Artists wanted: Share your unique perspective on Adobe Stock

Credit: Adobe Stock / Carina Lindmeier.

Compelling art thrives in a diverse environment. We started the Adobe Stock Advocates program to showcase and support outstanding new voices and visuals that are genuine, impactful, and truly representative of modern life. Last year, as part of our commitment to supporting and promoting inclusive imagery, we launched the Artist Development Fund. We are thrilled to announce that in 2022, we will be re-launching this opportunity and opening applications for 40 new commissions.

Our Artist Development Fund plays a key role in helping spotlight creators who depict communities with which they also identify, supporting impactful, accurate, and inclusive visuals. The fund provides substantial financial support to help artists overcome barriers to their productions, like renting venues, buying or renting equipment, hiring models, or purchasing props, costumes, and materials. We are opening the applications for this year’s Artist Development Fund on February 22, 2022.

Get inspired and share your work

You are invited to share your photography, vector art, illustrations, and videos. To help you get inspired, we have published a newly revamped selection of creative briefs.

Themes include:

• Circles of Activism, depicting action against racial prejudice and social injustice — people of all backgrounds focusing on climate change and sustainability — students and elders participating in collective action in their communities, and more.

• Veterans Return, showing how veterans rejoin civilian life, and how these experiences might look different for people of different genders, ages, ethnicities, and cultural backgrounds.

• Beliefs and Rituals, exploring modern spiritual and religious practices present themselves today — and how people of all backgrounds and faiths are interpreting traditions and creating their own.

• Taste of Heritage, depicting how our interactions with food and cooking embody our value systems, our lineage, ethnicity, upbringing, and dreams for the future.

• Family Life, with images celebrating families of every background: parents, children, and every person, relative, or loved one contributing to the love and care of a household.

• Celebration of Self, exploring the many ways we journey inward to soothe the wounds of our psyches — and how we express and experience healing through physical practice.

• Joyful Rhythm, presenting imagery that captures dance and gesture, instruments and music-making, and other forms of artistic expression.

We have also introduced a brand-new creative brief for this year, called Healing Reflections. This theme centers around conceptual and everyday images of healing rituals, meditation, and empowerment of physical activity, inclusive of all body and skin types, ages, genders, and abilities.

Applications for Artist Development Fund may respond to one or more of these creative briefs. Or, propose a new project that shares your personal narrative.

Our Advocates put themselves out there

Part of what makes the program special is our emphasis on artists who identify with underrepresented groups and communities. We highlight and feature those who are sharing their unique voice and point of view, reporting from within those communities and telling genuine and personal stories with their work.

Check out our 2021 Artist Development Fund cohort represented on our refreshed Advocates program website where you can see updated creative briefs, inspiration galleries, plus work and stories from all of our funding recipient artists so far.

Daniel Adams is a Kuala Lumpur-based Malaysian photographer who explores gender, identity, and cultural norms in his portraiture. His project examines colorism and the queer experience.

“In this project, I worked with an incredible community team, that aimed to platform and center individuals of the dark skin community and their interwoven experiences.”

Michaela Oteri is a queer, disabled digital artist from the U.S., based in Tampa Bay, FL. Her specialty is depicting diverse people and experiences.

"I want to spread representation for fellow self-identified disabled people of all different backgrounds for use by fellow artists.”

Brooklyn-based artist Shawn Pridgen creates documentary photography that illuminates contemporary movements and struggles for racial justice. His commission highlights diverse community, fitness, and sport.

“My goal is to promote and empower a diverse community through fitness, mental health and wellness, with a special focus on people of color.”

Express yourself and get involved

If you are an artist who identifies with the communities and subjects in your work, we would like to strongly encourage you to apply — and spread the word to your creator colleagues. Adobe Stock will have commission opportunities for 40 global artists in 2022.

Check out the Adobe Stock Advocates page for more details about the program and how to participate.