Artist Commune: The Journal is an annual arts publication that reconsiders accessibility in arts research and community engagement. Led by Urban Arts Space, the Commune hopes to feature work from artists within the Columbus community, arts organizations across Central Ohio, and arts-based researchers at academic institutions. By showcasing diverse voices and perspectives, we aim to cultivate a stronger sense of community and understanding within Columbus and beyond. 

We're pleased to announce a call for submissions for the first issue, which will be released in Spring 2025. This community arts journal will contain a collection of selected pieces that push the boundaries of how art is made, viewed, and understood, particularly through community engagement. The forms of work can include arts research, essays, poetry, artwork, interviews, video/film, music/audio, comics, and community project/organization spotlights. 

Artist Commune: The Journal will be published annually in print and online. Each issue will be themed, with the 2025 theme being Care / Culture / Justice. Although this theme is open to interpretation, artists must demonstrate that their pieces relate to the issue theme of Care / Culture / Justice.

Deadline: Monday, December 2, 2024 by 5:00 PM ET

Submit Here!

The submission period for Issue One of Artist Commune: The Journal is open until December 2, 2024 at 5:00 PM ET. Late submissions will not be considered. We aim to respond to all submissions by January 2025.

We are looking for the following types of works: 

• Arts research (4,000 words max)
• Essays/think pieces/articles (4,000 words max)
• Poetry (up to three pieces)
• Interviews
• Artwork (up to three pieces)
• Video/film (no length limitations)
• Music/audio (no length limitations)
• Comics (six pages max)
• Community project/organization spotlight (no limitations)
• Collaborations
• Any combination of the above or other categories

The amount of available print space will be a consideration in the selection process, with shorter and mid-length pieces preferred. Applicants may submit only once per category but are welcome to submit different pieces across multiple categories. Recommended file types include .jpg, .png, .doc, .pdf, .mp3, and .mp4. 

Urban Arts Space does not charge a reading fee. Accepted artists will be awarded an honorarium of $150 for their submission. Artists will be asked to sign a contract, and payment will be rendered within ten months of publication through The Ohio State University system.

If you have additional questions, please reach out to us at uas@osu.edu.

The first two issues of Artist Commune: The Journal are generously funded by a grant from the Global Arts + Humanities Discovery Theme as well as the College of Arts and Sciences Office of Engagement at The Ohio State University. These funds go toward paying contributors and printing high-quality copies of the journal to distribute for free to the local community, in addition to supporting marketing for each issue.