The Best Galleries For Emerging Artists
If you're an emerging artist looking for a gallery to represent your work, we've got the list of who's hot in the art world. There are numerous benefits of attaining gallery representation, especially as an emerging artist like yourself. Firstly, they’re ideal for amplifying your public recognition and it’s perfect for networking and gaining access to a growing faithful clientele. Continually, gallery representation allows you to focus on creating art because they organize and handle the marketing for you.
Now we know that being an emerging artist isn't easy and it can be difficult to find representation in galleries but there are many galleries that specialize in showing the work of new and upcoming artists. The following are some of the most notable galleries across Australia, the UK, US, and Europe that are actively representing emerging artists out there today and are also open to submissions right now!
IN AUSTRALIA
Manyung Gallery Group
Manyung Gallery Group is a Contemporary Art Gallery in Melbourne, Australia. They’re no newcomer to the art scene as they have been supporting both established and emerging artists since their conception in 1968. This group is a composition of five galleries located in Mornington, Sorrento, Malvern, and Flinders and prospering by virtue of the guidance of directors and art enthusiasts, Sharyn and David Wemyss-Smith. On a regular basis, each gallery exhibits artworks alongside providing artist talks, workshops, and demonstrations as a means of strengthening the holistic nature and technique of artists.
The range of art forms they showcase is extensive, stemming from oil, acrylic, and watercolour paintings as well as fine art prints, ceramics, wood, and mixed media, sculptures, photography, and more. This gallery provides a wonderful exposure for artists through representation in collections such as the Vatican Museum Collection; Art Gallery of New South Wales; Art Gallery of South Australia; Arts Victoria; ArtBank; Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery; Broken Hill Regional Art Gallery; Burnie Regional Art Gallery Tasmania; and Warrnambool Art Gallery. Equally, the gallery notes that current artists have works held within ANZ Bank; National Australia Bank; Australian Reserve Bank; Australia Post; Telstra; Price Waterhouse Coopers; Crown Casino; Mobil; BP Australia; Monash University and the University of Technology NSW. Manyung’s artists also have work in the Australian Embassy Washington DC and the Embassy of Switzerland and that’s not all. Their artists have won or been finalists in many awards and scholarships including the Archibald Prize; Salon des Refuses; Moran Portrait Prize; Tattersalls Art Prize; Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery's National Works on Paper; Paddington Art Prize; Waterhouse Prize; and the Silk Cut Award for Linocuts.
Recently, they have hosted some noteworthy exhibitions including artist and finalist in the Geelong Contemporary Art Prize 2021, Nat Ward’s solo exhibition entitled 'Wildflowers on Nail Can’ that ran from June 19th to July 9th 2021. This exhibition highlighted the natural beauty of wildflowers on Nail Can Hill Reserve in bloom following the wetter than usual spring Australia experienced and “the nuanced sensation of patterns and light in native bushland”.
To date, this gallery group has two upcoming exhibitions showcasing work from artists Herman Pekel, Ralf Kempken, and Darren Doye and you can be the next one if you wish to submit your work alongside these talented emerging and established artists!
To make an effective and efficient submission to them for consideration, you have to do so through their email as they clearly outlined that walk-in submissions will not be considered. In your email, you can attach six digital images of your artwork which has been created within the past year as it would be a great representation of your current style. They require your files to be formatted as tiffs or jpegs with a minimum file size of 300kb. They will not be accepting thumbnails as they won’t be able to view your work.
Additionally, in your email, you are required to attach your artist CV listing any awards, exhibitions, representation, and education. It’s also essential to include your email, phone number, address, and website within the body of your email so that they can contact you for further discussion of your submission if they need to. Due to the popularity of The Manyung Gallery Group, they receive numerous submissions each week of the year. Henceforth, they view submissions via email on a bi-monthly basis.
