The Work of Art

A Visual & Literary Arts Quarterly Publication

Submission Guidelines

Please review these guidelines before paying the application fee and submitting. These help us keep the process fair, accessible, and consistent.

At a glance

  • Up to 5 pieces may be submitted per applicant for the current issue.
  • Visual art and poetry are accepted.
  • 300 DPI preferred for visual artwork (preferred, not required).
  • Original work only.
  • No AI-generated artwork or poetry.
  • Application fee: $5 per piece  (fee waivers available).

What we accept

Visual Art

Painting, drawing, illustration, printmaking, digital art, collage, photography, mixed media, and related visual formats.

Poetry

Poetry in any style. Please submit each poem as a separate file when possible.

Submission limits

  • Up to 5 pieces total per applicant for the current issue.
  • You may submit visual art, poetry, or a mix within the 10-piece limit.
  • If submitting multiple files, please ensure each has a clear title and file name.  File names should follow this format if possible:    LastName - FirstName - PieceTitle

File specifications

Visual artwork files

  • Preferred: JPG or PNG
  • Resolution: 300 DPI preferred (preferred, not required)
  • Color: RGB is fine
  • Edits: Please submit clean, final images (no watermarks, if possible)

Poetry files

  • Preferred: PDF or DOC/DOCX
  • Length: generally up to 2 pages per poem (unless the issue specifies otherwise)
  • Use a readable font and include the poem title in the document.
  • If the poem is formatted in an intentional way (unique shape, distinct spacing, etc. , please mention this in your submission on the notes/comments section.  We will try to accommodate your formatting when compiling the issue.     

What to include

  • Creator name and email
  • Title for each piece
  • For visual art: medium and optional dimensions/year
  • Optional: short creator statement (50–75 words)
  • Optional: pronouns, location, website/social link

Originality & AI policy

We accept original work only. Submissions must be created by the submitting artist/poet.

No AI-generated artwork or poetry. This includes work created wholly or primarily using generative AI tools. Light editing tools (e.g., cropping, color correction) are fine.

Rights & permissions

  • You retain full copyright to your work.
  • If selected, you grant Bee the Change Foundation permission to publish your work in the issue and promote the issue using submitted images/text with credit.
  • We will not sell or license your work to third parties.

Fees & waivers

Application fee: $5 per piece submitted (up to 5 submitted pieces per issue).  Your submission fees are considered nontaxable donations to Bee the Change Foundation. 

Fee waivers: available — no explanation required. Email WorkOfArt @beethechangefoundation.com with the subject line “Work of Art — Fee Waiver Request.”

Selection & notification

  • Selections are based on theme alignment, impact, clarity/craft, and originality of voice. using a graded rubric.  Selections are not compared against each other and perfection is not expected.
  • We aim to notify submitters by the date listed on the call page for the current issue.
  • If selected, you may be asked for a higher-resolution file, a short bio, and/or a brief creator statement.

Questions? Email WorkOfArt@beethechangefoundation.com. Bee the Change Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.