Critical Writing Open Call 2026
Applications open Monday, March 30 at 10:00am EST. Please review the Open Call guidelines below before submitting your application for consideration.
Recess invites applications for the 2026–2027 Critical Writing cohort.
Critical Writing at Recess initiates meaningful exchange between artists and writers and supports the mutual production of new work. Through a practice-led approach, the program brings together a cohort of writers to engage artists in the Recess community, develop new texts, and collectively produce a digital reader of contemporary art writing.
Throughout the program, each writer commits to publishing two texts while collaborating with the cohort to develop and edit a digital reader that places the Recess archive in conversation with texts from across the field.
The program runs August 2026 through June 2027, with monthly gatherings that alternate between virtual and in-person sessions.
Each participant receives a $4,000 stipend—distributed in three equal payments across the program year—that includes compensation for the writing, collaborative work, and participation in cohort sessions.
Open Call Timeline
⋅ Applications Open: Monday, March 30 at 10:00am EST
⋅ Virtual Info Session: Monday, April 13 at 6:00pm EST
⋅ Application Deadline: Thursday, April 30 at 11:59pm EST
⋅ Applicant Interviews: Early June
⋅ Decisions Announced: July
Program Structure
The Critical Writing program centers dialogue between writers and artists while fostering new forms of critical engagement with contemporary art.
The cohort will:
• Meet monthly in facilitated sessions with invited artists, editors, and cultural workers
• Develop new writing in a 8-10 week editorial timeline through peer exchange and editorial workshops
• Publish two original texts in reflection of Session projects during the program year
• Collaboratively produce a digital reader connecting the Recess textual archive with art writing from across the field
Program Schedule
The Critical Writing program will run from August 2026 through June 2027. The cohort will meet monthly in the evenings, tentatively every third Wednesday between 6-8pm EST. Review the program schedule below with the understanding that dates and timing may flux based on the shared calendars of the participants.
2026
⋅ Saturday, Aug 1 Half-Day Orientation: Writing Toward Abolition 11:00am–4:00pm — In person at Recess
⋅ Wednesday, Sept 16 Open Desk with an Artist-Writer 6:30–8:00pm — Recess
⋅ Wednesday, Oct 21 Reading Room: The Artist Interview 6:00–7:30pm — Zoom
⋅ Wednesday, Nov 18 Reading Room: Publishing Textual Art 6:00–7:30pm — Zoom
⋅ December Cohort publishes the Digital Reader
2027
⋅ Wednesday, Jan 20 Reading Room: The Editor’s Voice 6:00–7:30pm — Zoom
⋅ Wednesday, Feb 17 Open Desk with an Artbook Publisher 6:30–8:00pm — Recess
⋅ Wednesday, Mar 17 Reading Room: Writing Across Marginality 6:00–7:30pm — Zoom
⋅ Wednesday, Apr 21 Open Desk with a Curator-Editor 6:30–8:00pm — Recess
⋅ Wednesday, May 19 Reading Room: The Writer as Public Artist 6:00–7:30pm — Zoom
⋅ June Cohort curates a public program
Who Should Apply
The Critical Writing program is open to writers at any stage of their practice. We are selecting three writers for this year's Critical Writing cohort and reserving one spot for an alum of the Assembly program
We welcome applicants working across genres and forms, including:
• essays
• criticism
• poetry
• fiction
• experimental writing
• hybrid or interdisciplinary practices
Applicants may be emerging writers, mid-career writers, or those with extensive publication histories.
What matters most is a deep engagement with writing as a form of artistic and cultural inquiry.
Application Instructions
Applications must be submitted through Submittable by:
Thursday, April 30 at 11:59pm EST
Applicants will be asked to provide personal information, short written responses, writing samples, and literary references.
Below is a preview of the application form:
Section I: Tell Us About Yourself
• Full Name
• Mailing Address
• Phone Number
• Bio (max 200 words, written in third person)
• Resume or CV (PDF upload, max 3 pages)
• Website (optional)
Section II: What Does Writing and Reading Mean to You?
• Writing Journey: Share a narrative about your relationship to writing. (max 200 words) How did you find your way to writing as a form of artistic expression?
• A Text You Return To: Tell us about a text exploring an artist, artwork, or exhibition that you revisit as a reader. (max 200 words) What aspects of the writing resonate most with you?
• Micro-Review: Write a descriptive micro-review of a mundane object that is part of your daily life. (max 300 words) How does it occupy time and space in your world? What does it reveal about how you shape your daily life?
Section III: Critical Writing at Recess
•Writing and the Cultural Field: What role do you believe writing plays in today’s arts ecosystem? How might writing contribute to more equitable cultural futures?
•Program Commitment: Participants are expected to attend monthly sessions and the orientation workshop.
• Can you attend the monthly sessions (third Wednesday evenings)?
• Can you attend the orientation workshop on Aug 1?
• Do you have any conflicts with weekday evening sessions or weekend programming?
Writing Samples
Submit two writing samples that best reflect your writing voice and practice.
• One sample must be an essay engaging an artwork, artist, or cultural event
• Samples may be published, unpublished, or in progress
• We will read up to 2 pages (1,000 words) per sample
Please include instructions if your submission exceeds this length.
Short-form writing, poetry, fiction, or experimental forms are welcome.
Literary References
Please share two literary references who can speak to your writing practice.
This may include:
• editors
• writing group members
• peer readers
• artists you have written about
• collaborators