2. The Brunswick Street Gallery
The Brunswick Street Gallery, located in Fitzroy, Melbourne is a professional gallery space for Australian artists to exhibit their work. They host a new exhibition every three weeks which documents the hard work and passion of emerging and mid-career artists in a well-equipped seven gallery space, with an additional Stockroom, and four creative studios. The gallery team of three persons is managed by Jacqui Burnes alongside Gallery Coordinator Woody Mellor and Gallery and Curatorial Assistant Kelly Lawrence who work together to represent and support emerging artists while promoting education, diversity, accessibility for all in order to culminate into an exciting and welcoming space for all creatives who experience and call The Brunswick Street Gallery home.
The past solo and group exhibitions in this gallery have touched upon many themes and art forms such as photography, ceramics, drawing, mixed media, and painting. Emerging Australian artist, Jenny Rutsch used this space to depict the experience of nostalgia through sensory memories and the process of remembering, as well as exploring the role it plays in the present in her recent exhibition ‘Looking back/Looking forward' which ran from 3rd to 20th June 2021.
The gallery is currently accepting submissions for upcoming exhibitions scheduled between the months of January and July 2022. The deadline for application is Sunday 1st August 2021 at 11:59pm (Australian Time). If you are interested in applying the following list identifies the gallery’s selection criteria which is taken from their website for the optimal chance of success.
Submissions must demonstrate one or more of the following:
• Artwork that displays exceptional skill and craftsmanship.
• Artwork that is contemporary, engaging in critical debate and analysis.
• Artwork with strong market appeal.
• Artwork that is experimental in nature, pushing boundaries conceptually or within a medium.
Additionally, as outlined on their website, their application process entails that you submit an exhibition proposal in order to be considered. This proposal will be composed of the following:
• Up to 10 images of artworks indicative of those to be displayed (JPEG, clearly labelled, no single image larger than 500k).
• Artist statement/exhibition statement and description of artworks (no more than 1000 words).
• Your Curriculum Vitae (not applicable for first-time artists).
You are requested to email your application to: manager@brunswickstreetgallery.com.au
The exhibition fee varies based on the gallery space hired and all are available for a time span of three weeks. Access to The Top Floor Gallery costs $2390 AUD, Gallery 4 costs $41980, Gallery 5 costs $1680, Gallery 6 costs $1660, Gallery 7 costs $1600, Gallery 8 costs $1400, and the Long Gallery costs $1560. You have the option of hiring two or more galleries together for a 10% discount. They recommend Top Floor Gallery or a combination of Galleries 6 and 8, 4 and 7, or 5 and Long Gallery for larger or group exhibitions.
Upon paying the exhibition fee, you have access to the following:
• Curatorial advice
• Exhibition install technician
• Gallery invigilators for gallery opening hours (Tuesday – Sunday, 10 am – 6 pm).
• Exhibition opening event and paid bar service
• Gallery designed hard copy invites and local distribution
• Gallery designed e-invites for artist distribution
• E-newsletter promotion (15,000+ gallery subscribers)
• Online listing and promotion through gallery’s Facebook (14,000+) and Instagram (29,000+)
• Cataloguing of all artworks, made available for direct purchase through our online Stockroom
• Documentation of exhibition and archiving on gallery website for posterity
• Listing in Art Guide (with late bookings Art Guide deadline may prevent listing. Please ask at time of booking)
• Wall-mounted artist statement and artwork listing
• Museum quality lighting with high colour rendition (CRI>90) with flood to focussed beam options.
It’s important to note that Brunswick Street Gallery takes a 30% commission on all artwork sales and this includes GST. If your proposal is accepted, you are required to sign an artist agreement outlining the artist and gallery's rights and responsibilities.
3. THE SPACE Gallery
THE SPACE Gallery is located in Rosebery, Australia, and prides itself on being a hub for emerging artists interested in participating in online and in-person exhibitions in Australia. They’re passionate about providing opportunities and support for artists who explore a plethora of themes and concepts through numerous mediums including mixed media, ink, painting, drawing, and photography allowing more time for artists to focus on their creativity and production of work. They’re excited to connect with artists (both emerging and seasoned in Sydney’s art world). Their submission scope is national meaning that they are geared towards nurturing and supporting Australian-based artists. The SPACE gallery holds exhibitions for solo and group shows which can either be curated by you or the gallery (because it’s up to your preference). On their website, they have a portal that allows you to submit up to 5 pieces of artwork in which you specify the title of your piece, the price, artwork description ( for example, dimensions of the pieces) You’re also required to submit your name, email address, phone number and portfolio URL that can link to your social media or website for example. They also request that you present a short bio (100-150 words) along with an artist statement about your artwork (less than 200 words). Finally, in their submission portal, this gallery inquires about whether you are a GST registered artist which simply is asking if you have a registration number called a Goods and Services Tax Identification Number that ensures you’re legally recognized as a supplier.
