Barbed is an art publication rooted in the metropolitan Detroit area of Michigan, with ties extending across the border to its sister city, Windsor, Canada. The magazine highlights work by artists from LGBTQ+ and BIPOC communities. Since its founding in 2014, Barbed has been supported by organizations, art colleges, and businesses through grants and advertising partnerships.
Jude, Stuart, and Alana. Polaroid scan. First Barbed (née ARTWINDSOR) meeting. LEBEL Building, School of Visual Arts, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada. 2014.
Grant awards
Flourish Fund grant, Andy Warhol Foundation, CultureSource, 2023-2024
NALAC Fund for the Arts Grant Program, 2019
Red Bull Arts Detroit Micro-Grant, 2019
EPICentre Cross Border Entrepreneur Research Grant, 2015
Arts, Culture + Heritage Fund (ACHF), 2015
Budget and cost
Each issue of Barbed requires a minimum of $1,900 to produce 100 copies, covering printing, paper, and binding. We also include an embossed detail on the cover — a tactile element that marks each issue with care — adding an additional $170 to production costs. Beyond the physical object, we are committed to compensating the artists we feature. Each selected artist receives a $500 honorarium; for an issue featuring six artists, this totals $3,000 in artist fees. Additional expenses such as issue release parties, shipping, packaging, internet services, and platform maintenance also factor into our overall costs. Every dollar we raise goes directly into these areas — to make the magazine real, and to honor the work and voices within it.
Support & Advertising
Barbed doesn’t follow a set publishing schedule. We print when the stories are ready and when there are enough resources to do it with care. There are no subscriptions, no push for high volume or fast content. We rely on grants and on the quiet, intentional support of individuals and institutions who understand what we’re building.
We offer a small number of advertising spaces in each issue to those whose values are in conversation with our own. This is not a commercial gesture, but a collaborative one — a way of sustaining the magazine while keeping its integrity intact. All funds go directly to artists, to printing and feeding, to materials, honorariums, and getting Barbed into the hands of others.
This isn’t delay — it’s the pace we’ve chosen. Sometimes it takes time to gather, to listen, to hold space for something worth printing. We trust that rhythm. If you feel close to it, you’ll know how to support us — through sharing, connecting, or offering what you can. If you or your organization have something in mind and are interested in supporting Barbed through advertising, please write to us for current details, or send a message through our contact form here.
Advertisement rates
We’ve prepared four ad size options that fit the specifications of Barbed. You’re welcome to choose from these, or if you have something else in mind — like a banner or an alternate format — we’re happy to work with you to find the best fit. For organizations or businesses interested in purchasing multiple ads across several issues, we’re open to long-term collaborations and can discuss a plan that supports both your visibility and our publishing rhythm. After placing your order, you’ll receive a follow-up email with publishing details and file submission instructions.
1 Spread $2,750 (17x11 in.)
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1 Page $1,850 (8.5x11 in.)
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1 Half page $975 (8.5x5.5 in. hor.)
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1 Quarter page $555 (4.25x5.5 in)
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Distribution and affiliation
Barbed is a locally printed and a limited edition publication of 100 copies per issue. Available for purchase in Detroit, at MOCAD, Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit.
All issues are accessible for viewing at the University of Michigan Library, and
the Cranbrook Academy of Art Library.
Barbed is a proud member of the W.A.G.E. Coalition, a growing group of artists, art workers, and arts organizations that share Barbed's goal of building a sustainable business model in which artists are paid for their work. W.A.G.E. (Working Artists and the Greater Economy) is a New York-based activist organization focused on regulating the payment of artist fees by nonprofit art institutions and establishing a sustainable labor relation between artists and the institutions that contract our work.
Advertisement terms and conditions.
Flourish Fund grant, Andy Warhol Foundation, CultureSource, 2023-2024
NALAC Fund for the Arts Grant Program, 2019
Red Bull Arts Detroit Micro-Grant, 2019
EPICentre Cross Border Entrepreneur Research Grant, 2015
Arts, Culture + Heritage Fund (ACHF), 2015
Budget and cost
Each issue of Barbed requires a minimum of $1,900 to produce 100 copies, covering printing, paper, and binding. We also include an embossed detail on the cover — a tactile element that marks each issue with care — adding an additional $170 to production costs. Beyond the physical object, we are committed to compensating the artists we feature. Each selected artist receives a $500 honorarium; for an issue featuring six artists, this totals $3,000 in artist fees. Additional expenses such as issue release parties, shipping, packaging, internet services, and platform maintenance also factor into our overall costs. Every dollar we raise goes directly into these areas — to make the magazine real, and to honor the work and voices within it.
