THE ATLAS
OF CONTEMPORARY WOMEN ARTISTS
VOL I: NORTH AMERICA
A living map of how women artists live, work, resist, and create in relation to place and power.
MOST ART PUBLICATIONS DOCUMENT OBJECTS, CAREERS, AND MARKET TRAJECTORIES. THIS PROJECT DOCUMENTS LIVED ARTISTIC REALITIES.
THE ATLAS OF CONTEMPORARY WOMEN ARTISTS IS A LONG-TERM PUBLISHING SERIES MAPPING CONTEMPORARY WOMEN ARTISTS ACROSS THE WORLD, CONTINENT BY CONTINENT.
EACH VOLUME CENTERS CONTEXT, PROCESS, AND LIVED EXPERIENCE ALONGSIDE ARTWORK - OFFERING AN INTELLECTUAL AND EMOTIONAL GEOGRAPHY OF CONTEMPORARY PRACTICE.
THIS IS NOT A COMPETITION. IT IS NOT A RANKING.
IT IS NOT A MARKET DIRECTORY.
IT IS A CURATED, CRITICAL, AND DEEPLY HUMAN RECORD
OF CONTEMPORARY ARTISTIC PRACTICE.
THE NORTH AMERICA
VOLUME
WHAT MAKES THIS PUBLICATION DIFFERENT?
CONTEXT OVER CAREERISM
We prioritize lived context, process, and reflection over CVs, institutional validation, or market success.
ARTISTS MAPPING THEIR OWN REALITIES
Artists are not framed through external critique alone. Their voices, reflections, and narratives are central to the publication.
ETHICS OF ACCESS
We operate on solidarity-based submission fee system with real fee waivers, ensuring global accessibility without stigma.
DECOLONIAL GEOGRAPHIC FRAMING
Rather than political shorthand, we work with geographic and lived realities, naming Indigenous nations, Central America, and the Caribbean explicitly.
A LONG-TERM ARCHIVE
Each volume contributes to a growing global atlas - a reference point for artists, curators, institutions, and scholars.
This volume brings together artists working across vastly different political, economic, cultural, and geographic realities. Rather than collapsing these differences, The Atlas foregrounds them as central to artistic practice.
We are interested in how artists navigate land, displacement, ancestry, care, language, economics, and power - and how these realities shape their work.
NORTH AMERICA IS UNDERSTOOD IN THIS PUBLICATION AS COMPRISING INDIGENOUS NATIONS, CANADA, THE UNITED STATES, MEXICO, CENTRAL AMERICA,
AND THE CARIBBEAN
WHO ARE WE
LOOKING FOR
SELECTED ARTISTS RECEIVE:
INCLUSION IN THE ATLAS OF CONTEMPORARY WOMEN ARTISTS: NORT AMERICA (print and digital publication)
A CURATED ARTIST PROFILE CONTEXTUALIZED WITHIN A CONTINENTAL FRAMEWORK
LONG-TERM VISIBILITY IN AN INTERNATIONAL, RESEARCH-ORIENTED PUBLICATION
EDITORIAL FRAMING THAT RESPECTS LIVED EXPERIENCE, NOT MARKET HIERARCHY
ASSOCIATION WITH AN EVOLVING GLOBAL REFERENCE SERIES
DIGITAL COPY OF THE ATLAS OF CONTEMPORARY WOMEN ARTISTS
We welcome submissions from:
Women artists across all media and disciplines within the visual arts
Emerging, mid-career, and established practitioners
Artists working within and outside institutional frameworks
Indigenous, diasporic, migrant, and locally rooted practices
Artists working in urban, rural, and remote contexts
We value reflection, honesty, and intentionality. You do not need institutional representation or an extensive list of achievements to apply.
SUBMISSION PROCESS & FEE STRUCTURE
We believe access to visibility and professional platforms should be equitable.
To support artists across a wide range of economic and geographic contexts, we operate on a tiered submission fee system based on self-assessment and honesty.