The Space Gallery provides you with their email for further contact following which they state that you should get a response within a week’s time.
At THE SPACE Gallery, exhibitions usually run from Thursday to Sunday but you also have the option of opening for the entire period of your venue hire. Their fee (including GST) for exclusive rental of the space is $1100 per week with a recommended rental period of two weeks. Meanwhile, if you wish to hire the gallery for one week it would cost $1100 AUD per week and for two weeks, $990 per week in which you save $220. The gallery requires that you make a cash deposit or EFT at the time of keys and handover of the gallery. They state that this will be refunded after your show if the gallery is returned to its condition and with all pieces of equipment. Their website further outlines that a deposit of 30% is payable on receipt of the invoice. This is a non-refundable deposit that will confirm your booking. A further 30% is payable prior to the exhibition with the final balance due 3 days before the rental start date. Gallery staff can provide some assistance with hanging and dismantling your show, curatorial, and opening night assistance. THE SPACE Gallery has a commission (plus GST) of 30% which is applicable to exhibition sales secured before or after by management.
This space has some intriguing upcoming exhibitions to which they are excited for submitters to engage with and respond. Their group show Abstract Way is scheduled for July 27th to August 29th in which five emerging and established artists whose style is abstract art will be featured and you could be one of them! Entry to this show costs $650 AUD + GST. Included in this entry fee are your artworks being posted on their website, social media promotion, and opening night celebration - all great for increasing exposure! The criteria outlines that entries must be larger pieces up to 110 x 110cm (size can be also discussed with the curator of this exhibition). They are only accepting wall-mounted works and the artwork should be ready for handling with D-rings. The accepted mediums include painting, illustration, photography, collage, printmaking, and textiles. Please note that registration is not valid until payment is received. The entry deadline for this show is Friday 16th July 2021. Click this link to enter and find out more.
That’s not all. This gallery has more representation opportunities for emerging artists. From September 1st to October 3rd 2021, THE SPACE Gallery is having an exhibition called “Art of Africa” paying homage to Africa and the selected artists’ works will also be showcased during The Cannery Rosebery monthly markets. To enter, there is a non-refundable Entry Fee - $50 + GST per entry (per artwork) and a maximum of 5 entries per artist. Your registration is only valid when payment is received. They will only be displaying 40 artworks for the small artworks section.
They also have submission options which are as follows:
Option 1:
Small artworks - 50x50cm maximum
Entry fee per artwork: $55.00 (incl GST) for 4 weeks *This entry fee is non-refundable
Maximum artwork per artist: 5 maximum
Maximum: 40 artworks
Option 2:
Your own wall space
Maximum: 3 walls - 1 reserved
2,4 m W x 2,55 m H for $650 (incl GST) for 4 weeks
Entries for small artworks must be measuring no bigger than 50 x 50cm.
THIS INCLUDES ANY FRAMING.
Only work that can be attached to the wall will be accepted.
Paper works can be mounted or framed, not exceeding the size requirement.
Artwork should be ready for hanging either with D-rings OR flat sections on the back suitable to adhere to ‘command’ hanging strips.
All mediums accepted including painting, illustration, photography, collage, printmaking, and textiles.
NB: Small artworks can be smaller than 50 X 50cm BUT NOT BIGGER
Regarding entries for your own wall, please make sure that you think of the space in between the artwork for the 2,4m wall.
You are requested to send them an email at art@thespacegallery.com.au to submit your artwork. For more information, please click this link.
Finally, this gallery also offers THE LAB gallery which is a licensing agreement between the artist and THE SPACE gallery. The information provided below is taken directly from and accessible on their website.
