Guide to the Best Artist Grants and Opportunities in the Southeastern U.S.
The Artwork Archive team set out to find the best art opportunities, artist grants, and calls for entry for visual artists in the Southeastern United States.
Below you will find a list of the top artist residencies, international open calls, artist grants, exhibition opportunities and art competitions that we believe will benefit artists, specifically in the Southeast.
Remember, you can now save the important deadlines for your favorite opportunities right in your Artwork Archive account.
When you find a call that interests you, simply click ‘Add to Schedule' and the call's deadline will be automatically added to your Schedule. You'll also receive weekly reminders to keep you on top of your game.
We will be updating this list throughout the year, so make sure to bookmark the page, check back often, and let us know if there is an opportunity that should be listed!
May 12, 2024 4 days left
Del Ray Urban Sketchers
Workshops & Classes
- Submission Deadline: May 12, 2024
- Event Dates: May 12, 2024 - May 12, 2024
- Award Info: Urban sketchbooking emphasizes storytelling that conveys a sense of place or a moment in time through drawings completed from direct observations.
- Eligibility: Local
- Categories: Craft/Traditional Arts, Drawing, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline
- Location: Alexandria, VA 22301, United States
Del Ray Urban Sketchers. “Working Out (St. Elmo’s)” by Cathy Messina. Usually meets second Sunday of the month outside at St. Elmo’s Coffee Pub in Del Ray. This program is FREE! Donations appreciated. Emphasizes storytelling that conveys a sense of place or a moment in time through drawings completed from direct observations. Del Ray Urban Sketchers operates on a drop-in basis and typically meets the second Sunday of each month. Bring your supplies and join us to produce still life, figure or architecture subjects in your sketchbook. Participants will spend some time putting their skills into practice and then reconvene for a review of finished works.
Bring your supplies and join us outside at the cafe to produce still life, figure, or architecture subjects in your sketchbook. Participants will spend some time putting their skills into practice and then reconvene for a review of finished works.
This program is FREE! Donations appreciated.
May 12, 2024 4 days left
2024/2025 Flying Solo Call for Artists - Nashville International Airport
Public Art & Proposals
- Submission Deadline: May 12, 2024
- Award Info: Exhibition space as well as an honorarium of $750-$1,500.
- Eligibility: Regional
- Categories: Craft/Traditional Arts, Photography, Drawing, Film/Video/New Media, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Painting, Sculpture
- Location: Nashville, TN 37214, United States
Established in 1988, the Arts at the Airport Foundation is an ever-growing, ever-changing showcase of Tennessee’s cultural heritage and creative talents. The terminal and surrounding facilities at Nashville International Airport were designed to incorporate rotating public art exhibitions and permanent acquisitions for the enjoyment and enrichment of its passengers, visitors, and employees.
The Flying Solo Exhibition Series is supported by the Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority (MNAA). Each exhibit will be four months long. Artwork is expected to be framed and ready to display. Artist is responsible for delivering and picking up artwork from BNA. An honorarium is awarded to exhibiting artists ranging from $750 to $1,500. Arts related community groups as well as schools are eligible to apply in addition to individual artists.
FLYING SOLO
Part of the Arts at the Airport program, the Flying Solo Exhibition Series was developed in 1996. The 27-year-old series provides a highly visible venue for Tennessee artists, acts as an advocate for artists, and offers visitors a taste of the rich art and craft culture of our region.
EXHIBITION SPACES
There are several new exhibition spaces due to the recent BNA Vision construction/renovation projects at the Airport. There are six spaces that will accommodate two-dimensional artwork and two spaces that will exhibit three-dimensional work. Please note on your application which you will be exhibiting.
Art Cases – Artists working in three-dimensional media.
Concourse A – 3 cases, 15 ft. w x 5 ft. high x 1 ft. deep each
Located inside the International Arrivals Corridor, but visible to all of Concourse A through glass windows. Sliding glass doors make this an excellent space for smaller three-dimensional objects (only 1’ deep) as well as two-dimensional artwork.
Concourse D – 1 case, 10 ft. wide x 7 ft. high x 21 inches deep
Located on Concourse D near Gate D2. It has a sliding glass door making it an excellent space for three-dimensional objects as well as two-dimensional artwork.
Art Exhibit Walls – Artists working in two-dimensional media including photography (artwork must be framed or able to be protected by plexiglass – profile less than 4 inches including frame and molding).
A/B Waiting Area – Curved wall, 35 ft. wide x 12 ft. high, two-dimensional work only.
