Surface Design Journal is the quarterly print publication of the Surface Design Association. International in scope, it focuses on “contemporary textile and fiber-based art and design through a breathtaking array of concepts, applications, processes, and materials.” They invite article proposals for their themed issues, and accepted articles run 500–1,200 words depending on the department, accompanied by print-quality images. All work must be original and exclusive to the journal. According to their proposal guidelines, they pay $0.50 per word for print. To learn more, refer to their submission guidelines or visit their website.
Critical Playground is "a global platform at the edge of creative technology, design, and culture." They commission 800–900 word critical articles that place projects, studios, exhibitions, and technologies in a broader cultural or technical context. According to their guidelines, pay is $300 per commissioned article. To learn more, refer to their pitch guidelines.
The Amp is the Asian American Arts Alliance's online magazine celebrating the AAPI cultural community in New York City. They publish essays, reviews, profiles, and interviews, and they cover only NYC-area artists and events. According to their pitch guide, pay is $0.40 per word, rounded down to the nearest hundred words. To learn more, refer to their pitch guidelines.
BlackFlash Magazine is a platform for contemporary visual art. BlackFlash is dedicated to presenting critical opinions, urgent issues, and innovative ideas about divergent artistic practices from across Canada, the United States and beyond. According to their pitch guide, they pay $1,000 for features, $750 for conversations, $600 for artists profiles, and $450 for artists projects. To learn more, refer to this page.
Established in 2009, Paper Visual Art (PVA) has been publishing journals, books, and online texts that focus on visual art, contemporary culture, and literature. They consider a variety of texts for publication, such as reviews, personal essays, and other forms of writing. According to their pitch guide, writers who contribute to their hardcopy journals will be paid a minimum fee of €225 per text. Review writers and interviewees will be paid a minimum fee of €175 (for both hardcopy and online). To learn more, refer to this page.
Boston Art Review is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit arts organization that facilitates discourse about contemporary art and culture through publishing, programming, and events in Boston and beyond. They are looking for digital pitches for Quick Bits (250–500 words), Reviews (500–1500 words), Artist Interviews, Boston Artists Outside of Boston, and Critical Perspectives (1200+ words). When we last updated this listing, they were not accepting pitches for the print magazine. According to their pitch guide, pay can range anywhere from $150–$650. To learn more, refer to this page.
The Big Idea is “the largest and leading online resource for the arts in New Zealand.” They’re open for submissions from both experienced and emerging writers. They publish long and short-form articles covering “news, events, people, places, and concerns in the arts sectors.” Their focus is “exclusively on the arts in Aotearoa or New Zealand artists.” At the moment, they’re commissioning stories in the following columns: Pathfinders (800 to 1,200 words), Road Trip (800 to 1,200 words), Soapbox (800 to 1,200 words), Feature (up to 2,500 words), News (up to 1,200 words), and Arts Smarts. They have previously indicated to pay about 30 cents a word. To pitch them, refer to this page.
Design Observer is “a leading platform offering thought-provoking content on design, culture, and social innovation.” According to their guidelines, they offer a $150 honorarium for art-eds, op-eds, and essays (around 800 to 900 words). Rates begin at $1.50/word for commissioned short pieces that include original reporting and sourcing (usually 500 to 900 words). To learn more, refer to their call for pitches.
Artdose Magazine is an independent print and digital art magazine based in Wisconsin, committed to connecting and supporting the visual arts in the Midwest. They are seeking arts writers from Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. They're looking for articles (500 words max) on visual arts-related topics that have connection to the writer's region, state, or art community. They are open to submissions from arts writers at all skill levels and experience. According to their pitch guide, they pay $125 per selected article for print only and $50 per review for online only. To learn more, refer to this page.
Newcity Brazil is an English-language digital publishing operation focused on the visual art culture of Brazil, with special emphasis on São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. They are seeking art critics and journalists based in São Paulo and throughout Brazil who are familiar with artists and the gallery and museum scene, and are also looking to expand their coverage into design and architecture. They publish art exhibition reviews, art news, artist and gallery profiles, and interviews and features. Reviews and news are 500 or so words, and features or interviews are 1,000 or more words. According to their pitch guide, reviews pay $50; features $150. To learn more, refer to this page.