Guidelines for Writers
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Galleries West welcomes pitches from previously published arts writers or emerging writers with a strong sense of the writing craft and a good knowledge of the visual arts. We encourage pitches from diverse voices, including BIPOC writers.
Most of our stories and reviews relate to artists with exhibitions in Western Canada (Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia) or the North (Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut), or significant exhibitions elsewhere that feature Western Canadian artists. We occasionally commission articles on more general themes.
We prefer to publish stories and reviews while exhibitions are on view and seek commentary sophisticated enough to engage arts professionals, but accessible to a general audience interested in the arts.
Please direct pitches to editor@gallerieswest.ca, briefly explaining the premise of what you want to write. Include links to relevant websites and a short description of your arts-related experience, as well as two samples of previous writing, either as PDFs or links.
We provide a Letter of Agreement stipulating the terms of the assignment. We typically commission stories and reviews of about 500 words for which we pay a flat fee of $300. Our deadlines are firm.
We ask writers to be transparent about potential conflicts of interest.
Some thoughts on arts writing (and writing in general)
- A frank and lively account about political writing that has some lessons for every aspiring writer:
Nine tips for political writing | Ian Dunt - A basic primer on reviewing from OCAD University in Toronto:
https://www.ocadu.ca/Assets/content/teaching-learning/WLC/Online+Resources/Writing+Art+Reviews.pdf - An excerpt on reviewing from “A Short Guide to Writing about Art” by Sylvan Barnet:
https://www.csus.edu/indiv/o/obriene/art112/readings/writing_a_review_of_an_exhibition.pdf - Some notes on reviewing from Vancouver artist Judy Radul:
https://www.sfu.ca/~jaradul/reviews.html
Galleries West Editorial Guidelines
Galleries West serves readers and the public interest by providing a forum for reliable information and diverse commentary with an emphasis on accuracy, fairness and accountability
We fact-check our stories, credit the sources of information, and make prompt and transparent corrections when errors occur.
Our writers are asked to disclose any conflicts that could be perceived as influencing coverage. We ask writers not to cover subjects in which they have a financial interest or people with whom they have close personal relationships.
Commentators and reviewers are free to express their views, provided they meet journalistic standards for fairness and accuracy.
Our writers may accept review copies of books and tickets for exhibitions and events they are covering, but do not accept other gifts of more than nominal value.
In accordance with standard journalistic practices, we do not show unpublished drafts of articles to sources with an interest in the content. Nor do we share unpublished information, such as notes, emails and audio tapes of interviews, with those outside Galleries West.
We do not alter photographs, audio recordings or videos. We seek permission to use such materials and credit sources.
We acknowledge the support of the Government of Alberta Media Fund, the Government of Canada Periodical Fund and the Canada Council for the Arts.