Selected artists will need to agree to:
print up to a maximum of 100 copies of the licensed images in an A5, A4, A3 and A2 sizes, depending on sales
sell the artworks solely with THE SPACE gallery
sell the artworks as per a set price of A4: $80.00 - A3: $150.00
enter the agreement for a period of 2 years minimum
If your entry has not been selected, THE SPACE gallery will refund you $200.00 and will keep $150.00 for reviewing your portfolio. Please note that THE SPACE gallery will not review any portfolio if the submission is still outstanding. Upon payment, a link will be sent to you so you can submit your portfolio.
IN THE UK
1. The Brick Lane Gallery
Calling all international and UK artists! The Brick Lane Gallery may just be the spot for you. Located in Shoreditch, London, for the past 10 years, this gallery has been displaying a range of contemporary and street art whether it be photography, painting, sculpture works on paper, video, and performance by emerging and mid-career artists in solo and group exhibitions. Brick Lane has two exhibition spaces, namely Brick Lane space and Sclater Street space which are both characterized by their liveliness and popularity and are equally known for sharing art and culture only minutes away from London’s bustling financial district.
You may be familiar with some of the artists that have walked through the doors of Brick Lane and share their art in this space such as Faile, Banksy, Bortusk Leer, Bob, and Roberta Smith, and Wolfgang Tillmans. Brick Lane has housed many works from other emerging artists in past exhibitions such as “Art in Mind & Contemporary Painting”, “Works on Paper Landscape Art” and “Photography Now, Here Among The Flowers” that are hosted numerous times a month.
They’re open to submission year-round upon availability through their simple process in which you are asked to book your exhibition by choosing from on the front page and contacting the gallery for booking information. Then, you ship your art to them following which they have a specialized team to set up and install the exhibition. Next, it’s promotion time - Brick Lane promotes your gallery show through their mailing list and social media. The best pay is that they have 0% commission meaning that you receive 100% of the sale! After the successful exhibition, your artwork is returned to you safe and sound. They have three packages which you can choose from. The first package allows for a 3 METERS SPACE priced at £660 (inc VAT). This is a starter package perfectly designed for beginners. The second package offers 6 METERS SPACe for £1320 (inc VAT) which is sufficient space to accommodate a large body of work. The third and final package offers 9 METERS SPACE priced at £1980 (inc VAT). All of their packages include:
• Installation and set-up
• Email invitation to their mailing list of 30,000 recipients
• Invitation cards
• Opening reception
• Press-release and promotion
• Details of your exhibition on their website
• Vinyl lettering of your exhibition title and artist name on their gallery window
• Professional staff invigilation
• Pricing advice and sales support
2. Boomer Gallery
Boomer Gallery, located in Aldgate, London was created by a group of British art enthusiasts and artists “who aim to transcend the gap between culture and countries, highlight the best-hidden gems out there and push the boundaries forward”.
Recently this month, they had a show following the theme of Vogue Magazine in order to see and showcase current trends in contemporary art. An extensive list of emerging artists participated in this event from all over the world such as British artist, Hannah Aria. Boomer Gallery is calling artists from all around the world to enter a submission for their upcoming exhibition ‘Contemporary’. The international deadline is July 31st, 2021. This exhibition will take place in their new and second gallery location in Tower Bridge, London, a monumental and most visited spot in the UK.
There are no subject restrictions and all media is accepted including painting, sculpture, photography, digital art, prints, textile, illustrations, and so many others. You are not charged for making a submission; however, if you are selected you have to pay a fee of £165 as they only charge 15% commission which covers printed catalogs, admin, graphics, designer, champagne, mix finger food, caviar, professional photographer, hostess, and security.
Their submission process is simple. To apply for ‘Contemporary’ simply email them 3 images of your work (3 different works) with the file title in this format: Title_ Size_ Medium_ Price. You must also include a short bio, no more than 150 words, and email it to boomergallery@gmail.com. On their website, they have requested that as they run multiple open calls, please make sure you include in the email line the open call you apply for, which in this case would be ‘Contemporary’.
