Artist Opportunities | Vol. 87

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. 

Powell Lane Arts | OPEN CALL: Groovin’ | This exhibition is not simply about depicting music. Groove can be literal — musicians, instruments, performance. It can be physical: carved marks, stitched patterns, layered gestures, repeated forms that build visual rhythm. It may live in the body, in movement and flow, or in the quiet internal cadence of a studio practice. For many artists, music is not just inspiration — it is an active collaborator. We are especially interested in the role music and music components play in how you create. Do you work to a specific song on repeat? Does a certain album shape the pace, tone, or emotional direction of your work?  Do you use rhythm, texture, beat, timbre, genre in your works?  Are you incorporating sheet music, calligraphic marking, tone and tempo in your work? | Deadline: May 5, 2026 by 11:59PM | Submission information. 

Fusion Art | Still Life 2026 Art Competition | Fusion Art invites submissions for its 34th Quarterly Art Competition – the Still Life 2026 Art Competition. For this art competition, 2D and 3D artists, worldwide, are encouraged to submit their best work depicting an arrangement of everyday inanimate objects.  The still life works can be traditional or contemporary in nature, with the content exhibiting everyday objects which are natural (e.g., food, flowers, plants, rocks, shells, etc.) or which are manufactured (e.g., bottles, glasses, pottery, books, jewelry, coins, pipes, etc.). | Deadline: May 5, 2026 | Submission information. 

Drawing Rooms Gallery | OPEN CALL: Drawing Rooms Solo Project Space 7 | We are looking for an exciting and compelling cohesive body of work or installation on any theme or concept and of any size or media for our Solo Project Space. Multiple Solo Artists will be chosen by the curator: ONE artist for the Project Space and up to FOUR artists for additional solo gallery areas! | Deadline: May 14, 2026 | Submission information. 

Drawing Rooms Gallery | OPEN CALL: Black, White and Gray: An Achromatic Color Exhibit | We invite you to submit work for consideration in our Drawing Rooms exhibit, “Black White & Gray: an Achromatic Color Exhibition”. In this show we are looking for exciting works which focus on graphic form, delicate abstraction, narrative works, and anything and everything in between using achromatic colors–black and white which sit on opposing ends of the grayscale–and works in gray too! | Deadline: May 14, 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. 

Box Spring Gallery | OPEN CALL: Liberty & Justice | Open to all artists in the Greater Philadelphia region (including Delaware and Southern New Jersey). Liberty and Justice are abstract concepts and foundational societal ideals. They are defined as: Liberty: The state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions imposed by authority on one’s way of life, behavior, or political views. Justice: The principle of fairness, moral rightness, and equity, ensuring individuals receive what they are due including rights, treatment and consequences. How can messages of Liberty and Justice be conveyed visually in respect to Philadelphia, our Nation’s 250th Anniversary, or historical and/or current events? Submit your artwork to our juried exhibition! | Deadline: May 30, 2026 | Submission information. 

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. 

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. 

Funding

Center for Craft | 2026 Craft Archive Fellowship | The Craft Archive Fellowship advances archival research on underrepresented and nondominant craft histories in the United States, including feminist, queer, Black, Indigenous, Latinx, Asian American and Pacific Islander, intersectional, and other communities and approaches. Four fellowships of $5,000 will be awarded to support archival research on underrepresented and nondominant craft histories in the United States. | Deadline: May 20, 2026 | 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. 

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. 

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. 

National Performance Network | National Performance Network's Creation & Development Fund | The National Performance Network's Creation & Development Fund supports the creation, development, and mobility of new artistic work that fosters community-centered experiences and advances racial and cultural justice. Funding is available in two stages: a Creation Fund providing a minimum of $15,000 in unrestricted support for works in their earliest stages, and a Development Fund open to previous Creation Fund recipients to prepare work for public engagement. | Deadline: May 16, 2026 | 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. 

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.

