"I am not interested in complicated things nor in the commonplace, I like to paint simple things that are a little strange." —Gertrude Abercrombie
July is always my test of true time management and perspective. My sister almost always visits from her home in eastern Australia around this time, and my aunt and her family, who have been living in Peru for the past several years, just moved back to the States. We all convene at various points around Wisconsin—Madison, Milwaukee, the Fox Valley, Up North—and trying to keep any semblance of a “usual schedule” is sort of futile.
I’ve been thinking quite a lot lately about what it means to be “in control” when things around us are chaotic, bewildering, and enraging. As a DIYer-freelancer-independent what-have-you, I’m always juggling lots of things. A feeling of control, even if partly an illusion a lot of the time, is essential for staying on top of things—for keeping the train on track. But sometimes, inevitably, things happen I just can’t do anything about. Plans change, deadlines converge, expectations shift, personal stuff happens.
I was reading The New York Times article about Emma Webster’s woes revolving around some shady dealings—and a Lady Gaga impostor. Even with a fair amount of diligence, it all went south when her painting ended up in a Christie’s auction and the provenance was entirely news to her. Whoever had purchased the work wasn’t who they claimed to be and still aren’t owning up to it.
I was thinking about a time about eight years ago when I received a similar email from Drew Barrymore’s assistant. She had been following the Young Space Instagram for a while and was commenting on and sharing work that she saw there, so it was surprising but not completely out-of-the-blue that she wanted to purchase a few pieces she saw there (which goes to show that sometimes you never really know who’s looking). I helped to facilitate a handful of purchases for her collection. (Thankfully, Drew is lovely and I have no woes to divulge.) But Emma Webster’s story struck close to home in that small way because these days, especially with generative AI, it’s so easy for someone to fabricate just about anything. We can only go with our gut.
It’s disappointing how frequently it feels like things are not always as they seem. I wish I could say I’m astonished at the amount of people I’ve known/talked to/thought about working with (fortunately never did) who are now involved in lawsuits, investigations, or were (or are) literally on the lam. For a curator-writer-digital nomad from the pragmatic Midwest, this is pretty heady stuff. And if it wasn’t for the actual livelihoods messed with, it would be pretty comical.
Even if it was just one exploratory phone call or meeting with a gallerist once, it’s jarring to hear they absconded and/or have been allegedly defrauding their artists. Or, one time I learned an artist whose work I shared was also using a pseudonym to run his own gallery and was selling his own work at art fairs while ripping off other artists to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars. I was told there was an FBI case being built there, too.
I just think to myself sometimes, what is this art world? How do we not let these hijinks detract from the decent people and good work? The onus is often on artists to figure out who to trust, and the very lack of guardrails that make the industry so exciting sometimes is also the reason some folks look at things sideways. There’s no way to really control what happens when you put something out there. Whether you sell a work to someone or publish an article online… it could end up anywhere. Sometimes there’s not much you can even do about it.
I keep telling myself that even when I feel out of my depth or shit’s just plain-old hitting the fan, I can still control what I do about it. That’s all I can do, so stressing about things I can’t control is pointless and makes things worse. I like psychologist Alex Chin’s Substack post, How to Manage Stress When the World Feels Out of Control. Often doing what I can just means trying to stay in the best position to see and hear as well as possible in order to figure out what my best step forward might be.
I’d love your tips and tricks for keeping calm in choppy waters.
See you next week!
—Kate
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Just $6/month — or $5/month annually — gives you access all opportunities 24/7. To those who are already supporting the digest, my heartfelt thanks—it means a lot.
What you’ll find below:
Emerging: Antony Reznik
Exhibitions to see in Austin, Berlin, Brussels, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, New York City, and Paris
Eleven opportunities for artists with deadlines coming up soon
Emerging: Antony Reznik
“My work is a visual excavation of myth, violence, and transformation. I construct hybrid figures—grotesque, sacred, wounded—that inhabit the liminal space between memory and ritual, politics and the body,” says Antony Reznik. Through a combination of drawing, mixed media, and digital manipulation, he examines the nature of power and how it “manifests in flesh.”
Reznik incorporates elements of medieval iconography, post-Soviet aesthetics, and today’s protest culture, among other influences like diasporic narratives and mythologies, anatomy, horror, and veneration. “Each work becomes a kind of psychological reliquary, capturing moments where identity breaks apart and reforms into something feral, tender, or divine,” he says.
See more on Instagram.
Exhibitions
BERLIN | KÖNIG TELEGRAPHENAMT
Erin Armstrong: Trial By Fire
Armstrong’s first solo exhibition with König reflects on “what it feels like to be a woman in today’s world—a time that can feel regressive, disorienting, and dangerous.”
Runs through July 20
BRUSSELS | ALMINE RECH
Janet Werner: Hell and Happiness
Werner’s cinematic compositions center distorted juxtapositions—body parts emerge from landscapes and plants converge with portraits in uncanny oil paintings.
Runs through July 26
AUSTIN | THE CONTEMPORARY AUSTIN
Raven Halfmoon: Flags of Our Mothers
“With inspirations that span centuries, from ancient Indigenous pottery to Moai statues to Land Art, Halfmoon interrogates the intersection of tradition, history, gender, and personal experience.”