Furthermore, they have acknowledged the fact that shipping to London in time can be challenging for international artists, therefore, they have devised an alternative method. If you are one of the accepted artists and it’s difficult for you to ship your work to them on time, you can send them photos of your work which will be printed and framed at no extra cost. The available framing sizes are 32/32 cm, 30/40 cm, and 40/50 cm.
Finally, there are some important dates to note for this exhibition which are listed below:
• the open call will run until July 31st, 2021.
• artworks delivery date is August 5th, 2021.
• the exhibition will run from August 6th until August 14th with a private view on August 6th from 6:00 to 9:00 pm at their gallery space in Central London.
3. Rostra Gallery
Rostra Gallery was founded in 1997 by Brian & Connie Herring. This gallery, located in the heart of Bath, is well known for its “reputation for showcasing high-quality accessible art in a relaxed and friendly environment”. Now under the ownership of Emma Birts since 2006, the gallery’s known for displaying a variety of contemporary artworks by both established and emerging artists and it has developed into both an online and physical art hub characterized by its sale of limited edition, high-quality prints. , paintings, ceramics, sculptures, jewellery, and mosaics.
Artists from all across the UK and the world connect in this space that encourages creativity and one of their notable emerging artists is illustrator and printmaker, Sally Elford who is based near Brighton, one of the UK’s southern seaside coastal towns. She focuses on digital art but also is keen to integrate more analogue, textural details into her portfolio. Over the past 15 years, she has worked for top brands across the UK such as WHSmiths, the BBC, the V&A, Oxford University Press, Usborne Publishing, and the National Trust, and her designs are also published by high-quality greetings cards company, ArtAngels. Many artists like Elford have used Rostra Gallery’s space to showcase their artwork and here’s how you can as well.
Pertaining to submissions, you can submit at any time and the initial step is to mark your email with ‘Submissions’ within the subject line which the gallery deems as essential for consideration. You are allowed to send a minimum of 6-8 high-quality photographs of your work (ensuring that the total file size remains under 10Mb and they will not accept the inclusion of downloads or hyperlinks). You also need to include a short biography telling us a little about yourself and your artistic training and describe the medium you use for creating your art, for example, acrylic, oil, wood, etc. In your submission, you also need to provide the approximate sizes of the work that you’re entering. They additionally require you to inform them about where you currently sell your art (including online platforms) and to specify your prices whether it’s retail or artist. Please note that they do not accept photography, giclee or digital prints. Your email is to be sent to submissions@rostragallery.co.uk.
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If your submission is successful, they outlined that you can expect a reply to emails within one to two months but occasionally this can be longer due to the extensive volume of submissions received on a daily basis. If they decide that your work will be a good match for their gallery, they will invite you to visit and at that point, they will discuss their commission structure. They do not approve of visitation prior to receiving feedback and acceptance to their gallery or without an appointment. Rostra Gallery states that if you have any questions about the above procedure, they would be happy to answer them via email.
IN THE US
1. ROY G BIV Gallery for Emerging Artists
ROY G BIV Gallery is a nonprofit art gallery located in the Franklinton Arts District of Columbus, Ohio. This gallery was founded in 1989 as a space dedicated to presenting innovative contemporary art by emerging artists. As stated on their website, “ROY G BIV champions emerging artists by presenting thought-provoking exhibitions that increase the public's awareness of the artists' work and enhance the cultural diversity of Central Ohio by focusing on artistic merit alone.”
The company describes that “in 2019, in its inaugural year of the new space art sales exceeded $16k and visitors numbered nearly 5000. With the pandemic, ROY featured artists’ work and stories on our social media platforms and YouTube channel and took advantage of these platforms to share Artists’ work with a wider audience. Adding e-commerce to our renovated website proved to be a successful way for artists to sell work. 2021 found us welcoming visitors back to the gallery with an increase in numbers each month.”
