Publication: Curationist
Topic(s): Arts writing, archives, cultural history, global art, film history, cookbooks, museums, repatriation, archaeology, natural history, sensory history
Rate: $1,500 flat (~$1 per word for ~1,500 words)
Deadline: 28 February 2026
Name of Editor: Not specified
Submit Via: Submission Form
Curationist is inviting editorial feature pitches for its 2026 publishing cycle. This is a high-paying international writing opportunity for arts writers, historians, curators, archivists, librarians, and cultural critics worldwide—including writers based in Kenya and the Global South.
The publication is seeking original, unpublished essays that critically investigate and contextualize works from its open-access digital archives. Essays should draw from global histories, cultural narratives, and artistic traditions across time, with a strong preference for subjects that are underrepresented or overlooked in mainstream arts writing.
This pitch call is open to writers at any career stage. Selected contributors will receive deep editorial support, archival research assistance, and a clear production timeline.
What They’re Looking For
Curationist commissions long-form editorial features that:
- Critically engage art and cultural objects (“Works”) from their archive
- Explore global cultural history through anti-colonial, feminist, queer, and social justice lenses
- Question archival practices, metadata gaps, and historical erasure
- Expand cultural discourse beyond Western-dominated narratives
Essays may be:
- Art-historical or scholarly
- Critically reflective on archives themselves
- Creative or experimental in tone and structure
Suggested 2026 themes include:
Film and film contexts, cookbooks, non-visual senses, repatriation and reparative practices, revisionist archaeology, costume history, natural history, Eastern Bloc cultures, and more.
Writers do not need to be based in the U.S. Applications are accepted globally.
Pay, Timeline & Support
- Pay: $1,500 flat fee per essay (~1,500 words)
- Timeline: 3 months from proposal to publication
- Publication Windows: Spring, Summer, or Fall 2026 (chosen by writer + editors)
- Editing: Expect at least 3 editorial drafts with feedback
- Research Support: Access to a digital archivist
- Payment: Paid upon submission of final draft
Curationist will commission up to eight essays for 2026.
Submission Requirements
Proposals must be submitted via the official form. Email pitches will not be reviewed.
Prepare the following:
- Essay abstract (max 300 words)
- Links to 1–3 Works from the Curationist archive you’ll reference
- Links or one PDF with up to 3 writing samples
- CV or resume
📌 Submission Form: https://forms.gle/4nQGdM129fUfJFyy5
📅 Form Open: 15 January – 28 February 2026
Selection Timeline
- Proposals reviewed in March 2026
- Notifications sent by 15 April 2026
- Selected writers choose their preferred writing/publication period
For clarification questions only, contact: pitch.us@curationist.org
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