Bull Thistle presents
THE BULL THISTLE CHALLENGE
An ongoing series of creative experiments. Each one starts with a constraint, and no one has to know exactly where it will lead.
Bull Thistle Gallery
LoadingBull Thistle Gallery
LoadingPanels · 01 / 10
Bull Thistle presents
An ongoing series of creative experiments. Each one starts with a constraint, and no one has to know exactly where it will lead.
An open invitation
You just have to be willing to make something.
No jury.
No application.
No need to be represented by a gallery.
The starting point
A material, format, prompt, place, process, deadline, or unexpected circumstance. The format is part of the experiment.
01 / A Challenge Appears
Each Challenge is different. We might give you an unusual shape, assign a prompt, send you somewhere, or ask you to try a rule you would not usually choose.
02 / You Claim a Place
Places are limited. Some Challenges are first-come, some use random assignments, and some are invitational or happen out in the world.
03 / You Make
Usually there is a short window to respond. The constraint is not a test. It is there to get something moving.
04 / We Bring It Together
The work might lead to an exhibition, installation, gathering, auction, intervention, or something no one expected. The Challenge is the mechanism for making new work.
Who can take part?
Adults 18+ building a creative practice
You do not have to wait until you feel ready. That is sort of the point.
After the making
Each Challenge explains its own rules before anyone commits. What happens to the work depends on the experiment.
The next experiment
Get the latest Challenge news and know when the next one opens. We send announcements, reveals, and registration openings.