It’s very important to this gallery to support artists early in their careers who are creating new work that is and/or has the potential to be what they classify as:
• Compelling—offering distinctive vision and authentic voice
• Deeply considered, imaginative, and executed with attention to craft and with technical proficiency, providing artistic experiences that communicate unique perspective/s, and invite viewers to question, discover, explore new ideas in new ways
• Innovative and risk-taking—engaging, questioning, challenging, or re-imagining conventional artistic forms. Innovation and risk-taking reflect our interest in supporting artists from diverse backgrounds and experiences who are expanding ways of working, asking questions, and inspiring new ways of imagining.
As their gallery’s name suggests, they are focused on empowering and partnering with emerging artists which they define as those that are early in their careers, have a focused direction and goals, even while still developing their artistic “voice”, have yet to be substantially celebrated within their field, the media, funding circles, or the public at large, are not represented by a gallery and who have not exhibited at ROY yet, with the exception of the annual small works members’ show.
They offer these artists a phenomenal opportunity for solo and group exhibitions such as in the case of Cameron Granger who had his second solo exhibition “Shoulders; Chest; Pants; Shoes” at the gallery on December 13th 2019 and January 4th 2019. His particular exhibition incorporated video, text, and sculptural work that delved into the themes of love and home and how they relate to the methods used to work through violence.
You too can be a part of this supportive community by submitting to their upcoming 2022 exhibition with seasoned jurors, Jaime Benatti; Duarte Brown; Daisy Desrosiers; Cem A. aka Freeze Magazine; Danielle Julian Nortan; and Dean Taylor who will select the exhibiting artists. Each selected artist will be featured as a “ROY Presents” artist in the gallery for one month where their work will be explored in depth. Continually, ROY G BIV Gallery is also considering Group show proposals. Notably, the Jurors are given the freedom to curate exhibitions combining the work of one or more artists.
The initial $25 USD Jury fee has been reduced to $10 USD. They also have a 35% commission rate which is generated back into the gallery so that they can continue supporting emerging artists. Each applicant will automatically be considered a member of ROY G BIV and enjoy all the privileges of this membership including an exhibition in our members’ only show of small works in December as well as access to their critique, workshops, and talks. Payments can be made through their website. This fee is waived for current ROY members in good standing.
The submission guidelines are as follows:
Please note that incomplete submissions will not be considered
Email 6-10 images or video links, your CV/resume, list of works, and artist's statement to info@roygbivgallery.org
IMAGE REQUIREMENTS
• File names: Use only a number (e.g., 01.jpg). Please do not embed your name in any images.
• File format: JPEG Image size: 1920 x 1920 pixels
• Detail and installation photos may be included in the 6-10 images.
• Attach images, do not imbed them in the email
• Do not send zipped files
• Do not send links or a dropbox invite
Include a resume, artist statement, and list of work
• File formats: PDF List of Works should include the following for each work:
• File name (e.g., 01.jpg) or video URL (e.g. on Youtube)
• Title
• Year of completion
• Medium(s)
• Dimensions
On their website, they have a form you will need to fill out to be considered. The deadline for submissions is Sunday 15th August 2021 at 12:00h.
2. Kaiser Gallery
Kaiser Gallery, located in Tremont, Ohio, is an artist-run contemporary art gallery that is passionate about visual arts and providing artists of all mediums opportunities to grow through exhibitions, community engagement, lectures, performances, and demonstrations. An example of this and the benefits of partnering with Kaiser Gallery is seen through the exposition of emerging artists such as Derek Decario Ladale Whitson who is having a solo exhibition called “SUGAR (Chapter III)” between June 12th and August 8th, 2021. This artist hails from Ohio but currently lives and works in New York City where he continues to work primarily in photography and video. Through his art, he captures the history and relationships of clowning, drag queens, and black/white face as a means of examining the social concepts of race, gender, and sexuality. He has an impressive bio highlighting his artist residencies at AICAD New York Studio Residency Program, The Galveston Artist Residency, and so many others. Whitson has also received the Foundation For Contemporary Arts Emerging Grant, The 2019 NYSCA/ SYFA Photography Fellowship, and BFA from Colombus College of Art and Design among other notable achievements.