Innovate Grants | Spring Artist Grants | Innovate Grant awards (2) $1,800.00 grants each quarter, to one Visual Artist and one Photographer. In addition, (18) honorable mentions (9 in art and 9 in photo), will be featured on our website and join a growing community of vibrant and talented artists. Innovate Grant’s commitment extends beyond the grant cycle by promoting the work of selected winners and honorable mentions into the future. | Deadline: June 18, 2026 | More information and application. 

Beautiful Bizarre | Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize | The Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize, now in its 9th year, is an annual non-acquisitive international art prize that celebrates diversity and excellence in the representational visual arts. It includes all static mediums including Traditional Art media, Digital Art media, and Photographic media; and all styles including realism, imaginative realism, hyperrealism, surrealism, dark art, pop surrealism, super flat, lowbrow etc. The Prize seeks to inspire creatives from around the world to pursue a life and career in the arts, and to help careers grow through funding and increased exposure of their work to galleries, collectors and media globally. Enter today! | Deadline: July 17, 2026 | More information and applications.

Training & Resources

TRAC | Workshop: Architectural Illustration | Bring architectural designs to life through illustration. This 3-part course introduces the collaborative process between artist and architect, teaching you how to transform plans into persuasive visuals that showcase a project’s vision and appeal to clients and decision makers. Please bring pencils, 1/4” architect scale and a straight edge. MEMBERS: $125 NON-MEMEBERS: $140 | Dates & Times: SATURDAYS: May 9, 23 and 30 from 11:00 AM - 1:00 PM | Location: Toms River Artist Community, 40 Main S, Toms River, NJ 08753 | More information and registration. 

Artwork Archive | FREE WEBINAR: Write Now: The Essential Writing Workshop for Artists | In this Essential Writing Workshop for Artists, you'll get clear guidance on what goes into each key document—your Artist Statement, Bio, CV, and About Statement. You'll walk away knowing how to make each one truly reflect your voice. | Webinar. 

New Jersey Small Business Development Center | FREE WEBINAR: AI Masterclass PART 1:Introduction to AI & Tools 4 Productivity | This beginner-friendly webinar demystifies Artificial Intelligence and shows participants how to use simple AI tools to save time, stay organized, and work smarter. No technical background required, but it will be helpful to have a laptop available to use a tool such as ChatGPT. Attendees will learn how AI is changing everyday work and discover practical, easy-to-use applications that can streamline tasks, boost creativity, and increase productivity across both personal and professional life. | Date & Time: May 1, 2026 from 10AM to 1PM | More information and registration. 

New Jersey Small Business Development Center | FREE WEBINAR: Social Media Principles for Business: Facebook/Instagram | This session will focus on best practices in using social media platforms for business including but not limited to Facebook and Instagram. Topics include why use social media, how to choose which platforms to use, engagement trends on different social media platforms and trends in popular media types on each platform and Paid advertising. These activities will support building a Digital Marketing Plan that delivers results. We’ll review different templates you can use to complete your plan. | Date & Time: May 12, 2026 from 3PM to 5PM | More information and registration. 

New Jersey Small Business Development Center | FREE WEBINAR: LinkedIn: Connect and Engage for Growth | This session will focus on using the LinkedIn to establish your reputation as an expert and reach your target audience. We will discuss the LinkedIn algorithm, and strategies to grow and engage with your audience to enable you to make valuable business connections. | Date & Time: May 12, 2026 from 12:30PM to 2:30PM | More information and registration.

Springboard for the Arts | FREE WORKSHOP: Work of Art: Artist Statements | Get a hands-on, step-by-step approach to writing a range of statements that best represent your work as an artist. | Date & Time: May 5, 2026 from 7PM to 9:30PM | More information and registration.

Springboard for the Arts | FREE VIRTUAL WORKSHOP: Work of Art: Artist Statements | Get a hands-on, step-by-step approach to writing a range of statements that best represent your work as an artist. This workshop is a part of Work of Art+, a series of workshops that complement the 12-part Work of Art: Business Skills for Artists series, a professional development curriculum designed to teach business skills to artists in all disciplines. The curriculum is always available for free download, or you can buy a copy of the book to support your practice. | Date & Time: May 5, 2026 from 7PM to 9:30PM | More information and registration. 

