Call for Submissions:

for the December issue

Mining and art in Australia and the region  Co-editorsStephanie Britton and Prof Pat Hoffie:  

The world is hungry for minerals and fuel. Is Australia's preparedness to gouge its (sacred) earth any different to that of any other country? The land's value in spiritual as well as economic terms has led to some of the most debated legislation of contemporary times – from Australian Aboriginal ownership and land rights to mining, coal seam gas extraction, the value of the land; who owns it; who has the rights to use it; to sell it; to exploit it; to act as custodian of it. Initially defined as "Terra Nullius" this country is now recognised as an ancient, mineral-rich continent of hotly contested territories.

• Rock art at imminent risk from mining, in Kimberley (Burrup Peninsula) and Quinkan Region of Cape York and Wellington Ranges near Darwin (uranium).

• With the carbon level in the air now reaching 400 ppm, coal mining can never be ‘clean’ or sustainable; an urgent global public campaign to keep it in the ground is growing.

• Goldfields era in Victoria - wealth was used to build museums and art galleries in Melbourne. Hill End residency continues the links. Ghost towns in various places including Tasmania.

• Relationships between regional galleries and mining. Ballarat Mining Exchange. Kalgoorlie: the Goldfield Arts Centre; Tasmania: histories of mining in TMAG.

• The tension around funding for arts, science and community enterprise from Big Mining which commonly exploits the prestige of arts projects to varnish its image. Arts patronage used as a wedge to buy off the potential community opposition and the custodial burden getting heavier for Indigenous land holders in many regions.

• During the mining boom has support to the arts from mining companies been minimal relative to their profits?

Email us with proposals for short essays. Include an abstract of about 50 – 100 words, with an indication of artists and projects.

Send your proposal to info@artlink.com.au with MINING PROPOSAL in the subject line, before 20 June 2013.

Writers' guidelines

Each issue of Artlink is themed and we regularly invite guest editors to take up the opportunity of exploring a theme in which they are expert. Because of the thematic format the editors tend to target writers who are versed in specific areas of knowledge. However, we occasionally publish an issue which is non-themed, and for which we will consider unsolicited original manuscripts. If you have an idea for an article dealing with an issue of contemporary art and society you are invited to email us with a brief proposal.

You may include two samples of previous writing and a list of previously published writing in the arts area. If you are interested in joining our pool of freelance state-based exhibition reviewers please email us some information as above, and we can refer your interest to the Review Editor in your state. If you are invited to contribute we will provide you with conditions of writing, fees, and editorial guidelines. Artlink does not normally consider unsolicited manuscripts.

Because Artlink is a themed magazine which tries to make art relevant across society, we often need to find contributors who have expert knowledge of subjects outside of the art area who can put the work of artists in a broader context.

We can provide you with our upcoming themes. We offer $300 per 1,000 words. We expect writers to source the images for articles and liaise with artists or galleries for permission to use the images in the print and online versions.

Artlink is open to a very wide range of writers throughout Australia. We encourage writers to contact us if they are interested in contributing.