Artist Opportunities | Vol. 85

Open Calls

New Jersey State Council on the Arts | New Jersey Arts Annual at the Zimmerli Museum | The Zimmerli Art Museum will host the FY27 New Jersey Arts Annual — Hank Willis Thomas Selects. This exhibition marks the Zimmerli's inaugural New Jersey Arts Annual. Artist Hank Willis Thomas will serve as the juror and guest curator. The call welcomes artists at all stages of their careers, with particular interest in work that expands current conversations, and in makers who have not yet received sustained visibility. Rather than organizing the exhibition around a prescribed theme, this edition — Hank Willis Thomas Selects the NJ Arts Annual, will present work across generations and disciplines, catalyzing critical thought and creating space for mindful looking. | Deadline: May 1, 2026 | Submission information.

RevNJ | CALL FOR ART: 2026 History Pinned | ​RevolutionNJ is seeking up to 5 designs for its History Pinned project. Submitted designs must either highlight an object or depict a story from one of the following museums: Battleship New Jersey in Camden, NJ | Bruce Springsteen Archive and Center for American Music in West Long Branch, NJ | Dey Mansion Washington’s Headquarters in Wayne, NJ | Howell Living History Farm in Hopewell Township, NJ | Peter Mott House in Lawnside, NJ | Deadline: April 6, 2026 | Submission information.

LBIF | OPEN CALL: “Coast” | The Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences (LBIF) is pleased to announce an exhibition opportunity for New Jersey artists. This call invites artwork that celebrates and explores New Jersey’s coastline, a defining feature of the state that influences tourism, the fishing industry, waterways and navigation, politics and defense, natural beauty, and quality of life. Artwork may be a direct reflection of coastal imagery or inspired by coastal themes, capturing the spirit, environment, and culture of life along the shore. Eligible mediums include drawing, painting, hand-pulled prints, photography, mixed media, wall-hung 2D works in the crafts (clay, glass, metal, fiber, wood), video, and computer-generated digital work displayed as prints. All artworks must have been created within the past two years and submitting artists must be 18 years or older. An exhibition catalog is planned pending funding. | Deadline: May 17, 2026 at 11:59 PM | Submission information. 

Perkins Center for the Arts | Calls for Visual Artists | We invite artists to submit work for upcoming exhibitions at Perkins Center for the Arts in Collingswood and Moorestown. Opportunities include juried shows, community-based exhibits, and curated invitations. | See the Prospectus. 

DC Gallery & Studio | Summer 2026 Open Call: American Identity | For DC Gallery & Studio’s 2nd annual summer open call, we are looking for emerging & established New Jersey visual artists’ unique interpretation of “American Identity.” | Deadline: Submissions due by midnight (11:59 PM) on Monday, June 1, 2026 | Submission information.

Art Fluent | OPEN CALL: HER.SELF | The feminine spirit cannot be contained by a single definition. It is layered and luminous. We invite artwork that honors women in all their complexities… her presence, her resilience, her beauty, her becoming. Show us HER.SELF as you see her. | Deadline: Friday, July 17, 2026, at midnight MST | Submission information. 

Viridian Artists | 34th Annual International Juried Exhibition | Viridian Artists Gallery is proud to present its 34th International Juried Exhibition, juried by Shilpi Chandra, Assistant Curator at the Hudson River Museum. 30 artists will be selected with 1st, 2nd and 3rd place cash prizes awarded.  Also, included will be a Director's Choice digital exhibit to be on view during the exhibition. | Deadline: April 1, 2026 | Submission information. 

Art Fluent | OPEN CALL: Just Add Water | Artists are drawn to water because it’s gorgeous, moody, and a little bit magical. Oceans, rain, rivers, puddles, or even a hint of blue, water gives us a way to splash around with feeling, memory, and transformation. So go ahead… JUST ADD WATER and show us what water means to you. | Deadline: June 5, 2026 | Submission information. 

Point Pleasant Publishing | Call for Experimental Visual Art for Hardcover Book Editions | Selected artists are featured with detailed curatorial review essays in the catalogue, which are released in editions. Point Pleasant Publishing accepts experimental and alternative forms of visual art including photography, performance, video, film, installation, assemblage, collage, fiber, printmaking, light design, jewelry, fashion/costume design, and analogue digital (no AI). | Deadline: Rolling | More information. 

Art Fluent | OPEN CALL: NIGHT MOVES | Night changes everything. Colors fade, shadows stretch, and details soften. What was familiar becomes mysterious, and what was hidden settles out of view. We invite artists to submit work exploring the visual and emotional qualities of nighttime: shadow, low light, atmosphere, color shifts, silhouettes, and the spaces that come alive after dark. Show us NIGHT MOVES from your perspective.JPEGs due by Friday, April 17, 2026, at midnight (MST). Over $1,200 in cash prizes. All accepted pieces will be displayed in our online gallery at www.art-fluent.com. | Deadline: April 17, 2026 by midnight MST | Submission information. 