Springboard for the Arts | FREE VIRTUAL WORKSHOP: Website Basics for Artists | Get a big picture view of the components of your artist website, find clarity on whether you need a website for your artistic practice and learn the basics of creating a website. This workshop is a part of Work of Art+, a series of workshops that complement the 12-part Work of Art: Business Skills for Artists series, a professional development curriculum designed to teach business skills to artists in all disciplines. The curriculum is always available for free download, or you can buy a copy of the book to support your practice. | Date & Time: May 19, 2026 from 7PM to 9:30PM | More information and registration. 

Springboard for the Arts | FREE VIRTUAL WORKSHOP: Ask Me Anything: Art as a Tool for Community Change | Artists everywhere are finding creative ways to respond to the needs, ideas, and opportunities within their communities—from zines and fashion shows to winter play and beyond. Join Sarah Johnson (Winona) and Sophie Wang (Twin Cities) for a conversation about their community-based artistic practices. They’ll share how they balance their own creative vision with the needs and ideas of their neighbors, what they’ve learned through their projects, and how art can be a powerful tool for organizing, engagement, and addressing local challenges. The discussion will be moderated by Michele Anderson, Rural Director of Springboard for the Arts. | Date & Time: May 21, 2026 from 7PM to 9:30PM | More information and registration. 

Networking & Opportunities

Atlantic City Arts Foundation | 48 Blocks Festival Applications Open | The Atlantic City Arts Foundation is hosting our annual 48 Blocks Festival on September 19, 2026. Applications to participate in the festival open on May 22, 2026 through July 5, 2026. Application Info Session during Outside Lines on June 5, 2026, 2–4 pm at the Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University. | Deadline: July 5, 2026 | More information and application. 

Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University | Print Day in May | Print Day in May at the Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University! The Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University will be participating in the worldwide printmaking event “Print Day in May” on Saturday, May 2. Print Day in May is a global celebration of printmaking started by Robynn Smith that occurs annually on the first Saturday in May. All are welcome to experiment and experience printmaking and walk away with a print of their own! Faculty from Stockton University will be present for workshops and demonstrations, as well as other local artists. | Date & Time: Saturday, May 2, 2026 from 12:00 PM to 3:30 PM | More information and registration.

WheatonArts | ECO Fair | In partnership with the Authority of Cumberland County, WheatonArts presents the 19th annual ECO Fair, a FREE Family Day event inspired by natural and artful living! ECO Fair, a campus-wide event, features local gardening clubs, including Rutgers Master Gardeners with various plants and herbs for sale, handmade works of New Jersey artists, environmental organizations, a Nature Trail tour, eco-friendly activities for families, and more. Admission to all WheatonArts exhibits and artist studio demonstrations are free and open to the public for the day, part of WheatonArts Family Days presented by PNC Arts Alive! | Date & Time: May 2, 2026 from 10AM to 4PM, rain or shine | Location: 1000 Village Drive, Millville, NJ 08332 | Tickets and information. 

Vineland Library | ARTIST OPPORTUNITY: Art Exhibits - Doris Tripp Room | Vineland Public Library welcomes the use of its facilities for art exhibitions and displays. The library seeks artists and photographers to display their art in its Doris Tripp Room, which features 64 running feet of exhibit area. Also available are two glass display cases for exhibitions of artwork, crafts, nonprofit displays, and collections of unique, interesting or historical items. | More information. 

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. 

Murphy Writing Center of Stockton University | World Above Open Mic Series Featuring Jackie Shelley | Murphy Writing of Stockton University’s open mic program, World Above, is held every month at the Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University. Open mic participants are invited to read one poem or prose piece that is less than two minutes long. Please arrive in person or online by 6:45pm to secure an open mic spot. Questions or concerns can be forwarded to Dimitri Reyes: worldabovereading@gmail.com. | Date & Time: May 20, 2026 from 7PM to 9PM | Location: Noyes Arts Garage: 2200 Fairmount Ave., Atlantic City, NJ 08401 OR online via Zoom. | More information. 

Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts | Design your own Tote Bag! | Create your own design or choose stencils to make a gift or a tote for yourself! All supplies provided & Chrissy will instruct! | Date & Time: May 3. 2026 from 2PM to 4PM | Location: 22 North High Street, Millville, NJ 08332 | Tickets and information.

Appel Farm Arts & Music Center | Mother’s Day Weekend Arts Retreat | Perfect for caregivers and kiddos who want to spend a weekend together creating art, sharing meals, warming up by the campfire, building relationships, and having fun! | Date & Time: Friday Check-In 7pm

Sunday Check-Out 10am | Location: Appel Farm Arts & Music Center, 457 Shirley Rd., Elmer, NJ | More information and registration.

Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University | AC Call to Collaboration: Gathering Ground | Do you live in Atlantic City? Do you work for an organization that serves communities in Atlantic City? Do you work in the housing, health, or economic justice sector? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, we invite to join us for our upcoming Atlantic City Call to Collaboration, where we’ll discuss the Central Question: How can we leverage our successes and ignite universal access to quality housing, economic justice and thriving, healthy neighborhoods for all AC residents? | Date & Time: May 6, 2026 | More information and registration.

African American Heritage Museum of Southern New Jersey | CURRENT EXHIBIT: Stereotypes: How African Americans Have Been Depicted In Advertising | Our newest exhibit, “Stereotypes: How African Americans Have Been Depicted In Advertising,” examines the history of negative portrayals of Black Americans used by several global, national, and local companies. Through a compelling display of advertisements, products, and media, this exhibit explores how these representations have shaped and influenced public perception. Stereotypes" includes historical artifacts associated with Atlantic City Electric that have been provided by Larry Frankel, the estate of Dr. Stanley Abrams, and from the museum's vast collection. The exhibit was curated by Stockton University students Adrianna Schofield and My’air Henry. | Dates: February 6 - May 26, 2026 | More information.

WheatonArts | 2026 Fantasy Faire Exhibitor Application | In partnership with Mystic Realms, Ltd. ®, Fantasy Faire at WheatonArts is an annual outdoor event featuring talented performers who bring the "Kingdom of Wheaton" to life by enacting a series of interconnected shows that tell the story of the day. Strolling costumed characters portraying historical and mythical figures interact with each other and WheatonArts visitors throughout the campus during both days of Fantasy Faire. Visitors are welcome to come dressed in their favorite fantasy garb to enjoy retail vendors, family-friendly activities, and performances throughout the day. Refreshments will be available for purchase from local food vendors. The event is included with admission to WheatonArts. | Deadline: May 29, 2026 | More information and application.

Atlantic City Arts Foundation | FREE ARTIST MEETUP: Outside Lines | The June 5 Outside Lines will include a 48 Blocks Festival Application Info Session. Come with questions about participation! Arts Foundation is hosting free community meetups to convene artists, neighbors, collaborators, and the curious at rotating locations in Atlantic City. Not focused exclusively on happy hours or networking, these meetups are intended as informal and inclusive spaces to spark connection and conversation IRL. It’s Outside Lines and it’s happening in 2026. | Date & Time: June 5, 2026 from 2PM to 4PM | Location: Noyes Arts Garage of Stockton University, 2200 Fairmount AvenueAtlantic City, NJ, 08401 | More information. 

The Kyoto Retreat | Application Opportunity Open for The Kyoto Retreat 2026 | The 2026 Kyoto Retreat is a program created by Japan-based, independent curator Dexter Wimberly. The Kyoto Retreat offers artists, curators, and writers, based anywhere in the world, an opportunity to spend four weeks in Kyoto, Japan, for research, exploration, and inspiration. If selected for the retreat, you will receive a roundtrip flight, a private bedroom, and $800 USD to supplement meals and local transportation. | Deadline: July 17, 2026 | Application Fee: $95 | More information and application.