Project 4: Research and Discuss Opportunities
Exercise 6: Discuss, Evaluate and Write Up Your Findings
Instructions: “Select your potential opportunities to inform your Practice Plan, thinking about where you will (and want) to be 1 – 3 years ahead of now. Using your research notes on potential opportunities, discuss these with your peers or network connections. Invite your peers to ask you questions about each of your chosen options.”
Tips
You might think about how ambitious your choices are, and what experience, skills or further training you might need as stepping stones to gain the opportunity?
What specifically interests or excites you about it? How might you be a good fit for the opportunity? What do you need to gain to meet the criteria or role?
You might wish to refer back to your mapping of skill sets, and experience. Do you need to update these now, adding new skills and experience?“
_________________________________________________________________________________
Below is my plan for my professional development.
Professional development Opportunity Strategy (2025–2027).
Year 1: Build Credibility & Presence (2025–2026)
Goals: Establish exhibition record, strengthen CV, grow visibility
- Juried Group Exhibitions (Selective)
- To apply to 2–3 reputable open calls this year (potentially: London Art Biennale, Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, Chelsea International Fine Art Competition, Luxembourg Art Prize). More research is required to identify which one has got potential.
- Residencies (Short-Term, Accessible). I can afford only short-term residences due to my family workload and the age of my children. Research is required.
- Target 1 short residency (2–4 weeks) in Europe or the Mediterranean (e.g., CAMAC in France, Joya: AiR in Spain, PADA Studios in Portugal).
- Benefits: networking, time to produce Mediterranean-flora series, credibility.
- Curated Online Presence.
- To participate in 1–2-3? online platforms (such as SeeMe) if they offer social reach. Use them only as secondary promotion, not career anchors. More research is needed.
- Build your own artist website (professional bio, CV, high-quality images of your prints). In progress.
- Local / Regional Galleries & Art Fairs. I conducted research on the gallery-artist relationship; please read about it in a separate post.
- to seek group exhibitions in your city/region (many nonprofit spaces have open calls).
- to consider 1–2 smaller art fairs ? where emerging artists self-represent.
Year 2: Strengthen Recognition & Collectors (2026–2027)
Goals: Expand exhibitions, build collector interest, prepare for solo
- Second Solo Exhibition.
- Aim for my second solo show in a respected local/regional gallery or cultural center.
- Showcase my Mediterranean flora series in both originals (select few) + ChromaLuxe prints. Maybe portraits, it depends on the body of work I will manage to create.
- Larger Residencies (Prestigious)?
- to apply to competitive residencies (e.g., Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, Banff Centre, or Skowhegan in the US, or in Japan.
- International Juried Exhibitions / Biennials
- to apply to at least 2–3 international open calls to start positioning my work globally.
- Press & Publications
- Pitch my solo show and practice to local art writers/bloggers and regional newspapers.
- Aim for at least 1 catalogue or feature article. Research is needed.
Ongoing (Both years)
- Networking: Follow art news, attend openings, connect with curators, and follow up with personal emails.
- Develop a collectors approach strategy:
- Continue offering high-quality limited prints to widen the collector base.
- Hold back most originals → increases scarcity and value.
- Maintain a clear editioning system (ex. 1/7 prints, signed + certificate of authenticity).
By end of Year 2 to have:
- 2–3 group exhibitions (juried or curated).
- 1 solo show (regional, respected venue).
- At least 1 residency completed?
- Press coverage or catalogue entry.
- A strong bio + CV with credibility for bigger galleries.
_________________________________________________________________________________
Below is my research on opportunities for the aforementioned items in my Professional Development Plan (PDP).
Juried Group Exhibitions/Competitions (Selective).
This direction is my top priority task where I should invest time and effort. I have noticed that today, there are numerous competitions and juried art group exhibitions, which are extensively advertised on social media platforms. I did my research on which ones are most reputable in the art industry and recognised by art professionals. I wanted to find out which ones are juried by top curators and museum directors, offering a high reputation and career-advancing opportunities. I placed the results of my research in a table below. I copied and pasted the details about the jurors from the competition websites.