Funding

Creative Capital | Creative Capital Award 2027 | The 2027 Creative Capital Open Call seeks proposals from individual artists in all 50 states for new artistic works in the Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Film, and Literature. The Creative Capital Award provides unrestricted project grants of up to $50,000 to individual artists to create new work. The new State of the Art Prize provides unrestricted artist grants of $10,000. The application portal opens on Monday, March 2, 2026. | Deadline: Thursday, April 2, 2026 at 3PM ET | More information and application. 

International Documentary Association | IDA Emergency Assistance | Beginning Monday, March 9, 2026, IDA is piloting an emergency assistance program for documentary filmmakers whose work puts them in imminent and extreme physical danger. Eligible filmmakers may request a one-time emergency grant between $500 and $5,000 (USD). IDA will respond to all applications within 24 hours and handle them with strict confidentiality. IDA Emergency Assistance protects freedom of expression by providing direct support to filmmakers at risk because of their work. | Deadline: Ongoing Until September | More information and application. 

SOZO | SOZO Fellowship | SOZO Fellowship is a groundbreaking coaching program designed to equip full-time working, mid-career independent artists with sustainability and entrepreneurship training to reach new heights in their livelihood and creative endeavors. | Deadline: April 12, 2026 by 11:59 PM EST | More information and application. 

Guggenheim | Guggenheim Fellowship | The Guggenheim Fellowship is an annual competition celebrating exceptional achievements in the arts, sciences, and humanities. Roughly 190 Fellowships are awarded each year. The Guggenheim Fellowship supports individuals who have achieved notable success in their careers across the creative arts, humanities, sciences, and social sciences. It is designed for mid-career professionals whose work is well-established. Potential Fellows have already made significant contributions to their field and are eager for time and resources that will allow them to further their meaningful work. The 2027 competition will open for applications in late summer 2026. | More information and application. 

3pts | 3pts Artists & Makers Impact Fund | The 3pts Artists & Makers Impact Fund is a $3,500 award supporting U.S.-based artists and makers who create tangible objects or goods and are working to sustain and grow a business. Funding may be used for materials, equipment, workspace costs, professional development, production expenses, or other needs that strengthen an artist or maker’s practice. | Deadline: April 27, 2026 (11:59pm ET) | More information and application. 

Foundation for Contemporary Arts | Emergency Grants | Emergency Grants is a year-round, multi-disciplinary program that offers immediate, project-based assistance to artists living and working anywhere in the United States, for projects occurring in the U.S. and abroad. | Deadline: Ongoing | More information and application. 

Adolph & Esther Gottlieb Foundation | Emergency Grants | The Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Emergency Grant program is intended to provide interim financial assistance to qualified painters, printmakers, and sculptors whose needs are the result of an unforeseen, catastrophic incident, and who lack the resources to meet that situation. Each grant is given as one-time assistance for a specific emergency, examples of which are fire, flood, or emergency medical need. | Deadline: Ongoing | More information and application. 

Musicians Foundation | Emergency Grants | Our application for one-time financial assistance grants is open to professional musicians across all genres. If you are a professional musician in a specific time of need, please explore below to see if you might qualify for a financial grant to pay an essential bill. | Deadline: Ongoing | More information and application. 

Art Fluent | $1,000 Evolution Grant | Art Fluent’s grant cycle is now open to individual artists through an international open call. THE EVOLUTION GRANT will provide unrestricted funding to an individual artist with recognized artistic excellence in fine art media and a demonstrated commitment to their art. | Deadline: June 19, 2026 | Submission information. 

Pollock-Krasner Foundation | Grants for Artists | The Foundation provides unrestricted financial resources to exceptional visual artists. The grants can be used in any way that allows an artist to meaningfully pursue their practice. Grants are typically used to create new work, acquire supplies, rent studio space, prepare for exhibitions, attend a residency, and offset living expenses. | Deadline: Ongoing | More information and application. 

Rachel’s Network | Rachel’s Network Catalyst Award | Rachel’s Network’s Catalyst Award recognizes women environmental leaders of color across the U.S. and its territories who are advancing solutions for a healthy planet. Each awardee receives a personal award, a grant to their organization (if applicable), leadership development support, and national recognition. Applicants must identify as a woman of color (inclusive of people of color who identify as non-binary) and have at least 10 years of experience in environmental work. Leaders from a wide range of fields, including education, research, health and wellness, law, and the arts, are encouraged to apply. | Deadline: March 31, 2026 | More information and application. 

