Genre: Urban Arts
a playground for the urban creatives
We are a group of creatives who utilize print and digital platforms to share our creativity.
Home base is in Milwaukee, WI, but we are boastfully a global platform with reach across the entire globe.
Our vision differs from other arts communities because we do not disaggregate art. We compartmentalize in enough of life. Here, we are CREATIVES! Our goal is to meditate on creativity. Discuss creativity. Display creativity. Collaborate creatively. Become eclipsed by creativity. Experiment with familiar and unchartered spaces of creativity.
Genre: Urban Arts is focused on the satisfaction of the psyche through creative expression. We are a creative and brilliant people. Our goal is to participate in a renaissance. Join us.
We younger [Black] artists who create now intend to express our individual dark-skinned selves without fear or shame... We build our temples for tomorrow, strong as we know how, and we stand on top of the mountain, free within ourselves. -Langston Hughes, The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain Time to black out. It’s a Blackout. If we do not make space for ourselves, who will? Black artists and writers submit to our open call for art + writing from and centered upon the Black experience. This anthology is our temple for Black People of the African Diaspora. Create about our experiences, our happiness, our joy, our love, our growth, our hurt. We will show up here and be represented in our fullness. Black Artists and Black creatives, this is a publication where we do what deities must— create. We stand here on the work and love of our ancestors who push us forward and also push us inward to become more fully ourselves. Add us on social media at @GenreUrbanArts. Blackout Submission Requirements:
- No Simultaneous submissions.
- Must be own original and unpublished works.
Visual submissions:
- 3-6 hi-res images, minimum 300 dpi, .jpg, .png, .pdf
Written submissions:
- 2-3 written works, .doc, .docx, times new Roman, 12pt font
- poems- 30 lines or less
- prose, 1-3 pages
If you have been published in any of Genre: Urban Arts' books or magazines and would like us to potentially share your art, writing, or performances on our social media and/or in our site Blog, submit here
Genre: Urban Arts is committed to amplifying voices in literature, art, and cultural criticism. We invite manuscript submissions that reflect bold creativity, cultural depth, and a clear artistic vision. We are currently accepting completed or near-complete manuscripts for consideration in the following categories:
Accepted Genres:
- Fiction (novels, novellas, short story collections)
- Poetry (full-length collections or chapbooks)
- Creative Nonfiction (memoir, essay collections, hybrid forms)
- Critical Writing on Art & Culture (essays, cultural analysis, artist interviews, theory-rooted reflections)
Submission Requirements:
- Cover Letter: Introduce yourself, your manuscript, and how your work aligns with our mission
- Synopsis: A brief summary (1–2 pages) of your manuscript’s themes and structure
Manuscript Format:
- Fiction/Nonfiction: double-spaced, 12 pt font, standard formatting
- Poetry: single-spaced, one poem per page
- Critical Work: properly cited (MLA, APA, or Chicago), with bibliography if needed
Length Guidelines:
- Fiction/Nonfiction: 30,000–80,000 words
- Poetry: minimum 40 pages
- Critical Writing: 15,000–60,000 words (essay collections or long-form cultural works)
Submission File: PDF
A conversation series spotlighting diverse creatives as they share their stories, process, and what drives their artistic expression.
Site Contributor Submission Guidelines
Genre: Urban Arts welcomes bold, original work from creatives of all backgrounds. We seek content that reflects the richness of culture, identity, resistance, joy, and transformation through an artistic lens. Whether you’re a poet, visual artist, storyteller, critic, or culture commentator—we want to hear from you.
🔹 What You Can Submit:
- Written Work: Creative nonfiction, essays, poetry, fiction, interviews, reviews, artist statements
- Visual Art: Illustrations, photography, mixed media, digital art
- Multimedia: Video clips, short films, performance recordings, music, audio essays
- Hybrid Work: Innovative blends of text, image, and sound
🔹 Submission Requirements:
- Submit up to 3 pieces per month
- Written pieces should be under 2,000 words (unless otherwise noted)
- Visual/media files should be high-resolution and web-ready
- Include a brief bio (100 words max) and artist statement or piece description
- If submitting previously published work, note where it first appeared and confirm you hold the rights
🔹 What We’re Looking For:
- Work that aligns with Genre’s mission: bold, honest, culturally rooted creative expression
- Underrepresented perspectives and experimental formats
- Pieces that challenge, affirm, or provoke thought and dialogue
🔹 How to Submit:
- Submissions will be review monthly here. We receive a lot of submissions across opportunities, and we may not be able to respond to everyone. Thank you for your understanding and patience.
- Attach documents or files (PDF, Word, JPG, MP4, etc.)
🔹 Additional Notes:
- All contributors retain rights to their work; Genre requests non-exclusive web publishing rights
- Selected contributors may be invited to appear in interviews, reels, or published print editions