What is Peripheral Vision Arts and how can it benefit my creative practice?
Peripheral Vision Arts is an independent digital publication and gallery platform administered by emerging artists and art historians, showcasing work by emerging and mid-career US Artists. We pair professional contemporary visual artists with a critic in their discipline for the publication of an academically rigorous short essay or interview or online exhibition. Our Publication Fellowships enable artists to gain critical recognition, and art historians to gain paid publication experience. In addition to bimonthly public open calls for our distinctive Publication Fellowships, artists may apply for 2 annual Art Competitions, and 2 annual Online Exhibitions. Articles are published in the freely accessible journal and promoted through free email subscription and over social media. Select Publication Fellows may be invited to consign art to the Peripheral Vision Gallery. Publication Fellows benefit from becoming part of a network of dedicated, visionary professional US artists, critics, and curators.
What publication opportunity is right for me (artists may only receive 1 fellowship per year)?
Professional artists seeking in-depth critical analysis of their work should apply for any of our 3 article Publication Fellowships where they will have the opportunity to collaborate directly with a critic. Categories are: 2D; 3D + New Genres; Emerging Women Artists.
Currently enrolled MFA candidates and recent recipients are eligible for the MFA Publication Fellowship, which enables top applicants to publish an Artist Profile and Article on the website.
The Foundation Prize is a great option for professional emerging artists who wish to participate in our programming but may not wish to invest in the essay format (students are not eligible).
The Salon exhibition is a group show open to emerging and mid-career US artists, including MFA candidates, curated by a Peripheral Vision Critic. Each Salon will exist as a series of permanent pages on the website and will include the publication of a "catalog" essay written by the curator.
The Solo exhibition is ideal for professional artists wishing to showcase a well-resolved body of work or project and consult with a curator to produce a didactic introductory text (students are not eligible)
The BFA/MFA Art Competition honors students enrolled in degree-granting visual art studio programs.
What is a Publication Fellowship?
Why wait for a critic to attend your next exhibition, or apply to print publications which lack substantive content and are targeted to popular audiences? Peripheral Vision is a digital publication run by professional art historians eager to collaborate with artists for the publication of academically rigorous texts. We award fellowships to 15-25% of applicants who will receive various publication benefits, including Articles, Artist Profile pages, Exhibitions with catalog essays or didactic texts, and Instagram Takeovers.
We are not limited by a print format, thus we scale our service to meet user demand. All content is available for free without subscription and without third-party advertising. All initiatives are funded solely through the collection of application fees.
I want to offer work for sale through the Peripheral Vision Gallery, what should I do?
Peripheral Vision Gallery does not accept unsolicited portfolio submissions. To have your portfolio reviewed, apply for any Publication Fellowship, art competition, or online exhibition for which you meet the eligibility requirements. The editor will invite select Fellows to consign work to the gallery.
How can I make my application the best it can be?
Firstly, high quality images go a long way in communicating your message and professionalism, and are required for publication. For 2D works, consider submitting an installation shot or details of tacking edges or paint textures to showcase your technical abilities and let us know how your art activates surrounding space. All images should be well-focused, color corrected, and be 72-300 dpi and 1000-3000 pixels in size. It is highly recommended that images not be cropped to the painting edge, and allow a modest border around the object showing blank wall or exhibition space. Secondly, make sure your statement clearly communicates your perspective as a creator, and that ideas discussed relate to the visual experience of your art. Finally, maximize your competitiveness by drafting statements and bios that take advantage of the full word counts. As an academic publication, we are more likely to award fellowships to artists with a passion for words, language, and ideas.
My credit card transaction failed. What should I do?
These things happen. Simply email Scott Gleeson at editor@peripheralvisionarts.org and complete Steps 2 and 3 of the application process. Failures usually occur due to over zealous bank fraud protection, thus may require a call to your credit card service.
What is an "emerging" or "mid-career" artist?
We ask creators to self-identify as emerging or mid-career creators to eliminate competition with established, recognized artists. An emerging artist might be a formally trained artist with 5-10 years professional practice who is not yet represented by a major gallery, received a major grant, or has not yet shown in a major museum. An emerging artist might also be a graduate student or an artist who put their practice on hold to pursue a job or raise a family and has then re-entered professional practice. A mid-career artist might be an artist with 10-20 years of professional practice and teaching experience, yet still considers themselves under-recognized. A mid-career artist may have a great show history but no substantive critical publications aside from reviews or interviews in popular publications. Peripheral Vision editors tailor their evaluation criteria to reflect each creator's individual experience level in relation to their skill, so emerging artists are awarded Publication Fellowships at the same rate as their mid-career counterparts.
May I apply for a Publication Fellowship in more than one category per cycle or per year?
Absolutely, we want artists to have as many opportunities for success as possible! Artists may apply for any Fellowship, art competition, or online exhibition for which they meet eligibility requirements. Artists may only receive one (1) publication opportunity per year.
I am a Publication Fellow. May I republish my article on my personal website or use it as a catalog essay?
No, Peripheral Vision Arts owns the copyright for written texts and they may not be reproduced without the written consent of the Editor and payment of the applicable copyright fee. We also recommend listing the article title and author name on your website with a link to your Peripheral Vision Arts article or Artist Profile page. Artists retain copyright of all images.
How do I cite my Publication Fellowship and Article on my academic CV?
Article citations should include the Critic Name (or Scott Gleeson for those completing the Interview Questionnaire); Title; Peripheral Vision: An Interdisciplinary Journal of the Visual Arts; Issue Number; Year. Article URL = www.periphealvisionarts.org/journal/artistlastname-criticlastname
Fellowships may be listed as Fellowship Name + Year + Peripheral Vision Arts, Dallas, TX (e.g. Emerging Women Artists 2016 Publication Fellowship, Peripheral Vision Arts, Dallas, Tx)