New York Foundation for the Arts | Anonymous Was A Woman Environmental Art Grants | The Anonymous Was A Woman Environmental Art Grants (AWAW EAG) provides grants of up to $20,000 to environmental art projects led by women, transgender, and gender-nonconforming artists in the United States and U.S. Territories. The AWAW EAG supports environmental art projects that inspire thought, action, and ethical engagement. Projects should not only point at problems, but aim to engage an environmental issue at some scale. Proposals should illustrate thorough consideration of a project’s ecological and social ethics. Projects that explore interdependence, relationships, and systems through Indigenous and ancestral practices are encouraged to apply. Supporting artists who have been impacted by gender inequity is one of AWAW’s core values. The award is open to women, transgender, and gender-nonconforming artists. | Deadline: April 7, 2026 by 5pm EST | More information and application. 

The Hopper Prize | Grants for Artists | The Hopper Prize is a grant-making institution and digital archiving platform offering a series of individual artist grants on a bi-annual basis totaling $26,000.00 USD. Now offering $4,500 grants. We provide unrestricted cash grants in the amount of $4,500 and $1,000 to artists around the globe. | Deadline: May 12, 2026 | More information and application. 

Wish Local Empowerment Program | Small Business Grants for Black-Owned Retail Stores | The Wish Local Empowerment Program provides grants to support Black-owned brick-and-mortar retail businesses across the United States. The $2 million fund awards approximately 4,000 grants to help cover operating expenses such as workforce retention, rent, inventory, customer outreach, and community engagement. The program aims to promote equity and strengthen diversity in entrepreneurship. Eligible businesses must have 20 or fewer employees and annual revenue under $1 million. | Deadline: None | More information and application. 

CERF+ | Emergency Relief Grants | CERF+ can help you get back to doing what you do best. CERF+ offers $3,000 Emergency Relief Grants to craft artists who experienced a recent and substantially disruptive emergency or disaster. | Deadline: Ongoing | More information and application. 

coLAB Arts | Monthly Artist Grant | coLAB Arts' Monthly Artist Grant celebrates artists in New Jersey who use creative practice to support their local communities and create greater public good. Please consider joining coLAB Arts as a recurring donor to expand and sustain this important grant making. If you’d like to nominate yourself or others to be considered for a future monthly artist grant, use the provided button to access the form. | Deadline: Ongoing | Nomination information.

Training & Resources

New Jersey State Council on the Arts | FREE WORKSHOP: The Business of Being an Artist: Becoming Established: LLCs and Nonprofits | Ready to take your creative work to the next level? This high-impact webinar dives into how building your practice through a business model can transform your art into a sustainable, thriving venture. Explore two powerful pathways artists are using to grow, scale, and fund their work - while gaining real-world insight from a leading New Jersey business expert and artists who have successfully turned their vision into dynamic businesses. Your creativity is your gift - now learn how to make it your engine for growth. | Date & Time: April 22, 2026 from 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM | More information and registration. 

UCEDC | FREE LIVE WEBINAR: Starting a Business in NJ | Have a great idea?  Ready to start a business?  Learn what you need to know before you take the plunge! The decision to start a business is an exciting time for any entrepreneur.  However, there are many steps you’ll need to take to protect yourself from potential liability, legal and tax issues. This webinar is designed to guide you through the mechanics of starting your business and make sure you get off on the right foot. | Date & Time: March 31, 2026 from 12PM to 1:30PM | More information and registration. 

Atlantic City Arts Foundation | Artist Finder Database | ACAF has compiled a list of artists in the Atlantic City area in one easy to navigate website! If you are interested in joining the database as an artist, visit the website for more information. | Website.

Artwork Archive | RECORDED WEBINAR: Better Bookkeeping for Artists: Track Income, Expenses, and Insights | In this recorded webinar, we show you how to turn your scattered financial records into organized, actionable insights.You'll learn practical bookkeeping strategies that work for artists at any stage, whether you're making your first sales or managing an established practice. | Webinar. 

Springboard for the Arts | FREE WEBINAR: Financial Peace of Mind: Planning for Life’s Ups and Downs | Life changes can create financial question marks—but you can move forward with clarity. Learn how to focus on what’s within your control, how to assess cash flow and set spending priorities, and more. Presented in partnership with LSS Counseling. | Date & Time: April 9, 2026 from 6PM to 7:30PM CST | More information and registration.

Springboard for the Arts | FREE VIRTUAL WORKSHOP: Work of Art: Portfolio Kit | Your portfolio is the core of your promotional material and professional calling card. Focus on the essential elements: sharpening your artist statement, tailoring your artistic resume, and curating and formatting your work samples. | Date & Time: April 21, 2026 from 6PM to 8:30PM CST | More information and registration. 

