Pairings

Pairings: art that makes us think of food and food that makes us think of art.

We are all consumers. News, clothes, gadgets, art, food, literature—they all fuel our lives and our passions. In this new format, we invite writers to explore how art and food are connected.

Requirements: The artist must be from California, Oregon, or Washington, but the food can be from anywhere. The art doesn’t need to have food it in, we welcome pitches about paintings that remind you of pastries, sound art that reminds you of cocktails, photographs that remind you of pizza, or whatever else wets your whistle.
Length: 400–450 words
Compensation: $75
Email us at editorial@variablewest.com with PAIRING PITCH in the subject line.

The Why

The Why: stories about what inspires West Coast creatives

Requirements: West Coast creatives from any medium—graphic design, painting, architecture, tattooing, photography, ceramics, illustration, sculpture, and more—can submit a short story about a significant event that influenced their practice. It can be anything from a visit to a museum or gallery to running errands or a really bad/good day.
Length: 200–300 words
Compensation: $50
Email us at editorial@variablewest.com with THE WHY PITCH in the subject line.

Love Letters

Love Letters: micro essays on artists we can’t stop thinking about.

Requirements: The artist must be working (or worked, if the artist is dead) in California, Oregon, or Washington, but doesn’t need to have work up in an exhibition. We encourage submissions from West Coast writers, but are happy to accept pitches from anywhere.
Length: 200–250 words
Compensation: $50
Email us at editorial@variablewest.com with LOVE LETTER PITCH in the subject line.

Reviews & Interviews

We’re accepting pitches for exhibition reviews and interviews on the theme of “Stretching out toward the future.”

In “Black Women Writers at Work,” editor Claudia Tate asks Toni Cade Bambara how her writing has evolved over time and Bambara notes that her writing at that time is a “stretch out toward the future…to accommodate flash forwards and potential happenings.” Instead of simply recounting events, or as Bambara puts it: “playing flashbacks,” writing critically allows us to consider the interconnectedness of the present tense and the futures we hope to conjure.

We’re also accepting pitches for review and interviews inspired by this Bill Withers quote: “Thoreau said most men live lives of quiet desperation. I’d like to know how it feels for my desperation to get louder.”

Exhibition Reviews
Requirement: the exhibition must take place in California, Oregon, or Washington
Word count: 600–800 words
Compensation: $150

Artist Interviews
Requirement: the artist must be working in California, Oregon, or Washington
Word count: 2,000 words
Compensation: $150

Email us at editorial@variablewest.com with REVIEW PITCH or INTERVIEW PITCH in the subject line.

Dispatches

Dispatches: West Coast artists, anywhere in the world. Exhibition reviews of West Coast artists on view outside the West Coast.

Requirement: the exhibition must take place outside California, Oregon, or Washington
Word count: 1,000 words
Compensation: $200

Budget

The art world is a 60 billion dollar industry, but very few writers, artists, and arts workers make a living wage off their labor. At Variable West, our goal is to break free from both the exploitative capitalist for-profit system and the elite corruption behind the non-profit industrial complex. We’re building a new economic model built on a foundation of equity, transparency, and sharing resources. We don’t have everything figured out, but we’re starting by sharing our budget. Check it out, and join the conversation.

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