Support & Advertising
Barbed doesn’t follow a set publishing schedule. We print when the stories are ready and when there are enough resources to do it with care. There are no subscriptions, no push for high volume or fast content. We rely on grants and on the quiet, intentional support of individuals and institutions who understand what we’re building.
We offer a small number of advertising spaces in each issue to those whose values are in conversation with our own. This is not a commercial gesture, but a collaborative one — a way of sustaining the magazine while keeping its integrity intact. All funds go directly to artists, to printing and feeding, to materials, honorariums, and getting Barbed into the hands of others.
This isn’t delay — it’s the pace we’ve chosen. Sometimes it takes time to gather, to listen, to hold space for something worth printing. We trust that rhythm. If you feel close to it, you’ll know how to support us — through sharing, connecting, or offering what you can. If you or your organization have something in mind and are interested in supporting Barbed through advertising, please write to us for current details, or send a message through our contact form here.
Advertisement rates
We’ve prepared four ad size options that fit the specifications of Barbed. You’re welcome to choose from these, or if you have something else in mind — like a banner or an alternate format — we’re happy to work with you to find the best fit. For organizations or businesses interested in purchasing multiple ads across several issues, we’re open to long-term collaborations and can discuss a plan that supports both your visibility and our publishing rhythm. After placing your order, you’ll receive a follow-up email with publishing details and file submission instructions.
1 Spread $2,750 (17x11 in.)
1 Page $1,850 (8.5x11 in.)
1 Half page $975 (8.5x5.5 in. hor.)
1 Quarter page $555 (4.25x5.5 in)
Distribution and affiliation
Barbed is a locally printed and a limited edition publication of 100 copies per issue. Available for purchase in Detroit, at MOCAD, Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit.
All issues are accessible for viewing at the University of Michigan Library, and
the Cranbrook Academy of Art Library.
Barbed is a proud member of the W.A.G.E. Coalition, a growing group of artists, art workers, and arts organizations that share Barbed's goal of building a sustainable business model in which artists are paid for their work. W.A.G.E. (Working Artists and the Greater Economy) is a New York-based activist organization focused on regulating the payment of artist fees by nonprofit art institutions and establishing a sustainable labor relation between artists and the institutions that contract our work.
Advertisement terms and conditions.
Staff
Founder Editor-in-Chief
Cherry Wood
Visiting Editor
Precious Jonhson, issue #12
Visiting Visual Designer
Jetshri Bhadviya, issues #11, #12
Previous collaborators
Editorial Interns
Ashley Ward, issue #07
David Morales, issue #07
Creative & Design Consultants
Iain Baxter&, issue #03
Louise Chance Baxter& issue #03
Martin Stevens, issue #03
Online Interviews
Dennis Hunkler, issues #01, #02, #03
Art Director
Sasha Opeiko, issues #02, #03
Editor, Assistant Editor, and Managing Editor
Jon R Flieger, issues #02, #03
Bree Arbor, issue #01
Alana Bartol, issue #01
Sales Manager
Jude Abu Zaineh, issue #01
Promotional Coordinator
Stuart Sparling, issue #01
Contributor Writer
Pearl Van Geest, , issue #01
Founder Editor-in-Chief
Cherry Wood
Visiting Editor
Precious Jonhson, issue #12
Visiting Visual Designer
Jetshri Bhadviya, issues #11, #12
Previous collaborators
Editorial Interns
Ashley Ward, issue #07
David Morales, issue #07
Creative & Design Consultants
Iain Baxter&, issue #03
Louise Chance Baxter& issue #03
Martin Stevens, issue #03
Online Interviews
Dennis Hunkler, issues #01, #02, #03
Art Director
Sasha Opeiko, issues #02, #03
Editor, Assistant Editor, and Managing Editor
Jon R Flieger, issues #02, #03
Bree Arbor, issue #01
Alana Bartol, issue #01
Sales Manager
Jude Abu Zaineh, issue #01
Promotional Coordinator
Stuart Sparling, issue #01
Contributor Writer
Pearl Van Geest, , issue #01