Concourse D – 2 Art Walls, 10 ft. wide x 7 ft. high each (1 artist)
Located on Concourse D near Gates D3 and D4. The spaces are for two-dimensional artwork only.
Level 1 Waiting Area – up to 4 spaces, 30 ft. wide x 6 ft. high each
Located on the non-secure side of the terminal on Level 1 near the International Arrivals Waiting Area. Two-dimensional artwork only.
Application Requirements
SELECTION CRITERIA
Selection criteria include the applicant’s professional qualifications, proven experience including a history and/or ability to undertake installations of a similar scope, and artistic merit as evidenced by submitted visual materials.
SELECTION COMMITTEE
The Selection Committee is comprised of members from the Arts at the Airport Board of Directors and the MNAA’s Community Affairs division.
Complete proposal submissions must include:
1. 7 Digital Images – of representative work
2. Brief Artist Statement about proposed exhibit
3. Short Bio, 1 to 2 paragraphs
4. Résumé or Curriculum Vitae, not to exceed 2 pages
5. Short Answer Questions
Please tell us about your connection to Tennessee. (i.e. "I am currently a Tennessee resident", "I lived in Tennessee for 12 years while teaching at ____ College," etc.)
Artist's Statement
Please provide a brief statement (1000-character limit).
Please include a brief one-to-two paragraph bio.
Please upload an artist resume, not to exceed two pages.
Are you applying for two dimensional or three-dimensional artwork space?
Deadline for proposals is Sunday, May 12, 2024 at 12 Midnight, Mountain Standard Time / 1:00 a.m. Central Standard Time.
May 15, 2024 7 days left
Arts Access Mini-Grant
Grants & Fellowships
- Submission Deadline: May 15, 2024
- Award Info: up to $2,000
- Eligibility: Regional
- Location: Nashville, Tennessee
This grant category offers grant funding for Professional Fees and Supplies for arts projects which focus on increasing access to underserved and underrepresented people which may include ethnic groups*, people with disabilities, people aged 60 years and older, and active-duty military/veterans and their families.
May 15, 2024 7 days left
2024-2025 RESIDENCIES IN CERAMICS AND WOODWORKING
Residency
- Submission Deadline: May 15, 2024
- Award Info: Access to Wood and Lathe studios, a semi-private studio space, and a $3,000 stipend in exchange for working several hours per week.
- Eligibility: International
- Categories: Craft/Traditional Arts, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Sculpture
- Location: Winston-Salem, NC 27101, United States
For nearly 80 years, Sawtooth has been a creative hub for the region—an energetic craft school environment in downtown Winston-Salem, NC. Our year-long Artist-in-Residence programs encourage the development of new skills, connections, and bodies of work while assisting with studio operations.
Ceramic Residents, 2 in wood firing and 1 in electric/gas firing, are given 24/7 access to studio space, materials at cost, free firings, and the opportunity to teach, inspire, and energize our community.
Our Gondring Resident in Woodworking will receive round-the-clock access to Wood and Lathe studios, a semi-private studio space, and a $3,000 stipend in exchange for working several hours per week.
Residents are chosen by the Studio Directors, along with a rotating jury. Applicants are evaluated based on the quality of their work, their dedication to their craft, and their willingness to bring fresh perspectives to the creative community at Sawtooth.
May 15, 2024 7 days left
Artist Residencies in Key West, FL
Residency
- Organization: The Studios of Key West
- Submission Deadline: May 15, 2024
- Event Dates: October 2, 2024 - August 31, 2025
- Entry Fee: $45
- Award Info: Housing for 1 month in Key West.
- Eligibility: International
- Categories: Craft/Traditional Arts, Photography, Drawing, Film/Video/New Media, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Painting, Sculpture
- Location: Key West, FL 33040, United States
The Studios of Key West, the premier arts organization at the Southernmost Point of the United States, offers a residency program for emerging and established artists and writers from around the world. The Studios provides residencies to visual artists, writers, composers, musicians, media artists, performers, and interdisciplinary artists.
The Peyton Evans Artist Residency (PEAR) program grants nearly 40 artists each year the time and space to imagine new artistic work, engage in valuable dialogue and explore island connections. The PEAR Program is community-based and built upon the hope that visiting artists will take inspiration from Key West’s rich artistic past and present, and will engage with — and be inspired by — the remarkable people and culture that surrounds them. Key West’s official motto, “One Human Family” reflects our commitment to living together as caring, sharing neighbors dedicated to making our home as close to paradise as we can. To that end, we encourage artists of all races, nationalities, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities to apply.
