Art Writing Champions
Variable West Art Writing Champions guarantee the future of fearless, rigorous, and accessible West Coast art writing that supports local writers and engages with regional programming on a regular basis.
By committing to annual support of Variable West’s programming, you do three essential things:
- You support local writers in a tangible way through regular assignments with rates far above industry standards. Champions allow us to pay writers $0.50/word while the industry average is $0.10/word.
- You ensure that Variable West can continue publishing the highest quality writing about West Coast art and culture while insisting on a foundation of diversity, equity, and accessibility, and continuing to nurture new and underrepresented voices.
- You gain a commitment from our team to publish one to twelve reviews about your programming or your chosen topic(s) each year, depending on the Champion level.
Contact Variable West founder and Editor in Chief Amelia Rina to discuss becoming a Variable West Champion at hello@variablewest.com.
Variable West reserves the right to determine which exhibition or program to review, without consultation with the Champion. Variable West maintains editorial independence and texts will not be available for review by the Champion before publishing.
Recent Champion-supported writing
Painting Toward Life: Jesse Murry at Reed College
Painting as a matter of life or death.
Textile as transcript: Adriene Cruz in Converge 45’s Social Forms: Art as Global Citizenship
Vibrant, mixed media textile works honor the history of Black women.
Who do you carry with you? Malcolm Peacock at SE Cooper Contemporary
Through audio, participatory sculpture, and memory, the exhibit poses the salient questions: “who are you carrying with you?”
A Question of Hu: The Narrative Art of Hung Liu
Through her process, subject, and material choices, Liu uplifts subjects that historically would not have the socioeconomic power or privilege to be memorialized in paint.
FAQ
Q: Instead of focusing on my programming, can I be a Champion for another organization, topic, theme, or Variable West in general?
A: Yes! We encourage support of all kinds, even if you don’t have an arts organization of your own. You can support your coverage of your favorite arts organization, medium, theme, and more!
Q: Does this mean you won’t review my shows if I don’t become a Champion?
A: Absolutely not. Champions’ support builds our overall operating budget and lets us cover regional programming at large. Becoming a Champion guarantees that we will cover your programming throughout the year.
Q: Is this sponsor content?
A: No, sponsor content is paid content made in collaboration with a client and with their editorial approval. By becoming a VW Champion, you’re supporting the essential work we do without interfering with our editorial process.
Q: Can I suggest which show for you to review?
A: Yes! Our editors will make the final decision, but you’re the experts on your programming and we always appreciate the extra context you have to add to a show’s significance.