| Title | Jurors | Eligibility/My Interest/Submission Deadline |
| New American Paintings. https://www.newamericanpaintings.com | National musem level professional art curators | only for US based artists, I am not eligible |
| New Contemporaries (UK) https://www.newcontemporaries.org.uk | “What is the selection process? From the work submitted, a jury of three independent artists is invited to shortlist approximately 100 artists. The shortlisted artists are then asked to provide more information about their work and practice for stage two of the selection process. The final list of artists is selected by the jury for the exhibition. On average 25-30 artists will be selected” | I am eligible because I studied with the UK institution. “We welcome submissions from UK-based emerging or early career artists (aged 21 or above, with no upper age limit) who are within the first 7 years of their professional practice.“ I doubt that I will participate because I don’t like the fact that artists are on the jury, as there is a significant conflict of interest. |
| Apexart Open Call https://apexart.org/opencallsprocess.php | “A diverse and changing international jury of more than 600 people in 70 countries participate in a crowdsourced voting process that takes place every November (for NYC Open Call proposals) and March (for International Open Call proposals)“ “Projects are judged by the strength of the exhibition idea and the organizer’s ability to communicate it, not by social connections, past accomplishments, or personality.“ | Open to all artists and art curators, this requires a clear concept that frames your work. I think this option is not my top priority since I don’t have any strong curatorial idea yet. |
| White Columns (NYC) Registry https://whitecolumns.org | Strong support from reputable art philanthropy foundations. | The submission rules are not clearly stated on the website. Submissions are typically due each year in July or early August. I will participate. |
| Aesthetica Art Prize (UK) https://aestheticamagazine.com/artprize/ | “Art Prize Jury 2025 Since 2007, we have worked with thousands of artists, putting their work in front of curators and gallerists from across the world, including those from Tate Modern, Barbican, Guggenheim, Brooklyn Museum, British Journal of Photography, Creative Review, YSP, Frieze, London Art Fair and more.” | open for all artists worldwide (bought 3 entries for submission, deadline is September 30th, 2025). |
| Prix Marcel Duchamp (France) | Highest reputation in France. Operates via non-public submissions by ADIAF ( Association pour la Diffusion de l’Art Francais), which conducts around 60 studio visits to identify emerging talent. Following these visits, members vote internally to select the finalists. | No formal open to public deadline process. |
| Her Art Prize (Marie Claire France+Art Paris +Boucheron) https://www.artparis.com/en/her_art_prize | “Elodie Bouchez, actress, President of the Jury Cécile Debray, President of the Picasso National Museum Paris Rabih Kayrouz, Fashion designer Lola Lafon, Author Valentine Lecêtre, CEO of Art Paris Galia Loupan, Editorial Manager Marie Claire International Camille Morineau, Curator and Founder of the AWARE association Katell Pouliquen, Director of the Marie Claire France Editorial Office Hélène Poulit-Duquesne, CEO of Boucheron Marie-Cécile Zinsou, art historian and entrepreneur The selection of the finalists for the Her Art Prize was entrusted to Marion Vignal, art consultant, exhibition curator and author for Marie Claire in collaboration with Guillaume Piens, director of Art Paris.“ | Open for all artists worldwide. The prize goes to a female artist represented by an art gallery exhibiting in Art Paris. |
| Art Paris-BNP Paribas “A focus on the French Scene” https://www.artparis.com/en/bnp_prize | art writers, art historians, art critics and art curators; | I am eligible since I am focused on the French scene. However, artists can not apply directly. Inclusion in the nomination pool is at the discretion of guest curators. |
| Arte Laguna Prize (Venice, Italy) https://artelagunaprize.com | Independent art curators, art platform founders and designers. | Open for all artists worldwide. I have an account, and I will try to submit. |
Above is my selection of art competitions where I will submit my artworks. I have opened an account on the Arte Laguna platform, but I haven’t submitted any work yet. I will do a calendar of submission for these juried exhibitions as part of my Practice Plan.
I have submitted my “Exalted Moon” work to an open call from the Kingston Gallery (Boston, USA) https://www.kingstongallery.com/call-for-art-2026, which is seeking works in response to the essay, “The Blue of Distance”, by Rebecca Solnit.” I have read the essay and submitted my work, answering the submission question of why my work is eligible and relevant to the theme. The Juror will be :
“Beth Kantrowitz/bkprojects is an independent curator and art consultant, representing emerging and mid-career contemporary artists primarily from the Northeast. She is most well known as the co-director of Drive-by Projects in Watertown, MA and previously the acclaimed Allston Skirt Gallery in Boston. Beth brings 20+ years of experience with artists working in all media, giving her a unique perspective on the arts community. She is inspired to curate thought-provoking exhibitions at galleries and unusual venues.“
Exercise 7: Mapping out Your Aspirations and Opportunities
For this exercise, I place below my reflection on opportunities I have in terms of developing my professional education in two domains: 1) working on upgrading my creative skills, learning the body of work and growing as an artist; 2) my development in the art crit domain.
My family workload and the young age of my children impose certain constraints on my educational and professional career development opportunities. I can attend only on a short-term basis, preferably within two weeks of an art residency/art workshops program, as well as for any postgraduate degree that is offered online. Thus, my research on this topic has these rigid parameters.
While I have been working toward my OCA BA (Hons) in FA degree, I realised that I am interested and capable in art criticism writing. Thus, besides a natural urge to work on upgrading my creative painting skills and growing as an artist, I am interested in acquiring a speciality in traditional Asian/Japanese art history and curating. I did the research on what I can do in this regard, and below are the options I have.
MA Programmes:
SOAS University of London — MA in History of Art & Archaeology:
1-year programme – full-time/part-time.
East Asian Art.Leiden University (Netherlands) — MA in Asian Studies, Japanese Art & Culture track.
Columbia University (USA) — MA in East Asian Art History.
Tokyo University of the Arts (Geidai, 東京藝術大学) — MA in Art and Cultural Studies.
École du Louvre (Paris) — tracks in Asian art history + museum studies.
1-year program, focused on museum practice.
JeanArt 