Our residencies are one month; they run from the 2nd day of the month to the last day of the month. The newly renovated residency guesthouse (PEAR House) is right next door to our flagship building, in the Old Town neighborhood, just a block off of Duval Street. Even being so close to the downtown action, the PEAR House is an oasis of quiet, with a beautiful, spacious courtyard shaded by a massive banyan tree. It’s dripping with Key West history and character. Artists will have access to a shared kitchen, a covered outdoor common area, a second floor wash/work station and a shaded courtyard. All living spaces include a private bedroom and bathroom; some include a detached workspace, some are combined. One residency is ADA accessible on the ground floor, and three are second floor spaces (one is a loft). All spaces have A/C. The kitchen is well equipped, linens are provided and there are laundry facilities on site. Most cell phones work fine and there is Wifi access. There are no televisions.
The Studios of Key West was founded in 2006 with the initial inspiration of simply providing space for artists to live and work, thereby drawing creative people to our island and enriching the lives of all who live here. In those earliest days, our founder Peyton Evans gathered fourteen of Key West’s most successful artists and writers and arranged for them to participate in artist residency programs throughout the country, then return to help us craft our own program combining the best of what they’d seen and learned. Hundreds of writers and artists have since come to Key West through the PEAR Program, many returning and several relocating permanently. Each has benefited from the island’s unique character, and left something of themselves behind. The PEAR Program celebrates the spirit of exploration with which it was founded, the artists it was established to serve, and the vision, wisdom and generosity of the woman for whom it’s named.
The Studios of Key West’s mission is to support artists, inspire creativity and build community.
Through generous sponsors we are able to provide the following extras to use during your residency: BEST OF KEY WEST RENTALS. Generously provided your linens, bedding and towels. FORT ZACHARY TAYLOR STATE PARK. We want you to visit the state park and beach as much as you’d like! Our pass unfortunately needs to be tied to a staff member, so you can coordinate a day to go together, or we’ve got a gift card you can use to visit on your own time. The card is in the PEAR House, be sure to bring it so you don’t have to pay the entry fee. KEY WEST YOGA SANCTUARY. Free yoga classes all month! Register for your first class online with code ‘PEAR’ then connect with staff to get set up with a full month at your first visit. YOGA ON THE BEACH. Meet at Ft. Zach Beach by 8:15am to flow with Nancy and Don. PEARs get your first class free! KEY WEST PUBLIC LIBRARY. We’ve partnered with the library to offer you a library card to use during your stay. Key West Library has an extensive catalog of books and other media, plus e-books and audiobooks available for download and even some special events! Their calendar has more about what’s going on. LAZY DOG ADVENTURES. Lazy Dog does it all – kayak and paddle board tours, rentals, lessons and classes, paddle yoga and fun boat adventures! They’ve offered a paddle pass for PEARs – simply inquire with staff about an available day and they’ll hook you up with a free rental. WE*CYCLE. The fun way to get around town! Public transportation with 2 wheels. They provided your conch cruiser or tricycle.
May 15, 2024 7 days left
10th Annual Harford Plein Air Festival 2024
Competition
- Submission Deadline: May 15, 2024
- Event Dates: September 12, 2024 - September 15, 2024
- Entry Fee: $25
- Award Info: $10,000 in prizes
- Eligibility: Local
- Categories: Painting
- Location: Bel Air, MD 21014, United States
The Maryland Center for the Arts invites plein air painters to apply for one of 30 spots in its 10th Annual Harford Plein Air Festival. The Harford Plein Air Festival attracts painters from across the U.S. looking for new scenes to paint in hopes of winning over $10,000 in prizes and sales commissions. Harford County offers colonial and contemporary architecture, railroad bridges and covered bridges, quiet fishing streams and boulder strewn waterfalls, bucolic farm scenes and bustling small-town streets. This year's Entry Juror is Dr. Jacalyn Beam.
We encourage juried artists to produce their best work by allowing them to work at their own pace, from July 1 to September 12, verifying their work by submitting gps- and time-stamped photos or with traditional pre-stamped canvases. On Sept. 12, juried artists are invited to join Awards Judge John Hulsey of the Artist's Road at Ladew Gardens for painting. A group dinner follows. Three days of gallery sales and exhibits begin with an opening reception and awards ceremony celebrating 'Arts Across Harford,' a popular countrywide festival of visual and performing arts, which brings visitors from around the MidAtlantic region. Online sales continue from Sept. 20 to Oct. 31. Competition rules are available at www.mdcfa.org.
