--- title: How to write an open call for artists description: Write an open call with clear eligibility, dates, artist fees, selection criteria and application materials. Includes a reusable brief for arts organizations. date: "2026-10-09" updated: "2026-10-11" author: David Rozenfeld tags: - organizations - open-calls - selection - program-management url: https://www.artsume.com/guides/how-to-write-an-open-call type: guides coverImage: https://kzzpzffowqyooyadeqnl.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/cms-images/posts/artsume-how-to-write-an-open-call-hero-1791556519930-uxhuzi.webp --- # How to write an open call for artists An open call should let an artist decide whether the opportunity fits before they start an application. Put the offer, eligibility, costs, deadline and selection process where a reader can find them. Then ask only for the material your team will use to decide. You can [publish a program on Artsume for free](/organizations). A useful call starts with the brief, before the form or promotion. If you are preparing the full cycle, use the companion guide to [running a call for entries](/guides/how-to-run-a-call-for-entries). This guide gives Artsume's practical recommendations. The examples explain a process; they do not report customer results. A funder's rules apply to that funder's programs. Check your own program's requirements before using them. ## Write the offer before the application Name what a selected artist receives. An exhibition, residency, grant, commission and publication have different commitments. State the number of available places when it is fixed. Explain whether the offer includes payment, accommodation, materials, technical support, travel or installation. Separate an artist fee from an application fee. The artist fee is compensation for selected work or participation. An application fee is what someone pays to submit. Name the currency for each amount. Explain any later participation costs, shipping responsibilities and payment schedule before asking someone to apply. If a detail is still undecided, say which detail and when you will confirm it. Avoid a headline promise that depends on funding you have not secured. Do not describe visibility or networking as a substitute for a payment you have already promised. ## Make eligibility possible to check Write eligibility as concrete conditions. Specify the accepted disciplines, location requirements, career stage, age limits where relevant, and whether groups can apply. Define ambiguous terms such as emerging, local and recent graduate. A restriction needs a reason within the program. If you ask for a particular qualification, decide whether equivalent experience qualifies. If applicants must live in a region, state whether you assess residence at application, selection or participation. Separate required conditions from preferences. A preference can influence review without disqualifying an otherwise eligible application. Put your required conditions into the application checklist, so reviewers do not invent new requirements after submissions arrive. ## Separate the dates and time zone An application deadline is not the exhibition opening or residency start. Show each date with its purpose. Include the deadline's time zone, especially for an international call. | Date | What the artist needs to know | | ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------ | | Applications open | When the form begins accepting submissions. | | Applications close | The date, time and time zone for the final submission. | | Questions close | The last date for a useful answer before the deadline. | | Decisions | When applicants should expect a result. | | Participation | The exhibition, residency, delivery or project dates. | For rolling applications, explain when you review them and whether places can fill before a stated final date. If you extend a deadline, update the original listing and every active promotion. Keep a short dated note explaining the change. ## Ask for evidence your panel will use Build the form from your selection criteria. If feasibility matters, ask for a schedule or budget. If you select an existing body of work, ask for work samples and concise context. A new proposal needs different evidence from an exhibition of completed work. Specify the number of work samples, supported formats, file limits and video duration. Explain whether a link must remain accessible through the review period. Ask for a CV only when career information is relevant to the decision. A person's Artsume combines their work and career experience. You can use that record alongside program-specific answers. Read the [program creation instructions](/docs/creating-programs) before choosing the materials your form requests. Keep the first stage proportionate. Requiring a detailed production plan from every applicant creates work that your panel may never read. For a staged commission, explain what shortlisted artists will prepare later and whether that stage is paid. ## Explain selection before submissions arrive Name the criteria in the call. Explain who reviews applications, whether review has one or more rounds, and who makes the final decision. State how you handle conflicts of interest and requests for clarification. The [National Endowment for the Arts review process](https://www.arts.gov/grants/grant-review-process) separates eligibility checks, panel recommendations and final decisions. Your own process can be smaller, but those responsibilities should still be clear. A [scoring rubric](/guides/how-to-create-an-artist-selection-rubric) translates criteria into a shared assessment method. Publish the criteria artists need to address. Avoid promising that scores alone determine the outcome if a panel also considers the final program balance. ## Use this open-call brief Complete this brief before you publish. The bracketed fields are writing prompts, not facts to leave in a live call. > **Program:** [Name and opportunity type]. > **Offer:** [What selected artists receive, including payment and support]. > **Who can apply:** [Required conditions and any preferences]. > **What to submit:** [Work samples, answers, CV and file requirements]. > **Costs:** [Application fee, currency, waivers and later costs]. > **Deadline:** [Date, time and time zone, or the rolling-review schedule]. > **Selection:** [Criteria, reviewers, stages and decision authority]. > **Dates:** [Notification and participation dates]. > **Access:** [How to request an accessible application format or assistance]. > **Contact:** [The person or address for program questions]. Have a colleague who did not write the brief read it. Ask them to explain the offer, costs and deadline back to you. Revise any point they have to infer. ## Publish once, then promote the clear offer On Artsume, free publication and paid promotion are separate. First complete the program and check the public page. Then decide whether its audience, deadline and available places justify [promotion](/docs/promoting-a-program). Use the same canonical program link in your website, newsletter and social posts. Keep the full conditions on that page. A short social caption can introduce the offer, but it should not become a different version of the rules. ## A festival example: separate each activity Artspace Peterborough’s [2026 Book & Zine Fest announcement](https://artspaceptbo.ca/events/10th-annual-book-zine-fest) names May 1–2 dates and the Peterborough Public Library venue. It lists public hours and the types of makers who participate. It also identifies a bookmaking workshop that requires registration. Use that level of detail when you describe participation. Then add your application deadline, vendor terms, selection criteria and decision date. Give each activity its own requirements so applicants can tell what they are applying for. ## A gallery example: explain the fit In our [interview with Abbozzo Gallery](/community/abbozzo-gallery), associate director Blake Zigrossi describes looking for a cohesive, specific portfolio. This is one gallery's account of selection fit. It is not a universal scoring rule. For your call, state the kind of work and context you seek. Give applicants enough information to select relevant work samples. Do not copy another gallery's preferences as your own. ## Frequently Asked Questions **Q: Does an open call need an application fee?** A: No. Choose the fee policy for your program and state it before applications open. Publishing a program on Artsume is free; collecting an application fee has separate payment terms. **Q: How much work should the application request?** A: Request the evidence your reviewers need for the published criteria. Move detailed development work to a later stage when a shortlist can reduce unnecessary applicant effort. **Q: Can I change the call after publishing?** A: Correct unclear information promptly and explain material changes. If a change affects eligibility, cost or selection, consider the applicants who already submitted and communicate the change consistently. Use [Creating programs](/docs/creating-programs) to turn the finished brief into your listing and application form.