Pitches for Issue 12 are now closed. Please check back soon for information about our fall issue.
New pitching guidelines: All pitches must be submitted through the submissions form. We are happy to answer questions over email, but formal pitches must be submitted through the form.
Boston Art Review welcomes pitches for critical perspectives, essays, reviews, interviews, profiles, and artist projects for our spring issue, Assemble.
This issue is dedicated to exploring how artists bring materials, disciplines, and people together. We’re thinking about mediums that combine fragments into new forms. We’re thinking about social practices that connect individuals and collectives that cultivate community. And we’re thinking about ways of gathering—for protest and political action, for mourning and celebration, and for group exhibitions and performances of all kinds.
In addition to thematic contributions, we will consider pitches for exhibition reviews and other timely local arts stories that are not related to the theme. We recommend familiarizing yourself with past issues to get a sense of the content we publish.
Submission Instructions
The following items should be included in a pitch and submitted using the submissions form.
- Type of content (i.e. review, interview, etc.)
- Intent of the piece (abstract/overview — 2-3 sentences)
- Make a case for the connection to the theme (less necessary for pitches of exhibition reviews)
- Short writer or artist bio
- If you have links to bylines, please share (not necessary for returning writers)
Boston Art Review is neither an academic journal nor a news magazine; it combines scholarship, criticism, and a creative voice that spans across genres and reaches diverse readership. We welcome pieces that are poignant, engaging, pertinent, and relevant to our time and place. We make considerations based on quality and originality and most importantly on how this piece will connect to broader dialogues within the field of contemporary art and cultural criticism.
Article submissions may fit into the following categories, but our editorial team is happy to work with you on developing stories that push the boundaries of how art and criticism can be presented in print.
Critical Perspectives: Approximately 1,500–2,000 words. These essays will present a critical discussion and evaluation of issues or ideas relevant to art and culture. These pieces may or may not directly reflect Boston, but should reference the region within the piece. We encourage you to research or seek quotes and perspectives as needed. Critical perspectives should reference your own scholarship or position within the argument clearly. Creativity in this medium is expected.
Reviews: Approximately 800 – 1,200 words. Reviews should cover exhibitions, gallery events, public art installations, or happenings within Greater Boston or across New England. This writing should be spirited, engaging, and critical without heavily relying on jargon. Don’t be afraid to express a critical opinion or be referential. There is an expectation that these reviews will include enough context/research to make them both timely and timeless in the print publication. Reviews do not have to be tied to the issue theme.
Artist Interviews: No more than 2,200 words. Interviews with artists who are, or once were, living, working, or studying in the Greater Boston Area or artists currently exhibiting in Boston will be accepted. These pieces should provide a dynamic, fun, engaging, and insightful lens into the artist’s world. Interviews should include a brief bio about the artist and context about the interview in the form of an introduction (around 200 words). A variety of mediums, formats, and creative arrangements are welcomed. Photo / video assistance available upon request. Please pitch to BAR before reaching out to the artist.
Artist Profiles: Similar to artist interviews, we are welcoming work on artists with a connection to Boston. Their work should connect to the theme and/or have a timely hook, such as an upcoming exhibition or project of note. Artists may not submit profiles of themselves.
Artist Project: We are accepting work from artists of all mediums. While all artwork submissions must be in the form of images with text, we can create dynamic content for the online site in order to include video, portfolios, links, etc. Only one artist project is selected per issue.
Other: Experimentation in print is welcome. If you have an idea for an ekphrastic poem, a manifesto, a personal essay, a timeline, or a special column or feature, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
* All of the above are also accepted on a rolling basis for the online platform. Our editorial team are happy to work with you on story ideas, event coverage, film, and photo documentation.
Frequently Asked Questions:
I’m not exactly sure what my pitch is yet, can the BAR team help me?
Sure! If you have an idea but don’t know exactly what the right angle or direction is, send us a note to submit@bostonartreview.com well in advance of the deadline and we can offer some ideas for how your pitch could fit into this issue. Questions or vague ideas submitted within two days of the deadline will be considered as your pitch and there may not be room for our team to work with you.
I’m a writer and would love to write for BAR, but don’t exactly know what I want to write about. What can I do?
We’re always looking for writers to assign stories to. Please use the submissions form to send us an introduction, tell us a bit about yourself, and share some writing samples. We’ll reach out if we have a story brewing that might be a good fit.
I’m an artist and would like my work to be considered for this issue. What’s the best way to present my work?
When submitting your own work for publication, it is important to recognize that unless selected for an Artist Project, we will need to pair you with a writer who is interested in covering your work in the form of an interview, profile, or feature. With that, please note anything that might be of interest to a writer, such as recent or upcoming exhibitions, forthcoming projects, or a strong hook for why your work is not only related to the theme, but timely. Why should readers know about you and your work right now? How does your work contend with larger conversations within Boston and the contemporary art world?
I’m a writer who is interested in interviewing an artist. Should I reach out to the artist first?
If the artist is not someone you have a working relationship with, (i.e. you wanted to interview Deana Lawson about her ICA show), please DO NOT reach out to the artist or the institution prior to submitting your pitch. We receive a large amount of pitches, oftentimes with multiple people pitching the same artist, exhibition, or idea, and in those moments our team has the discretion to select the best writer for that subject.
If the artist is someone who you have a working relationship with, you could reach out to them and let them know you are pitching their work. They might be able to offer news or information that would strengthen your pitch.
This is a zoom recording outlining tips and best practices for pitching to BAR. While this info session was held in advance of our last issue, its guidance remains accurate for future issues. If this is your first time writing for us, there’s a chance your first draft and final draft will look pretty different by the end of our editing process. We work collaboratively with writers every step of the way.
Conflict of Interest Policy:
At their discretion, the Boston Art Review editorial team reserves the right to decline a pitch for any reason. The editorial team will try to share feedback, but it is not always possible based on the number of pitches received.
In cases where the writer and artist/institution/organization (i.e. author and subject) have a close personal, working, or financial relationship, it is the responsibility of the person submitting the pitch to disclose such information. In some cases, we will need to decline the pitch; in others, we can move forward and acknowledge the relationship within the piece.
The editorial team may decline a pitch due to their own relationship to a subject. The editorial team will disclose that conflict should it arise and offer an alternative should it seem fit.
The editorial team will not consider pitches from a writer whom a gallery, institution, PR firm, or organization has commissioned to pitch. Suggestions from galleries, institutions, organizations may be considered at the discretion of the editorial team and in the instance of an available writer.
CALL FOR WRITERS
Are you a writer interested in contributing to BAR, but not sure what you’d like to write about? We are currently expanding our writer roster and want to hear from you! Send us a short note introducing yourself and please include a writing sample or recent byline. Please email editorial@bostonartreview.com to learn more.
CALL FOR EDITORS
Our editorial team is growing! We’re currently seeking to expand our editorial team with individuals who possess writing, reporting, editing, publishing, arts admin, or curatorial experience. We will especially prioritize BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ individuals who are Boston-based in an effort to ensure our editorial team is representative of the communities whose stories we often cover, but who by and large do not make up a significant portion of mastheads at critical publications in our region or across the arts publishing landscape. This is a paid opportunity with varying time commitments throughout the year. Please email jameson@bostonartreview.com to learn more.