Organizer Information:

ArtGraduates. A platform featuring contemporary art from verified artists. The competition is hosted by ArtGraduates Magazine, which publishes interviews and curatorial projects in 17 languages.

Title & Description:

Applications are open for Fresh Edit: Open Call for Emerging Curators.

Fresh Edit invites emerging curators to create a curatorial selection of works from the ArtGraduates collection (featuring 100+ contemporary visual artists), accompanied by an original text exploring the connections between them. This is a publication-focused competition—the published projects are curatorial texts and do not imply a commitment to realize a physical exhibition.

Category:

Publication / Curatorial.

Eligibility:

  • Who: Open to emerging curators, art history students, recent graduates, and anyone with a genuine interest in curatorial practice.
  • Age Limit: Applicants MUST be aged 18–35 at the time of submission.
  • Artwork Source: Artworks MUST be selected exclusively from the works available on ArtGraduates.com at the time of submission.
  • AI Ban: Your curatorial text must be your own original writing. AI-generated texts will be strictly disqualified.
  • Language: Submissions are accepted in any language.

Program Benefits & Awards:

  • Top 5 Projects: Will be published as full articles in ArtGraduates Magazine (one per week), with each article translated into 17 languages.
  • Overall Winner (1st Place): The single best project will receive a $300 USD prize in addition to publication.
  • Professional Development: Selected curators receive a professional curatorial reference for their CV/portfolio and a dedicated curator profile (bio, photo, website/social links) on the platform.

Application Fee & Program Costs:

  • Application Fee: Free to enter.

Application Requirements:

  • Artwork Selection Rules: You must select at least 5 artworks from at least 3 different artists, referenced by their unique image IDs.
  • Curatorial Essay: A 500–2000 word essay presenting your selection, its theme, the art-historical/conceptual connections, and your curatorial perspective.
  • Optional: A proposed exhibition concept describing how the works could be presented together in a physical or virtual space.
  • Authorship: You retain full authorship of your project, granting ArtGraduates a non-exclusive right to publish it.

How to Apply?

This is a two-step process:

  1. Register: Fill out the registration form on the ArtGraduates website. Upon approval, you will receive an email with access to the curator preview page (which contains the full-resolution artworks and their unique image IDs).
  2. Submit: Email your completed project (title, image IDs, and essay) to info@artgraduates.com.
    • Email Subject Line Constraint: You MUST use the subject line: Fresh Edit: [Your Project Title]

Key Dates:

  • Application Deadline: August 1, 2026.
  • Results Announced: August 11, 2026.

Location:

Global / Online.

Contact Information:

Submissions & Inquiries Email: info@artgraduates.com

Website & Registration Link: https://www.artgraduates.com/magazine/fresh-edit