Open Studios Kommetjie Application Guide

Applications for Open Studios Kommetjie are open from 1 March to 15 April

Open Studios Kommetjie invites artists who are based in the area and are building a committed fine art practice to apply for participation in our annual art event.

Applications are open each year from 1 March to 15 April.

Email us at openstudioskommetjie@gmail.com to request the full application pack.

Application Criteria

Who can apply?

We welcome applications from artists at all stages of their careers – emerging, mid-career, or established. To be eligible for participation in Open Studios Kommetjie, you need to:

live in Kommetjie or have a permanent working studio in the area,
be actively making art and working in a fine art context,
have exhibited work in the past year, or be included in an upcoming curated exhibition or project, and
have new work created during the year of the event.

*Blue indicates qualifying areas

What we look for

Open Studios Kommetjie looks for artists who are actively developing a fine art practice. This includes:

work made with artistic intention,
a studio-based practice that explores ideas, materials or both, and
a recognisable voice or studio practice that shows development over time.

A wide range of media is considered. Limited editions or functional pieces may be included if clearly positioned within a fine art context.

Need help deciding if this fits your work? Visit our Fine Art Guide for more detail.

The selection process

All applications undergo a two-stage process:

Eligibility check

Each application is first reviewed by the Open Studios Kommetjie steering committee to make sure that the core requirements have been met. To qualify, ask yourself the following:

Do you live or work in Kommetjie?
Is your work original and artist-made, not mass-produced?
Have you shown your work in a professional context recently, or are you planning to?
Are you proposing to show new work that reflects your current practice?
Was everything requested in the application pack submitted?

Only applications that meet these criteria move to the next stage.

Artistic review

The artistic content of all eligible applications is reviewed by a selection panel made up of independent art professionals — curators, artists, and gallerists. The panel considers the quality, intention, and presentation of the work, and how it aligns with contemporary fine art practice. They also consider what each proposal may bring to the event, the aim being to include a mix of perspectives, mediums, and ways of working.

If you’re not selected this year, we encourage you to apply again next year. Each selection panel brings a fresh perspective.

What does participation involve?

The event takes place during the first weekend of December each year. Participating artists commit to:

opening their studios and being present from 10:00 to 17:00 on each of the three days,
presenting new work created in the year of the event, and
contributing a participation fee, which supports map printing, signage, marketing, and more.

Open Studios Kommetjie is shaped by the people who take part. Each year, artists bring their energy, time, and skills — from admin and design to distribution and logistics — to help make the event possible.

As part of our shared effort, the artists also contribute to the annual Give Back Project. The form this project takes is decided together, with proceeds going to a local cause or initiative that we agree on as a community.

Highlights of the event timeline

March: Applications
Late April: Eligibility review
May: Panel review and announcement of qualifying participants
October to November: Studio check-ins
Early December: Event weekend