Inside the Artist Residency ‘Scandal’ Dividing the Internet
Artnet reported that hundreds of artists received what looked like personal acceptance emails on June 5 for Abstract Magazine’s Summer Residency, only to realize the message had been sent in bulk to an undisclosed number of recipients. The residency, launched last year by the online publication founded in 2016, promises two cohorts of 20 artists each a two-week stay with free travel, meals, and accommodation at an undisclosed location in Georgia, and charges a $25 application fee with a deadline extended to June 15 (announced May 17). Some recipients said they had not applied for the 2026 edition—or had never applied at all—and many reported that follow-up emails went unanswered, fueling online backlash and accusations of a scam. The incident prompted broader debate about “pay-to-play” submission fees and their impact on early-career artists, with artists including Syd Wilson and George McCubbin describing their confusion publicly.
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This story was covered in Repatriation Reckonings and Museums Under Siege