“The show focuses on the hanging bronze bells that have been part of the artist’s oeuvre since 2017. Semo’s bells are clever and artful. They have a significant presence but take up no floor space. They’re heavy but defy gravity. They’re silent, and yet they can disrupt conversations. Ever aware, they face all directions at once.”
Runs through February 22
LONDON | HUXLEY PARLOUR
Emily Weiner: Elastic Concept
Eight new paintings, including small-scale works, incorporate warped panels and customized frames that toy with the nature of perception.
Runs through March 1
NEW YORK CITY | HARPER’S
Alice Dalton Brown: The Contemplative View
It’s all about the light in Alice Dalton Brown’s nearly mystical seascapes. Since the 1970s, “critics have described the artist’s style of realism as a kind of subjective realism analogous to the groundbreaking approaches of painters like Richard Estes and Edward Hopper.”
Runs through March 1
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!
MacDowell Fellowships
Deadline: February 10
MacDowell encourages applications from artists of all backgrounds and all countries in the following disciplines: architecture, film/video arts, interdisciplinary arts, literature, music composition, theater, and visual arts. About 300 artists in seven disciplines are awarded fellowships each year, and the sole criterion for acceptance is artistic excellence. There is no cost for a MacDowell Fellowship, but to open the residency to the broadest possible community of artists, MacDowell offers financial assistance programs to those who have been awarded a fellowship. Artists may apply for stipends and travel grants, and funding is awarded based on duration of stay and demonstrated financial need.
Submission fee: $30
QEST Scholarships for U.K. Makers and Conservators
Deadline: February 10
The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust supports contemporary and traditional craft, as well as the exploration of innovative techniques. QEST defines craft as: the skilled making, by hand, of tangible objects, or the conservation/restoration of such objects. Three types of grants are available:
Scholarships: For mid-career to established craftspeople, these grants are between £3,000 and £18,000 and include a place on the Cockpit PDP. These grants support talented individuals to sustain vital skills through targeted training. Applicants should have a high level of skill, a strong body of work and be aiming to elevate their craft further.
Emerging Maker Grants: For early-stage craftspeople, the Emerging Maker Grants aim to develop the next generation of craftspeople, typically those practicing for 4 years or less. The grant provides between £3,000 and £10,000 for essential skills training. Applicants should demonstrate strong potential, a growing body of work and a commitment to progressing their craft.
Apprenticeship: These grants help enable a hands-on collaboration between a skilled master and a talented apprentice looking to start a career in craft. Focused on the transfer of expertise through practical workplace learning, the apprenticeship offers funding of up to £12,000. The grant is designed to supplement the apprentices wage over the course of the training.
Submission fee: none
Wisconsin Woodland Indian Arts Grants
Deadline: February 13
The Woodland Indian Arts Program (WIA) is designed to promote and develop a foundation of cultural and economic support for traditional and contemporary Native American arts in Wisconsin. Award amounts range from $1,500 to $6,000.
Submission fee: none
Forge Project Fellowship for Indigenous Artists and Cultural Workers
Deadline: February 15
Forge Project is seeking a 2025 cohort of six Indigenous individuals that represent a broad diversity of cultural practices, participatory research, organizing models, and geographical contexts that honor Indigenous pasts as well as build Native futures. Two of the fellowships are awarded to enrolled tribal members, First- and Second-Line Descendants of the Stockbridge-Munsee Band of Mohican Indians. Each Forge Project Fellow receives a total of $25,000 toward their practice and will have access to the Forge Project site, libraries, and lending collection of living Indigenous artists during a residency stay of up to three weeks.
Submission fee: none
Indiana Dunes National Park Artist-in-Residence
Deadline: February 15
The artist-in-residence program at Indiana Dunes offers professional artists the opportunity to live in the park for two weeks to create art that helps generate appreciation and support for the national park. In exchange, the artist provides a public engagement and donates a piece of art created during their stay.
Submission fee: none
Long Meadow Art Residency 2025-2026
Deadline: February 15
Long Meadow Art Residency is a six-week to three-month solo residency nestled in the Berkshire Mountains. LMAR offers studio space and housing, allowing time for artists to retreat and deepen their practice. The residency provides a $3,000 monthly living stipend, a $2,500 supply budget, as well as access to a vehicle for transportation.