Networking & Opportunities

Earplay New Chamber Music | 2026 Donald Aird Composers Competition | Earplay sponsors the annual Earplay Donald Aird Composers Competition, open to composers of any nationality and any age. Earplay performs the prizewinning piece and presents a cash prize of $1,500 to the winning composer. The competition honors the late composer/conductor/Earplay board member Donald Aird, an ardent supporter of the creation and performance of new music. You can submit an Aird competition application electronically or by mail. Please send an e-mail if you have questions or comments. | Deadline: April 30, 2026 by 11:59pm EST | More information and application. 

National Endowment for the Arts | National Heritage Fellowships | The NEA National Heritage Fellowship is the nation's highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. Each year since 1982, the program has recognized folk and traditional artists whose exemplary achievements contribute to our nation's distinctive cultural heritage, increasing opportunities for the public to encounter different artists, art forms, and cultural traditions. Through their folk and traditional arts practices, National Heritage Fellows demonstrate the importance of the arts to personal, cultural, and national identity. For a full program description and instructions on how to complete a nomination, review the National Heritage Fellowships Guidelines and Instructions. | Deadline to Submit Nomination Form: May 11, 2026, by 11:59 p.m., Eastern Time | More information and application. 

Powell Lane Arts | Coffee for Creatives | Creativity is amazing … but takes energizing.  Help renew and fuel it with Coffee for Creatives. Meet with other artists for some coffee and discussion that may fuel new ideas! Join us on a Sunday for great discussion about artwork and the artist’s process. You bring a piece of your art, and we’ll provide the coffee and snacks.

This event is limited to 12 people to encourage room for discussion and time to focus on each participant. | Date & Time: April 12, 2026 at 12PM | Location: 6 Powell Lane, Collingswood, NJ 08108 | More information and registration. 

Burlington County Parks: Arts, Culture & Heritage | CALL FOR ARTISTS: Projection Art 2026 | Burlington County Parks is seeking digital artists, animators, and videographers to transform the historic landscape of Smithville Park into a living, breathing canvas of light. For the 2026 Arts After Dark festival, we invite creators to submit video works for projection onto the stately walls and surrounding structures of the Historic Smithville Mansion grounds. We are looking for content that celebrates the intersection of history and modern technology. Whether your work is abstract, narrative, or experimental, we want to see how you can use light to redefine our historic architecture. | Deadline: July 15, 2026 | Application. 

Burlington County Parks: Arts, Culture & Heritage | REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS: Yarn Storm 2026 at Arts After Dark- Outdoor Art Installation | We’re seeking vibrant, imaginative proposals for yarn installations that wrap our trees in art and wonder—got a bold idea? A funky fiber vision? We want to see it! Just send us your preliminary designs, which will be reviewed by a committee from Burlington County Cultural Affairs to ensure they’re family-friendly, doable, and full of good vibes (no politics, no offense—just art!). | Deadline: March 31, 2026 | Application. 

Burlington County Parks: Arts, Culture & Heritage | Seeking Crankie Storytellers | The 4th Annual Crankie Theater Festival is looking for moving panorama artists. Share your "scroll shows" and hand-cranked magic with an enchanted audience. | Deadline: Before September 19, 2026- Contact organizer. | Application. 

Burlington County Parks: Arts, Culture & Heritage | Call for Artists: Art Cars & Inventive Bicycles | For the first time ever, Arts After Dark is hitting the road—literally! We are seeking makers, mechanics, and visionaries to participate in our inaugural Art Car & Inventive Bike Showcase. Historic Smithville was once the international center for the production of the American Star Bicycle. In 2026, we want to honor that legacy of innovation by showcasing the most creative, eccentric, and artfully modified "wheels" in the region. | Deadline: July 15, 2026 | Application. 

Burlington County Parks: Arts, Culture & Heritage | Demonstrating Artist Application for Arts After Dark | We are seeking Artisans and Craftspeople to show off their craft in real time. | Date of Demonstration: September 19, 2026 4 PM - 9 PM | Application. 

Perkins Center for the Arts | Teaching Opportunities at Perkins | Are you an artist or instructor who wants to share your art form with others? We welcome proposals from artists and instructors of all backgrounds and disciplines to lead classes and workshops for youth, teens, and adults in visual arts, music, writing, movement, and cultural traditions, especially those rooted in community engagement, cross-cultural knowledge, or underrepresented practices. This is a contracted (1099) position, meaning instructors are engaged as independent contractors rather than employees of Perkins. Application forms are available for artists interested in teaching. | More information and application. 

Perkins Center for the Arts | Collingswood Wellness Week: Open Figure Studio | Slow down, focus in, and draw from life in this clothed open figure session with Bernard Collins. Open to all levels, this is a moderated (not instructional) studio where Bernard offers light guidance and tips as you work. Expect a quiet, focused environment centered on observation, presence, and process—no distractions, just you and the page. It’s part drawing session, part mental reset, and a solid workout for your brain. | Price: $10 | Date & Time: April 6, 2026 from 10AM to 12PM | Tickets and information.