Is It Worth Exhibiting With An Open Call Gallery? An Honest Guide

Is It Worth Exhibiting With An Open Call Gallery? An Honest Guide

If you are considering exhibiting with an open call gallery like The Holy Art or Streeters Gallery, you probably have questions. Is it worth the fee? Will anyone see my work? Is this a real opportunity or a waste of money?

These are fair questions. Here are honest answers.

What is an open call gallery?

An open call gallery is a gallery that invites artists to submit work for consideration through an open submission process. Unlike traditional commercial galleries that represent a small roster of artists, open call galleries give any artist the chance to exhibit based on the quality of their work.

The open call model exists because the traditional gallery system excludes the vast majority of artists. Commercial galleries represent perhaps 1 percent of working artists. The other 99 percent are left without a platform unless they find alternative routes like open calls.

Galleries like The Holy Art and Streeters Gallery were built specifically to fill that gap.

How is an open call gallery different from a vanity gallery?

This is the most important distinction to understand.

A vanity gallery accepts everyone who pays. There is no selection process. The quality of the exhibitions is inconsistent because the gallery has no incentive to curate. They make money from fees regardless of what goes on the wall.

An open call gallery reviews every submission and selects artists based on the quality of the work. Not everyone who applies is accepted. The gallery has a reputation to maintain because its audience, its collectors and its future applicants are all watching.

The Holy Art has exhibited over 25,000 artists across nine cities in six years. That scale only works if the exhibitions are consistently good. Collectors return because they trust the curation. Artists apply because they see the standard of past shows. The gallery's reputation depends on the quality of every single exhibition.

Streeters Gallery operates on the same principle. Every submission is reviewed. If the work fits the show, the artist is selected. If it doesn't, they are not.

Is the exhibition fee worth it?

This depends on what you are comparing it to.

Renting a gallery space in London for a weekend costs between £1,000 and £5,000. You then need to pay for promotion, installation, lighting, staffing, an opening night event and printed materials. You also need to build your own audience from scratch.

An exhibition fee at an open call gallery covers all of that. You get wall space in a curated show, a venue, installation, lighting, promotion to an established audience, an opening night event and documentation.

At Streeters Gallery, physical exhibition fees are £120 for one work and £200 for two. Digital fees start at £45. There is zero commission on sales.

At The Holy Art, fees vary by city and exhibition format, with both physical and digital options available.

For an emerging artist, the value is not just in the exhibition itself. It is in the CV credit, the collector exposure, the networking, the social media content and the confidence that comes from seeing your work in a professional gallery setting.

Will anyone actually see my work?

This is the question that matters most. And it is where the difference between galleries becomes clear.

Some open call galleries put your work in a room and hope people show up. The opening night is quiet. The public days are empty. Your work sits unseen.

The Holy Art has a community of over 235,000 collectors, curators and art enthusiasts across nine cities. Exhibitions are promoted across social media, newsletters and direct outreach. Opening nights are well attended. Public viewing days bring genuine foot traffic.

Streeters Gallery shares that same audience. As the sister gallery of The Holy Art, every Streeters exhibition reaches the full network. Weekend shows in London, Paris and New York benefit from the same collector relationships built over six years.

The audience is real. The collectors are real. The engagement is real.

What happens after the exhibition?

A good exhibition creates ripple effects that last far beyond the show itself.

Your CV now includes a legitimate exhibition credit at a recognised gallery. If you exhibited with The Holy Art, that credit spans an international gallery network across nine cities. If you exhibited with Streeters, it reflects a curated show in London, Paris or New York.

You have professional documentation of your work in a gallery setting. Photos, video, social media content. This material strengthens every future application.

You made connections. Other artists, collectors, curators, gallery staff. Some of these will lead to future opportunities, collaborations or sales.

You proved to yourself that your work belongs on a wall. That confidence changes everything that comes after.

Common concerns addressed

"I've heard mixed things about open call galleries."

The open call model is relatively new and widely misunderstood. Some people confuse open call galleries with vanity galleries. The difference is curation. If a gallery selects artists based on work quality and maintains a consistent standard, it is a legitimate open call gallery. The Holy Art has maintained that standard across 25,000+ artists and 400+ exhibitions. Streeters Gallery applies the same rigour.

"Why do I have to pay to exhibit?"

Venues cost money. Installation costs money. Promotion costs money. Opening night events cost money. In the traditional gallery model, the gallery covers these costs and takes 40 to 60 percent commission on sales. In the open call model, the artist pays a flat fee and keeps 100 percent of any sales. For most emerging artists, the flat fee model is significantly more favourable.

"Can I really sell work at a group show?"

Yes. Group shows are where most first time collectors buy art. The accessible price points, the variety of work and the relaxed atmosphere of opening nights all encourage sales. The Holy Art and Streeters Gallery take zero commission, so every sale goes directly to the artist.

"Is this just for beginners?"

No. Both galleries welcome artists at every stage. Many mid career and experienced artists exhibit alongside emerging artists. The mix creates stronger exhibitions and more interesting conversations.

Who should exhibit with an open call gallery?

Open call galleries are ideal for emerging artists who have never exhibited before and want their first show, artists who want to build an international exhibition history, artists without gallery representation who need a professional platform, artists who want access to an established collector network, and experienced artists who want to reach new audiences in different cities.

How to apply

The Holy Art: International exhibitions across nine cities. Free to submit. All mediums accepted. Over 25,000 artists exhibited.

Streeters Gallery: Weekend group shows in London, Paris and New York. All mediums. No experience needed. Zero commission.

Both galleries are run by the same team. Same audience. Same collector network. Different formats for different goals.