Runs through August 3
More shows worth a peek:
California Split at Official Welcome, Los Angeles, through July 3
Moffat Takadiwa: Second Life at Nicodim, New York City, through July 3
Frida Orupabo: Tools from My Chest at Modern Art, Paris, through July 5
Jeffrey Sincich: 99¢ Plus & More at Charlie James Gallery, Los Angeles, through July 5
Hiroka Yamashita: 幽光 The Lights from the Deep Mountains at Kiang Malingue, Hong Kong, through July 5
Jenny Calivas: Self-Portraits While Buried at Yancey Richardson, New York City, through July 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!
Loghaven Artist Residencies
Deadline: July 15
The residency is located on ninety acres of woodland in Knoxville, Tennessee. Artists live in five historic log cabins that have been both rehabilitated and modernized to create an ideal setting for reflection and work, and they have access to new, purpose-built studio space. All Loghaven fellows are awarded $850 weekly stipends to support the creation of new work during the residency.
Submission fee: $25
21C Artadia Awards for St. Louis Artists
Deadline: July 15
Launched in Louisville, Kentucky, in 2021, the 21c Artadia Award marked the beginning of a long-term partnership which annually provides $15,000 in unrestricted funds to one artist living and working in the unique creative communities where 21c Museum Hotels are located. This year's award is open to artists based in St. Louis, Missouri.
Submission fee: none
Women's Studio Workshop Artist Book Residency Grant
Deadline: July 15
The Artist’s Book Grant is an eight- to ten-week residency for artists to produce a limited-edition book work. The grant includes a stipend of $350 per week, up to $1,000 for materials, up to $250 for travel within the continental U.S., free onsite housing, and 24/7 studio access.
Submission fee: none
Grand Canyon Artist-in-Residence
Deadline: July 15
Hosted at Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, this program is open to artists who utilize contemporary, interactive, immersive, and/or socially engaged methods and focus on climate resiliency, environmental sciences, natural and cultural histories, and historical interpretation and preservation. Residents receive lodging, a $750 weekly stipend, a $250 travel stipend, and up to $300 for supplies.
Submission fee: $25
First Peoples Fund 2026 Cultural Capital Fellowship
Deadline: July 16
This fellowship offers $10,000 grants to artists and culture bearers dedicated to community outreach and cultural preservation through the arts. All applicants must be active within and connected to their Native or Tribal community.
Submission fee: none
KinoSaito 2025 Artist-in-Residence
Deadline: July 17
The KinoSaito Residency Program is a studio and residency program designed to provide artists with the space and time necessary to focus concentrated attention on any part of their practice they feel is ripe for development. The program will host two artists for a one-time, four-week session to be held November 12 to December 7, 2025. Each selected artist will be awarded a $1,500 stipend and a generously proportioned 900-square-foot studio located at KinoSaito in Verplanck, NY, with large windows and high ceilings, a loft living quarters, a kitchenette, and a private bathroom for the duration of their residency.
Submission fee: $30 ($25 for KinoSaito members)
The Power Institute Residency at Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris
Deadline: July 25
Each year, the Power Institute offers four Fellowships to Australian artists, scholars and other art workers to spend three months at their studio at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris. Since 1967, more than 140 residencies have been awarded. The Fellowship covers the rental fee for the studio for 3 months. Residency winners will also receive AUD$6,000 towards travel and living expenses.
Submission fee: none
Locust Projects Open Call
Deadline: July 28
This open call is for proposals for new, installation-based work of any medium that has never been presented and is specifically designed for the Project Room. Artists receive a $5,000 materials budget, $3,100 artist fee, and lodging and travel in/to Miami.
Submission fee: none
Full Color Print Program at Highpoint Center for Printmaking
Deadline: July 30
The Full Color Printmaking Fellowship is an application-based initiative for artists with some level of prior printmaking experience. These artists receive a year’s membership to HP’s cooperative print shop, free access to classes and workshops, an unrestricted stipend, mentorship, professional development opportunities, and exhibition opportunities. Artists receive 12 months' access to the cooperative printshop at Highpoint; artistic and professional development opportunities; technical support, including individual instruction (up to 10 hours); a $500 stipend, and more.
Submission fee: none
Indigo Arts Alliance Mentorship Residencies
Deadline: Rolling
This program brings together artists from diverse backgrounds of the African Diaspora to engage in their creative process, while building lasting relationships rooted in co-mentorship. Artists of all disciplines are encouraged (painting, sculpture, illustration, writing, dance, music, theater/performance, photography, fiber/textiles, etc). Applications are accepted from various regions of the U.S. at various times.
Submission fee: none
Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grants
Deadline: Rolling
Emergency Grants provide urgent funding for experimental visual and performing artists in the U.S. and U.S. territories who have sudden, unanticipated opportunities to present their work to the public when there is insufficient time to seek other sources of funding, or who ncur unexpected or unbudgeted expenses for projects close to completion with committed exhibition or performance dates. Each month, FCA makes approximately 12-21 grants. Grants range in amount from $500 to $3,000, and the average grant is now $1,900.
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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