Hundreds Of Artists Ghosted By Abstract Mag Residency

(MENAFN- USA Art News) Hundreds of artists globally, including Syd Sauer Wilson, 25, an airbrush painter from Los Angeles, report receiving invitations to an artist residency program hosted by Abstract Mag, only to be subsequently ghosted. The popular art-focused social media platform, boasting over 1 million followers, had advertised an all-expenses-paid retreat in the mountainous regions of southern Georgia for two weeks in August.

The program promised to host 40 visual artists in a“historic chateau” where they could practice their art and explore local culture. Wilson, an early-career artist, had applied for a prior residency in Marseille at the 18th-century Château De Forbin, paying a $40 fee after seeing the open call on Abstract Mag's social media. Although they did not apply for this year's Georgia residency, Wilson received an email on Friday, June 5, from a member of the program's artist selection committee. The email informed them that, having been shortlisted last year, they were personally invited to participate this August.

However, Wilson's excitement diminished after discovering hundreds of other artists online reporting similar invitations to the Georgia summer residency, leading to widespread speculation within the art community about the program's authenticity. In July, Abstract Mag announced via since-deleted Instagram posts that 40 artists had been accepted. Yet, artists report being ignored after the residency's social media pages went dark.

Source: Hyperallergic

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