If you are interested in submitting your work, there are two upcoming exhibitions: “Future Resonance” and “Coveted II”. The deadline for submissions to Future Resonance is September 17th, 2021 and the exhibition will run from December 4th 2021 to February 6th 2022. Covet II’s submission deadline is December 17th 2021 and their exhibition will take place between February 11th 2022 to April 3rd 2022. The first gallery exhibition is interested in submissions from the art and technology sectors that explore new technologies, the possibilities of light and sound as a medium, and a source of inspiration from artists working with all media including photography and sculptural work. Meanwhile, the latter invites women, non-binary people, and marginalized members of all racial and cultural backgrounds to submit work that focuses on representing the perspectives of those that are not easily accessible in mainstream culture. This exhibition will explore the experiences of the ‘other’ within spirituality, religion and the occult. There are no submission fees and they are using an online form for submissions. There are also no size restrictions. You must also include an average of 3 images per submission - no larger than 1500 pixels and at least 72 dpi. Submissions for digital art, such as video, interactive or other new media should be submitted in the form of a link to a complete viewable online copy of each work along with a single still jpeg image. A CV & artist statement must be included in your proposal and all files should be labeled with the artist’s name and title of work. Ex: Yourfullname_titleofwork.jpg. They only accept completed work, no works-in-progress and all work must be ready to install.
3. Bass & Reiner Gallery
Nestled in San Francisco, Bass and Reiner is a contemporary fine art gallery that was created with emerging artists in mind. This space was founded in 2014 by Clea Massiani, Chris Grunder, Mariel Bayona, and Emily Reynolds as “a curatorial project with the goal of introducing local artists to a broader audience and bringing artwork from elsewhere to the Bay Area, expanding beyond traditional regional boundaries.” On their website, they explain that “the project began as an exhibition space located in the now-displaced Studio 17 artist organization, inside the Redlick Building on 17th & Mission. In March of 2016 Bass & Reiner Gallery opened as a charter tenant in the Minnesota Street Project. It is currently run by Clea Massiani and Chris Grunder. Our purpose at Bass & Reiner is to expand, strengthen, and connect arts communities. As such, we happily accept digital submissions of work from emerging artists."
Emerging artists Gianna Dispenza and Sam Borstein held their exhibition “Something Reassuringly Hopeless” in which Dispenza explored the qualities of memory and Borstein examined memory through questions such as “Did it happen that way or was I imagining that?”. According to Bass and Reiner, “both artists render these effects in paintings as well but the scale and finish of works on paper lends them a fugitive quality that more fully anchors them to the past-tense.” Notably, New York artist Sam Borstein has had exhibitions around the world including in Denmark, Sweden, Croatia, Germany, and France and Gianna Dispenza, from Washington State, also has a striking bio showcasing her exhibitions across the United States, France, Italy, Lebanon, South Korea, and Great Britain.
It’s important to be aware that this gallery does not represent beyond individual exhibitions. They accept submissions year-round which can be sent to submissions@bassandreiner.com. There website does not outline any specific submission criteria; however, it will be useful to take the aforementioned general tips for submission ettiquette from previously mentioned galleries such as how to name your files and what to include in the email (eg. artist bio, artist statement).
IN EUROPE
Eden Fine Art
Eden Fine Art is a gallery group that exhibits artworks at their galleries, located in New York, Miami, London, and Mykonos. In addition, artworks from the artists that they promote are also exhibited through dozens of associate, high-level, Fine Art galleries across the globe and online. They are constantly looking for emerging talent that “represents contemporary expression and conveys an optimistic and colorful view of life.” One artist that is partnered with them who represents this is Eduardo Kobra, a muralist and graffiti artist who works with different kinds of paint to produce bright, psychedelic portraits of historical popular icons such as “Ethnicities”, one of Kobra’s most popularized works to date and a main attraction of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
If you are interested in displaying your artwork in one of their galleries, they ask that you send the following information to artists@edengallery.com according to their availabilities viewable on their website.
Up to 10 images in jpeg format as an email attachment. They accept a variety of art forms including paintings, mixed media, photography, sculptural works, shadow boxes, and papercuts.
