Nailing the Application: A Guide to Artist Open Calls

To be an artist is to constantly apply for things such as exhibitions and residencies. Many creative opportunities start with an open call. How can you ensure you’re putting your best foot forward when submitting these applications?

Drawing upon the perspective of arts decision-makers who run residencies, jury exhibitions, and review project proposals, this panel discussion will cover:

• Where to find open calls for art exhibitions, residencies, and more

• How to determine if an opportunity is right for you

• Tips for compiling and presenting your work samples

• What reviewers like to see in the application statement/narrative 

• Insights into the behind the scenes review process

NYFA is pleased to present this free online workshop in partnership with the Northern Virginia Local Arts Agencies a special collaboration of the Office of the Arts, City of Alexandria, ArtsFairfax, and Arlington Cultural Affairs.

Time for Q&A will be provided.

Panelists’ information is forthcoming; check back for more details! 

What: Nailing the Application: A Guide to Artist Open Calls

When: February 22, 2024, 12:00 - 1:30 PM ET

Where: Online via Zoom

Who: Artists and creatives of all disciplines

Cost: Free

Register: Register here. Registrants will receive the zoom link.

Recording: This event will be recorded; the link will be emailed to all RSVPs after the event. The recording will be available for one month.

Questions: Email learning@nyfa.org

About the Panelists

Moderator: Kelly Olshan, NYFA Learning Program Officer, Career Advice and Training

Lily Siegel, Executive Director—Hamiltonian Artists
Lily Siegel is Hamiltonian Artists’ first Executive Director. Before joining Hamiltonian, Siegel was Executive Director and Curator at Tephra Institute of Contemporary Art (formerly Greater Reston Arts Center), Reston, Virginia, and has held curatorial positions at the Contemporary Jewish Museum, San Francisco; the High Museum of Art, Atlanta; and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. Siegel earned her MA in Modern Art History, Theory, and Criticism from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and BA in Art History, Theory, and Criticism from the University of California, San Diego.

Brigitta Varadi—Artist, '21 NYFA Fellow, and Residency Director, ChaNorth (Chashama)

Brigitta Váradi is a Hungarian-born self-taught artist who lives and works in Pine Plains, NY.

Váradi is a 2021 NYSCA/NYFA Artist Fellow in Interdisciplinary Work and a grant recipient from The Arts Council of Ireland, Leitrim County Council (Ireland), Roscommon County Council (Ireland), and Culture Ireland. She has been awarded residencies at MacDowell (Peterborough, NH), the Museum of Arts and Design (New York, NY), Civitella Ranieri Foundation (Umbria, Italy), NARS Foundation (New York, NY), The Marble House Project (Dorset, VT), Saltonstall (Ithaca, NY), Wassaic Project (Wassaic, NY), LOCIS-European Cultural Program (Sweden, Poland, Ireland), and Leitrim Sculpture Centre (Co.Leitrim, Ireland), among others.

Váradi, upcoming solo exhibition at the Al Held Foundation, April-June 2024, curated by Marisa Espe, organized by River Valley Arts Collective. Her work is found in public collections including a site-specific government commission for The Department of Education and Science, Athlone, Ireland, and a recently-completed collaborative public art commission for Sligo County Council, Ireland. 

As the Residency Director of ChaShaMa North (ChaNorth) nonprofit organization in New York City, Varadi supports the artists community through creating diverse programming and an environment that fosters cross-disciplinary exchange of ideas, perspectives, and expertise.