Write for the Archives of American Art Journal

Guidelines for submitting scholarly articles for publication consideration

The Archives of American Art Journal publishes two types of articles:

  • Research-based articles of 5,000 to 7,000 words (including endnotes) for peer review that present innovative interpretations of archival materials from the collections of the Archives of American Art
  • Short commissioned texts for editorial review that explore historical or methodological questions through sources at the Archives

We also welcome proposals for other kinds of research-based or creative contributions that support the journal's mission. 

The Archives of American Art Journal fosters critical and creative engagement with primary sources to tell new stories about art in relation to the United States. Committed to expanding understandings of American identities, cultures, and histories, the journal activates the rich collections of the Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art for a diverse readership of scholars, artists, students, and lifelong learners. 

With more than 20 million items in its continually growing collections, the Archives is the world’s largest and most widely used resource dedicated to collecting and preserving the papers and primary records of the visual arts in the US.

The Archives of American Art Journal publishes two types of articles:

  • Research-based articles of 5,000 to 7,000 words (including endnotes) for peer review that present innovative interpretations of archival materials in the collections of the Archives of American Art
  • Short commissioned texts for editorial review that explore historiographical or methodological questions through sources at the Archives

We also welcome proposals for other kinds of research-based or creative contributions that support the journal's mission.

The Archives of American Art Journal is distributed by the University of Chicago Press. It is published twice a year, in the spring and fall. 

Only original, previously unpublished work that is not under review elsewhere will be considered for publication.

A complete manuscript submission includes all of the following:

  • An abstract of no more than 150 words
  • The manuscript text as one MS Word doc file, with endnotes, all double-spaced. Please do not use headers or footers. Text and notes should conform to The Chicago Manual of Style, 18th edition
  • A single PDF containing all proposed illustrations, with complete caption information (e.g., artist, title, date, medium, dimensions, collection/location)
    When preparing manuscripts for submission, authors should keep in mind that the journal publishes image-rich essays with full-color illustrations. Feature articles include up to 15 illustrations, while commissioned texts include 3–5 illustrations. We encourage authors to reproduce materials from the Archives of American Art that enrich their arguments. All final decisions regarding images are at the discretion of the editorial team.

Unlike many other peer-reviewed publications, the Archives of American Art Journal obtains and pays for all image reproductions and permissions to publish them. Upon acceptance and following copy editing, authors will be asked to generate alt-texts for the figures in their illustration program. 

Authors should submit manuscripts through Editorial Manager®, the Archives of American Art Journal’s online submission and peer-review system. Please visit https://www.editorialmanager.com/aaaj to register in the system and upload your submission.

The Archives of American Art Journal uses a double-anonymized system of peer review for research articles. Each manuscript is assessed by the editorial team and, if approved for further review, sent to at least two outside readers. All commissioned manuscripts are thoroughly vetted by the journal's editorial team. For both peer-reviewed and commissioned manuscripts, acceptance is conditional on revisions made at the journal's request. Authors of accepted manuscripts will be consulted during fact-checking, copy editing, and the proofing of galleys. Authors are required to enter into a formal publication agreement with the Smithsonian Institution. The final authority to publish rests with the Archives of American Art. 

For more information about the editorial process, please contact the journal's managing editor Emily D. Shapiro at shapiroed@si.edu.

 

  • Jo Applin, Courtauld Institute of Art
  • Bridget R. Cooks, University of California, Irvine
  • Robert Cozzolino, Independent curator
  • Rachael Z. DeLue, Princeton University
  • Odette England, Artist
  • Tempestt Hazel, Sixty Inches from Center
  • Lauren Kroiz, University of California, Berkeley
  • Anna O. Marley, Toledo Museum of Art
  • Catherine Morris, Brooklyn Museum
  • Tatiana Reinoza, University of Notre Dame
  • Joyce Tsai, Clyfford Still Museum
  • Rebecca VanDiver, Vanderbilt University 

   Past Advisors

  • Henry Adams
  • Peter John Brownlee
  • Julia Bryan-Wilson
  • Mark Cheetham
  • Mel Chin
  • David Peters Corbett
  • Susan Cross
  • Erika Doss
  • Larisa Dryansky
  • Betsy Fahlman
  • Lee Glazer
  • Jennifer A. Gonzalez
  • Suzanne Hudson
  • Hiroko Ikegami
  • Michael Leja
  • Michael Lobel
  • Katherine Manthorne
  • David McCarthy
  • Asma Naeem
  • James Nisbet
  • John Ott
  • Wendy Red Star
  • A. Joan Saab
  • Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw
  • James Smalls
  • Cherise Smith
  • Robin Veder
  • Darren Waterston
  • H. Barbara Weinberg

 

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The Latest Issue of the Archives of American Art Journal

Karen Maynor, Photograph of Andy Warhol writing a note on vacuum cleaner at “Art in Process V” exhibition, 1972.
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