Artist Opportunities | Vol. 88

Open Calls

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. 

LBIF | Plein Air Plus 2026 | The Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences is pleased to announce the eleventh "Plein Air Plus" Competition and Exhibition on Long Beach Island, New Jersey. The Juror is Peter Trippi, editor-in-chief of Fine Art Connoisseur, the national magazine that serves collectors of contemporary and historical realist art. | Entry Deadline: May 26, 2026 | Submission information.

Belmar Arts Center | OPEN CALL: In the Presence of Light | In the Presence of Light is an exhibition celebrating the tradition, spontaneity, and vitality of “en plein air painting,” art made outdoors, immersed in nature’s fleeting moods and shifting light. We invite artists to submit original works created on location in outdoor settings. From coastal mornings and mountain afternoons to urban streets and garden quietude, we seek pieces that honor the relationship between artist, landscape, and light. | Deadline: May 27, 2026 by 11:59PM | 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. 

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. 

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.  

Contemporary Craft | 2027 Elizabeth R. Raphael Founder’s Prize Award Exhibition – Contemporary Works in Small Metals Open Call | In 1997, the Elizabeth R. Raphael Founder’s Prize was established to recognize excellence in contemporary craft, with a focus on the theme of transformation. Named for Elizabeth Rockwell Raphael (1920-1998), the founder of Contemporary Craft, this biennial juried exhibition has built a significant international legacy. It highlights both emerging and established artists who push the boundaries of clay, glass, metal, wood and found materials—challenging traditional techniques and reimagining craft in innovative and thought-provoking ways. This program offers a $5,000 grand prize award in conjunction with a video profile, exhibition catalog, and a juried group xhibition—Transformation Series. Prizes are selected by medium, with the designated medium changing with each award.

The 2027 prize will be awarded for an artwork in SMALL METALS. | Deadline: May 31, 2026 | Submission information. 

Academy of American Poets | James Laughlin Award | Offered since 1954, the James Laughlin Award is given to recognize and support a second book of poetry forthcoming in the next calendar year. The award was endowed in 1995 by a gift to the Academy from the Drue Heinz Trust. It is named for the poet and publisher James Laughlin (1914–1997), who founded New Directions in 1936. The winning poet receives a prize of $5,000, an all-expenses-paid weeklong residency at The Betsy Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida, and distribution of the winning book to approximately twelve hundred Academy of American Poets members. | Deadline: June 15, 2026 | More information and application.

VIA Art Fund | Artistic Production Grants | VIA’s Artistic Production Grants fund the production of newly commissioned works of visual art exhibited beyond museum walls, in the public realm, or in non-traditional exhibition environments. These grants are awarded to projects that best exemplify VIA’s three core values of Artistic Production, Thought Leadership, and Public Engagement. Grant amounts range from $25,000 to $100,000. | Deadline for Letters of Inquiry: May 21, 2026 | More information and application. 

Jonathan and Barbara Silver Foundation | 2026 Grants for Sculpture and Writing on Sculpture | In its grant program, the Jonathan and Barbara Silver Foundation’s goal is to encourage and support sculptors and writers on sculpture, both emerging and established. The Writing Grant is specifically for a writer who generates fresh writing and thinking on the history, aesthetics, purposes, imagination or situation of sculpture. The Sculpture Grant is specifically for an artist who demonstrates an exceptional commitment to sculpture that is informed by an imaginative engagement with its materials, histories, and situation. | Deadline: May 31, 2026 | 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. 

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. 

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

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. 

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. 

Atlantic City Arts Foundation & Ducktown Community Development Corporation | Ducktown Madonnari Chalk Festival | We are excited to invite everyone to the first official Ducktown Madonnari Chalk Art Festival on Saturday May 23rd at Tanger Outlets in Atlantic City. The festival is hosted by Ducktown Community Development Corporation and partnered with North To Shore and Tanger Atlantic City.​ This event is inspired by the original Madonnari festivals of Italy, and the many world-renowned festivals throughout the United States. | Date & Time: Saturday, May 23, 2026 from 9AM to 4PM | Location: Tanger Outlets, 2014 Baltic AveAtlantic City, NJ 08401 | More information. 

Center for Art Law | Art Law Conference 2026 | What do you think about Rogers v. Koons, 960 F.2d 301 (2d Cir. 1992)? Dogs? Balloon? Fair use? Parody? Piracy? Copyright Law 101! Join us on May 27 for the highly anticipated Art Law Conference 2026, held at Brooklyn Law School and Online (Hybrid). Entitled “What is Copy, Right? Visual Art, AI, and the Law in the 21st Century,” this year’s conference explores the evolving relationship between visual art, copyright law, and artificial intelligence. This is a HYBRID event, so there are “online only” options available! | Date & Time: May 27, 2026 from 12PM to 5:30PM | Tickets and information. 

Powell Lane Arts | Coffee For Creatives | Creativity is amazing … but takes energizing. Help renew and fuel it with Coffee for Creatives. 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: June 7, 2026 at 12PM | More information and registration. 

LBIF | The MET Chorus Artists Perform | LBIF is pleased to partner with the MET Chorus Artists for a special Memorial Day performance honoring veterans and those who have lost their lives in service. Join us for this Concert of Remembrance performed by singers from the MET Chorus Artists. This group of talented opera professionals will serenade the audience with songs from bygone eras, stepping out from their extensive performing careers at Lincoln Center in New York City. Proceeds will support both the MET Chorus Artists and the Long Beach Island Foundation. Led by long-time LBIF member Brandon Mayberry—this is a concert you don’t want to miss! | Date & Time: May 25, 2026 from 6:30PM to 8:30PM | Location: 120 Long Beach Boulevard, Loveladies, NJ, 08008 | 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. 

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. 

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. 

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 | 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.