A link to your portfolio (optional)
They do not accept physical pieces; however, they are able to arrange studio visits or invite artists to their offices during the initial consultation phase. If they believe that their galleries would be a suitable match for your art, they will contact you regarding the necessary further steps. They stated that further contact will only occur if there is sufficient interest from a gallery director and only respond to those that follow the required application process, according to availability/ relevance.
2. HyperCube
HyperCube is a “non-profit experimental art space”, located in Lisboa, Portugal, which was founded by artist, Özge Topçu. Their mission is to curate and host projects that encourage the discussion and understanding of the relationship between space, science, and technology through the collaboration of makers, thinks, artists and scientists year-round.
They are having a ‘Post Box’ long-term exhibition that creates “international visibility and interaction between artists during the traveling restrictions of the Covid-19 pandemic.” It commenced on December 28th 2020 and is running until December 6th 2021. Artists from around the world are still being invited to submit artwork by sending it to the postbox of the Hypercube Space. The art will be exhibited in a 105cm (W) x 170cm (H) x 33cm (D) public display window located next to the postbox itself which is “in keeping with Hypercube’s manifesto to expand the notion of the artspace.” Due to their ongoing application policy, every month another international artist’s work will be selected and presented for a 4 week period as part of a rolling open call for submissions. The theme of the Post box exhibition is “Connections” and all media and concepts are accepted. They ask that you select the work that represents your practice best. Submitted work is required to be in an appropriate format for the display window such as fine-art print, photograph, painting, mixed media, intervention, and installation, and ensure that the work can be easily posted (e.g. foldable, rolled, boxed, etc.) Continually, they do not encourage expensive shipment especially because you are responsible for the shipment and return of your work. There is no application fee but when applying you need to send your submissions by email to hypercubeprojectspace@gmail.com with the information below:
Short biography (200 words max)
Proposal for the work (500 words max) which explains the concept and installing requirements for the work.
1-3 images of the proposed work. (The maximum size of work idea is 105cm (W) x 170cm (H))
Online portfolio (link/ website)
Please merge all into a single pdf file (max 5 MB).
3. GRACE DENKER GALLERY
Grace Denker Gallery is an artist-run contemporary art gallery located in Hamburg, Germany known for displaying and supporting art by national and international artists such as Yuliya Stratovich. This talented artist is described as being “inspired by contemporary artists and minimalist, constructivist art. In Yuliya’s mind, beauty lies in simplicity, and she feels a great harmony with clear lines and shapes. From her earliest childhood, she spent her days drawing and painting and has now taken a winding, multi-faceted path until she arrived at her present technique and expression, with which she feels a deep bond and kinship. She works with acrylic paint and a palette knife, constantly striving for perfection and complete mastery over her chosen medium. To find the clearest expression that can speak a universal language is her driving force.”
This gallery hosts both solo and group exhibitions to which you can submit throughout the year. This gallery’s strategy is to review artworks in detail and take into consideration the choice of colours, composition, expertise, uniqueness, and marketability. Then, they liaise with art collectors and buyers and holding events at their gallery in Hamburg.
Their website states that “as an artist, you have the option of becoming a member of the Gallery. The membership includes a yearly feature on Social Media, free entrance to all events at the Gallery, personal invitations to events, discounts on all gallery catalogues and publications, and regular updates on the Grace Denker gallery and the art scene. Artists will be promoted worldwide through our online community of followers and to our unique monthly visitors. Their service also includes a yearly press release, blog article on our website accompanying an exhibition, a feature on Social Media, a chance to take part in a yearly group exhibition, and regular updates on the Grace Denker Gallery and the art scene.”
To register as an artist with this gallery presents many benefits including exposure, sales, and networking with a wider audience, and an opportunity to add to your CV as an artist. You need to send them:
• Your biography and Artist statement
• 4 images of your works (Minimum 1MB per image)
• Your contact details (Website, Instagram, FB, etc.)
• The signed membership agreement
This link will allow you to view their pricing plans for their services and they are open to questions that can be asked by contacting them at info@artcraftliving.com.
We hope that this article was informative and helpful so that you have awareness of some great new unique galleries across Australia, the UK, US and Europe that will support and enhance your journey as an emerging artist!