Critics of Color

Applications for 2024 are now closed

Critics of Color program participants are invited to engage critically with the digital artifacts in the Curationist collection. They will be supported by the Curationist editors and a digital archivist to research and develop an editorial feature of at least 1,000 words to be published on Curationist.org.

Curationist promotes storytelling and curiosity into global cultural content through a social justice lens that is anti-racist, anti-colonial, feminist, queer, and anti-ableist. The Curationist team is committed to diversifying perspectives, counter colonialist cataloging, and to supporting Indigenous data sovereignty. The incoming Critics of Color will be welcomed to the Curationist community and have the opportunity to learn about image rights and the open knowledge movement; be nurtured as writers by our experienced editorial team and special guest speakers; and be in community with the other Critics and Curationist Fellows. Critics will gain experience in online research, the editorial process, and metadata creation.

Critics of Color program is possible thanks to a grant awarded by Allied Media through their Critical Minded program in support of cultural critics of color in the United States.

The Critics of Color program will be fully virtual for 6 months from March through August 2024. Participants are expected to attend occasional seminars led by Curationist team members and peers, publish one feature essay to Curationist.org, and present their research.

All Critics of Color will be compensated a total of $3,000 USD for their participation and editorial feature.

Critics of Color Eligibility

The selected critics will be writers of color who have an interest in the history and contemporary context of cultural objects and materials. This residency is an opportunity for early to mid-career writers to engage with open access digital collections on Curationist.org and to have their writing expand and diversify cultural discourse. Critics of Color are underrepresented globally in mainstream arts writing. This residency will amplify underrepresented voices in arts and cultural content, provide direct support to writers of color, and result in groups of articles that challenge dominant discourse or reveal invisible cultural narratives.

Applicants should:

• Identify as a member of a community of color in the US or abroad who traces their ancestry to one of the original peoples of Africa, Asia, the Americas, Oceania or Pacific Islands.
• Have demonstrated an engagement with cultures that are underrepresented in arts writing online
• Be able to dedicate up to 15 hours per month to writing, research, and workshops
• Write fluently in English
• Familiarize themselves with Curationist.org, including editorial features
  
  
  

Timeline

Applications will be open from December 22nd to January 26th, and the Curationist Fellows & Critics of Color programs will take place from March 2024 through August 2024.

Application

The application requires a submission of the following materials :

• Resume or CV
• Statement of proposed research interests of up to 350 words. Statement of proposed research interests of up to 350 words. Bear in mind that most cultural heritage objects available on Curationist.org are in the public domain. Please make sure your research interests align with what is found in Curationist's archives.
• Link to one or two objects in the Curationist Works as examples of what you would like to research
• 1-3 writing samples totaling no more than 5,000 words. These can be published, unpublished, blogs, etc.
• (1) recommendation letter (optional) - professional or community reference
  
  
  

Please note that the Critics of Color Residency and the Curationist Fellows Residency use the same application process.

Jurying Process

Applications will be reviewed by a panel of art writers, editors, and archivists on the Curationist team.

Contact

For questions regarding the fellowship, please contact community@mhzfoundation.org

Curationist is an ecosystem for collecting and sharing cultural materials from the Creative Commons and public domain. We aim to build connections and deepen cultural awareness by collectively framing the world we share.