After months of testing, feedback, and behind-the-scenes work, the new EntryThingy is officially live.
The platform has been completely redesigned to make managing calls for entry smoother, faster, and more reliable for galleries and artists alike.
This update isn’t just about a fresh look. It’s a full modernization of the tools and workflows you use every day.
Shaped by conversations with over a hundred galleries, built on user feedback, and guided by a simple goal: to make EntryThingy the most dependable and intuitive platform for the creative community.
Why We Decided to Redesign
The decision to redesign EntryThingy came from years of feedback and the need to make the platform more reliable for everyone who depends on it.
After more than a decade of supporting galleries and artists, it was time to address long-standing issues, rethink how the interface works, and modernize the system so it can serve users in a better way.
Some of the biggest pain points we heard were around reliability. The downloader, for example, often failed to display certain items after being downloaded.
It was unpredictable and frustrating for galleries who relied on it daily.
Account management was another major concern. Adding new users, assigning jurors, or even resetting passwords were inconsistent experiences that sometimes didn’t work at all.
Payment flows also caused issues in some cases, making it harder for both artists and administrators to complete or track transactions properly.
Alongside fixing these core issues, we took the opportunity to rethink EntryThingy’s entire design structure. A lot of time went into deciding where different tools and features should live in the interface so that everything feels more intuitive.
For example, we revisited where the embeddable widget belongs so galleries can easily integrate EntryThingy into their websites.
We also redesigned the emailer feature to make it simpler for galleries to contact artists and manage communications about calls for entry or exhibitions. Every change is aimed at making the platform more consistent, logical, and efficient.
To ensure these updates are built on a stable foundation, we also invested heavily in the technical side. The backend has been completely redone, and over 1,200 automated tests have been added to the codebase.
This makes it possible for the team to make changes with high confidence and quickly respond to bug fixes and issues that arise (often within 48 hours).
If you have any questions, you can visit our help page, where you’ll find answers for both jurors and artists.
Over the coming months, we are adding more support documentation (better Frequently Asked Question pages) as well as video guides to help make navigating the platform easier. You can also contact us by email (hello@entrythingy.com), and we will respond as soon as possible.
Transitioning from the Old to the New
After months of testing and feedback, the new EntryThingy officially launched on November 4, 2025.
The rollout went smoothly, and as promised, both versions (the old and the new) are connected to the same data.
This means that anything you do in one interface is instantly reflected in the other, allowing for a completely seamless experience.
We know that many galleries don’t use EntryThingy every single day, so there’s no pressure to switch immediately.
Users can continue to log in to the old interface until the end of 2025, giving everyone plenty of time to adjust. Everything (from your entries and artists to your widgets and jury tools) will keep working exactly as before.
What It Means for Galleries and Artists
The new EntryThingy was built to improve the experience for both galleries and artists, making everyday workflows faster, submissions smoother, and communication more transparent.
Every update was guided by four core principles: fix what’s broken, a better design for everyone, help reach more artists, and don’t screw it up. Let’s have a look at what changed for both:
For Galleries
Galleries now have more control, visibility, and flexibility when managing their calls for entry.
This is how the new version of the dashboard looks on EntryThingy for jurors:
You can now view every submission, payment, and decision in one organized dashboard. It gives you a complete overview of all calls and submissions, helping you manage everything from one place.
Here’s what you can do with the new dashboard:
- Track who submitted, who paid, and who’s been selected
- Communicate directly with artists or send updates as needed.
- Export detailed reports for your board or records.
- Generate acceptance letters instantly with one click.
- Monitor real-time submission status and payment updates.
Email visibility has been improved so you can track communications more easily, and there’s greater customization when setting up calls and creating submission forms.
We’ve also added better analytics and reporting tools to help galleries communicate more effectively with jurors and evaluate submissions with confidence.
Public gallery profiles make it easier for artists to discover your calls and understand what kind of work you’re looking for, helping you reach a wider audience and strengthen your marketing efforts.
Beyond the visual updates, the goal was to enhance overall stability and workflow, from faster dashboards and bulk updates to integrated payment processing and free migration from CaFÉ or other vendors.
For Artists
Artists now have a smoother, more intuitive experience for discovering and applying to calls.
The new design makes it easier to find open calls that match your interests and artistic practice, with better filters and search options for different types of opportunities. Here’s how that looks now on EntryThingy.
Once you’re ready to apply, the updated submission flow simplifies everything: automatic image resizing, clearer form layouts, and improved mobile support make the process much faster.
Artists can also create public profiles that showcase their work, helping galleries discover them for future calls.
Here’s how the old version looked when adding new artwork to your portfolio. You could enter the artwork’s name and description and then save it to your gallery.
And now, for artists who want to add their own artwork, the process looks like this. The updated upload interface gives you more flexibility and control over how you present each piece.
You can start by entering the title of your artwork and selecting the medium or material used. Then, you can add the exact dimensions, including optional depth, and specify the year the piece was created.
There’s also an option to set a price and choose your preferred currency. Finally, you can write a short description to share details about the artwork’s concept, technique, or story before uploading it with all the details.
You can now also select a medium for your artwork, which allows you to describe your work and techniques in more detail:
Whether you’re curating a new show or submitting your latest piece, the new EntryThingy is designed to make your work easier, faster, and more rewarding.
What’s Next for EntryThingy
The new EntryThingy launch is only the beginning. Over the coming months, we’re continuing to invest in the platform to make it even more powerful, flexible, and easy to use.
One major focus will be deeper analytics, giving galleries clearer insights into submissions, jury feedback, and artist engagement.
Improved jury tools are also on the way, designed to make reviewing and scoring submissions faster and more transparent. These updates will help galleries run more organized, data-driven shows.
We’re also working on simplifying payments, allowing you to use your preferred method while keeping the process secure and reliable. This includes easier refund management, clearer transaction tracking, and expanded payment options for both artists and galleries.
Beyond these updates, we’re exploring new features like member-only shows, tools to badge certain artists as available for collaboration, and geographic restrictions that let you narrow calls to specific regions.
For example, if you want your show to only accept submissions from California, you can now restrict access so artists from other regions won’t apply. These updates aim to make EntryThingy more customizable for every type of gallery, artist community, and call for entry.
With these upcoming improvements, our goal remains the same: to build a platform that empowers galleries and artists to focus on what matters. Creating, curating, and connecting through art.
A Thank You to Our Community!
We also want to give a major shoutout to some of the super early testers and dedicated users who helped smooth out issues, suggest features, and generally were great to learn from.
A huge thank you to Susan, Priscilla, Tim, Jeanie, and Elizabeth. You all rock!
We plan on building EntryThingy for a long time, so please reach out if you want to introduce yourself. We’d love to hear from you and talk about what EntryThingy is expecting to look like over the next few years.