Submission fee: none
McKinney International Art and Design Residency 2027, Indiana University Bloomington
Deadline: February 16
The Eskenazi School of Art Architecture + Design at Indiana University Bloomington invites applications for a 4-6-week McKinney International Art and Design Residency. An established artist or designer will be selected whose primary country of residence is outside the United States. Applicants should be actively engaged in a contemporary artistic practice and show evidence of a national and international exhibition record. Applications from practitioners of studio disciplines, as well as criticism, are welcome. Selected artists are required to visit for a 4–6-week period between February 1–May 1, 2027. Studio space, lodging, and a fellowship of $8,000 USD will be provided.
Submission fee: none
Fukuoka Asian Art Museum (FAAM) Artist-in-Residence Program
Deadline: February 16
Fukuoka Asian Art Museum (FAAM) Artist-in-Residence Program invites artists from across Japan and worldwide, including but not limited to Asian countries and regions. The program provides them with opportunities to stay in Fukuoka, create and exhibit their artworks so that they can encourage each other to achieve their full potential and expand careers to the world. FAAM hopes Fukuoka citizens get a deeper understanding of contemporary art, Asian art, and different cultures through their engagement in this program.
Submission fee: none
Anderson Ranch Artist-in-Residence Program
Deadline: February 17
This residency, which invites cohorts of approximately 15 artists—including one opportunity for a parent artist—fosters creative, intellectual, and professional growth for emerging and established visual artists. Residencies are offered in ceramics, new media, photography, furniture design, woodworking, painting, drawing, printmaking and sculpture. A select group of the 32 residencies are fully funded fellowships awarded by the jury panel. Applications are open for the following residency dates:
Fall Residency: October 8 – December 17, 2025 (10 weeks)
Spring Residency Session I: February 4 – March 11, 2026 (5 weeks)
Spring Residency Session II: March 18 – April 22, 2026 (5 weeks) – including one Parent Artist-in-Resident
Submission fee: $30
Center for Cultural Innovation LA Arts Community Fire Relief Fund
Deadline: February 18
The LA Arts Community Fire Relief Fund is a pooled fund led by the J. Paul Getty Trust with support from a coalition of major arts organizations and philanthropists. The Fund is for the benefit of Los Angeles County’s artists and arts workers in all disciplines impacted by the unprecedented wildfire crisis. Individuals may apply only once for up to $10,000. Funds are unrestricted and can be used in any way that alleviates financial hardship. Moreover, as a federally qualified disaster under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, financial support is not counted as taxable income.
Submission fee: none
Asian Women Giving Circle Grants
Deadline: February 21
The AWGC Request for Proposals is open to both 501(c)(3) organizations and individual artists. (Artists and collectives that are not 501(c)(3)s must apply under a fiscal sponsor that is a 501(c)(3) organization.) All artistic disciplines will be considered, including cross-disciplinary work, and projects must highlight women’s and gender-expansive people’s leadership and/or central role and demonstrate a commitment to NYC-based communities. AWGC anticipate that 6 to 8 project grants will be awarded, contingent on available funding. The maximum grant amount is $8,000.
Submission fee: none
Regional Arts Australia — National Regional Arts Fellowship
Deadline: February 23
The National Regional Arts Fellowship Program is a strategic project supported by the Regional Arts Fund and delivered by Regional Arts Australia. Fellowships provide guaranteed income for regional artists and arts workers to develop work, skills, networks, or research. In 2025, proposals are sought a focus on economic, cultural, and/or environmental sustainability. Two awards are available:
The Creative & Professional Development Fellowship provides $20,000 to regional artists and arts workers to support creative practice or professional development.
The Early Career Development Fellowship provides $10,000 to regional artists and arts workers who are in the early stages of their practice or career and have had less access to funding opportunities.
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.
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I once heard an artist (who, to be air, was more professor than artist) say "If you hae thought about quitting then you are not an artist." This is complete bullshit. I consider you a true thinker/artist if you think of quitting. Its so dam hard, and taxing, and a great reward.