STANDARD FEE
EUR 25
Artists with stable income, institutional support, or grant funding
REDUCED FEE
EUR 15
Early career or freelance artists, underemployed artists, or those carrying unpaid care responsibilities
SYMBOLIC FEE
EUR 5
Artists who are unemployed, precariously housed, migrants, or facing economic or structural limitations
FEE WAIVER
EUR 0
Artists unable to pay due to hardship, systemic barriers, unsafe conditions, or political/repressive environments
OPTIONAL DONATION
EUR 10
You can add EUR 10 to support fee waivers for artists unable to pay due to hardship, systemic barriers, unsafe conditions, or political/repressive environments
THE ATLAS OF CONTEMPORARY WOMEN ARTISTS IS BUILT ON SOLIDARITY. TO MAINTAIN FAIRNESS AND ACCESSIBILITY ACROSS NORTH AMERICA'S DIVERSE REALITIES, WE ASK THAT YOU SELECT THE SUBMISSION FEE TIER THAT GENUINELY REFLECTS YOUR CURRENT SITUATION.
CHOOSING HONESTLY HELPS US BALANCE PARTICIPATION, FUND FEE WAIVERS FOR THOSE IN NEED, AND SUSTAIN THE LABOUR BEHIND REVIEWING WORK, AS WELL AS DESIGNING AND PUBLISHING THIS SERIES.
PLEASE KNOW THERE IS NO JUDGMENT, ONLY TRUST.
THE SUBMISSION
PROCESS
ART HISTORY HAS OFTEN BEEN WRITTEN FROM LIMITED PERSPECTIVES, PRIORITIZING CERTAIN GEOGRAPHIES, INSTITUTIONS, AND NARRATIVES. THIS PROJECT INTENTIONALLY EXPANDS
THAT RECORD.
BY PARTICIPATING, YOU CONTRIBUTE
TO A GROWING, GLOBAL ARCHIVE THAT CENTERS WOMEN'S LIVED REALITIES IN CONTEMPORARY ART.
What to prepare before your submission:
Artist bio (max 300 words)
Artist statement (max 300 words)
A short statement on why this project feels relevant to you at the moment (max 300 words)
Headshot or studio shot (high-resolution,
min 300 DPI)
Up to 5 images of your most recent or best work (high-resolution, min 300 DPI)
TIMELINE
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: 31 MARCH 2026
SELECTED ARTISTS ANNOUNCED: 30 APRIL 2026
PUBLICATION DATE: NOVEMBER 2026
THE ATLAS OF CONTEMPORARY WOMEN ARTISTS
EDITOR
Mona Lerch is a contemporary mixed media visual artist, editor, educator, and cultural entrepreneur based in Central Europe. Her work centers on building meaningful platforms that elevate artists’ voices while fostering sustainable and inclusive creative communities.
In 2021, she founded Women United ART MOVEMENT (WUAM)—a global initiative dedicated to amplifying women artists through publications, exhibitions, education, and professional opportunities. Under her leadership, WUAM has grown into an internationally recognized platform connecting artists, curators, and cultural professionals.
Mona serves as Editor-in-Chief of Women United ART MAGAZINE, now in its fourth year, a respected quarterly publication highlighting contemporary artists, influential industry voices, and innovative art organizations. Her editorial work also includes the acclaimed three-volume publication Artist, Mother, Proud & Serious, as well as her role as Editorial Designer for the UK-based Art Seen Magazine by The Curator’s Salon. Alongside her editorial practice, she has worked extensively as a graphic designer within the cultural sector, including the album design Osudová for the acclaimed Czech artist Anna Julie Slováčková †, in addition to developing artists’ promotional materials, project branding, and visual identities for creative initiatives.
Beyond publishing and design, Mona is deeply committed to artist education and mentorship. She leads the WUAM Artist Residency, a year-long mentorship and professional development program supporting artists in building sustainable practices and refining their creative voice. She is also the co-creator and educator of the bestselling workshop The Artist Intensive, an immersive program focused on artistic clarity, professional positioning, and strategic growth for contemporary artists. In addition, she hosts the Women United ART Podcast, where she engages in thoughtful conversations with artists and leaders across the global arts community.
