APPLICATIONS TO JAC’S 2026-27 EDITORIAL BOARD ARE NOW OPEN!

Apply by Friday, September 25th @11:59pm

email applications to journalofartcriticism@gmail.com



JAC is the first undergraduate journal in print devoted to art criticism. We publish critical writing and art made by undergraduate students internationally in an annual edition that is stocked at McNally Jackson, Printed Matter, Perrotin Bookstore, and others, and collected by the MoMA library. As a member of the editorial team, you will work with a group of sincerely engaged and sincerely fun people interested in art and criticism to produce the journal. JAC board members have the unique ability to publish their written work on our website. You will also gain access to frequent lectures and workshops with JAC alumni and other exciting young people working in the art, art history, curatorial, and publishing industries.

We are currently looking for the following positions to be filled:


  1. Editor: in this role, you will select the essays as well as the visual artworks to be included in our annual publication. You will also undertake the editing of one selected essay, collaborating with the author over the course of the spring semester.

  2. Copy Editor: you will select the essays as well as the visual artworks to be included in our annual publication, and copy edit the entire journal for publication in the spring.

  3. Designer: this role oversees the layout of the journal. Previous knowledge of InDesign is required, please be sure to attach a sample of your work below if you would like to be considered for this role!

  4. Sales Director: you will ensure our journal makes it out into the world! This role entails collaborating with bookstores and libraries who are interested in stocking the journal

  5. Digital Coordinator: you will be responsible for JAC's digital footprint, including our website, substack, and social media presence.


All of these positions share the ability to: choose our theme, workshop the call for submissions, choose which submissions we want to feature in print, publish their original written work on our website, and access the JAC alumni and speakers for job opportunities or advice.

︎

To apply, please send an email to journalofartcriticism@gmail.com
  • Email subject: [position] application, [full name] (eg. Web Designer application, Joe Shmoe).
  • Include:
    • Your school and graduation year
    • All required materials (specified below) in PDF or Word format
    • Indicate if you are studying abroad in the 2026-27 academic year or have unconfirmed plans to do so
    • Our weekly meetings are typically Mondays from 7pm-9pm. Please let us know if that would work for your schedule. 

︎

REQUIRED MATERIALS PER ROLE:


EDITORS:

Most members of the editorial board are Editors, who work on one or two essays for our print edition. The editing process happens in multiple stages, with the ability for the writer to respond to edits as the essay is honed collaboratively. Editors are also invited to publish their written work via the JAC website throughout the academic year.

  • In no more than 450 words, please describe some art practices, topics, or themes in contemporary art that you either really love or really hate. If you have any experience in editing/publishing, feel free to include that in your response (note: experience is not required).
  • 1-2 writing samples of any length, preferably related to art, music, or film (if either is longer than 5 pages, please provide excerpts)
  • Please upload a fully edited version of the essay linked HERE. Make a copy of the document and edit in “Suggesting” mode in Google Docs. Attach your edited copy as a shareable link in your email. 



COPY EDITORS:

We are looking for another Copy Editor, whose role consists of editing the final round of revised texts for grammar and consistency with the JAC style guide. This workload is fairly concentrated near the end of the spring semester, immediately before the journal goes to print. It is possible to be both an Editor and a Copy Editor, so please mention if you’re interested in both.

  • In no more than 450 words, please describe some art practices, topics, or themes in contemporary art that you either really love or really hate. If you have any experience in editing/publishing, feel free to include that in your response (note: experience is not required).
  • 1-2 writing samples of any length, preferably related to art, music, or film (if longer than 5 pages, please provide excerpts)
  • Please upload a fully edited version of the essay linked HERE. Make a copy of the document and edit in “Suggesting” mode in Google Docs. Attach your edited copy as a shareable link in your email.


DESIGNER:

This role oversees the layout of the journal. Experience with InDesign is required! A strong attention to detail and interesting design ideas are very important.

  • In no more than 450 words, please describe some art practices, topics, or themes in contemporary art that you either really love or really hate.
  • Brief description of your experience (coding languages, web platforms, previous design work, design that you consume/love/makes you inspired, etc)
  • Spend some  time with our previous issues found on our website (journalofartcritcism.com) and provide 2-3 ideas for how the layout could be improved
  • Please provide a sample of your previous layout and/or design work



SALES DIRECTOR:

JAC is looking for a Sales Director, whose primary role will be to coordinate with our printer, oversee the proofing process, and liaise with bookstores and museums, while promoting general journal sales. This is an invaluable role. Charisma and the ability to keep tabs and follow-up are important skills. 

  • In no more than 450 words, please describe some art practices, topics, or themes in contemporary art that you either really love or really hate. If you have any experience in editing/publishing, feel free to include that in your response (note: experience is not required).
  • Brief description of your relevant experience/qualifications
  • 2-3 ideas for expanding JAC’s reach in terms of distribution and readership


DIGITAL COODINATOR:
Finally, JAC is looking for a Digital Coordinator, who stands for the digital representation of our publication, and will manage the website, instagram, and substack, as well as other online presences.

  • In no more than 450 words, please describe some art practices, topics, or themes in contemporary art that you either really love or really hate. If you have any experience in editing/publishing, feel free to include that in your response (note: experience is not required).
  • Brief description of your relevant experience/qualification
  • Spend some time with our Instagram (@journalofartcritcism) and website (journalofartcritcism.com) and provide 2-3 ideas for how it could be improved 


Thank you for applying! We look forward to reading your application. Please send us an email if you have any questions or concerns.



The Journal of Art Criticism
Founded at Barnard College in New York