Total of 5 (Five) paintings for awards judging on September 13, 2024, at the Bel Air Armory. All work must be original and painted en plein air during the Harford Plein Air Painting Festival, between July 1, 2024, and September 12, 2024, without the use of photographs.
Paintings must be hung by the artist or the artist’s representative between the hours of 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. on Friday, September 13, 2024, at the Bel Air Armory, 37 N. Main St., Bel Air, MD 21014 A maximum of FIVE paintings from the Festival may be displayed at any one time on the gallery panel (ie, if a painting is sold, it may be replaced by one other painting). Only ONE painting of the five may be displayed on an easel, per artist, next to the provided artist’s gallery panel.
May 17, 2024 9 days left
2024-2025 Cultural Council for Palm Beach County Solo Exhibition
Exhibition
- Submission Deadline: May 17, 2024
- Award Info: display and sell work in a professionally curated and well-promoted show.
- Eligibility: Local
- Categories: Craft/Traditional Arts, Photography, Drawing, Film/Video/New Media, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Painting, Sculpture
- Location: Lake Worth Beach, FL 33460, United States
MISSION
The mission of the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County is to nurture, promote, and support a healthy, diverse, and inclusive cultural sector. We serve as cultural architects, championing and growing cultural organizations and creative professionals so that arts and culture are a part of everyday life, for everyone.
The Cultural Council’s headquarters (601 Lake Ave., Lake Worth Beach) features three galleries. The spaces are used for visual arts exhibitions as well as performances (music, dance, etc.) throughout the year. The solo gallery is approximately 390 square feet and includes moveable wall in the space. The Council also offers other programs and services designed to support creative professionals in Palm Beach County and has a dedicated Artist Resource Team (ART) to support the sector.
VISION
We envision Palm Beach County as a thriving, vibrant, financially stable, and inclusive arts and cultural community that contributes to an exceptional quality of life.
STATEMENT OF CULTURAL EQUITY
We believe that everyone has cultural traditions that are inherently valuable. We seek to honor and value creative expression of all people through the work of the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County. Creating an art-filled community means seeing, celebrating, and serving all. Cultural equity is essential to a sustainable arts and cultural sector and a vibrant and thriving community.
Exhibitions
Exhibitions allow visual artists to display and sell their work in a professionally curated and well-promoted show. The Council is available to assist in the selection of the artwork to be displayed, install/de-install the show, handle logistics and sales, and answer all questions along the way. The Council retains 25% of all art sales. These funds are used to support the artist services staff and maintain the building.
Overview
The purpose of the Solo Gallery is to provide Palm Beach County-based emerging or professional visual artists with an opportunity for a solo exhibition (typically a full series of their work or a sampling of work representative of their career evolution). The Council uses a non-paid, competitive selection process for this gallery in an effort to provide opportunities for artists of any means.
Interested artists will submit an application and sample work to be considered by a vetting committee of visual arts professionals. The 2024-2025 schedule will include six solo shows that run for six weeks each.
Application Requirements
Artists are invited to submit an exhibition proposal, brief bio and up to seven images of individual artworks to be considered for inclusion in the 2024/2025 Cultural Council Solo Gallery exhibition schedule. Artwork may be any medium including but not limited to: photography, video, work on paper, sculptural installations, crafts, and textiles. Files must be jpg, not larger than 5 MB per file. Please include all artwork information (Title, Date, Dimensions, Medium, Edition, Run length, Insurance Value). The artist must be the sole author and owner of the title and copyright of all artwork entered.
May 22, 2024 14 days left
Fall/Winter 2024-2025 Keyholder Residency
Residency
- Submission Deadline: May 22, 2024
- Event Dates: August 28, 2024 - February 28, 2025
- Entry Fee: $15 Application Fee, additional fees may apply please see website for further details.
- Eligibility: International
- Categories: Craft/Traditional Arts, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline
- Location: Hyattsville, MD 20781, United States
Pyramid Atlantic Art Center’s Keyholder Residency is a competitive opportunity for emerging to mid-career artists who want to have unlimited access to the studios in exchange for working 8 hours a week for Pyramid Atlantic. The residency is awarded to artists who hope to gain more knowledge and improve their skills in the printmaking, papermaking, or book arts studios. Two artists are selected twice a year by the Pyramid Atlantic artistic staff. Keyholders work in a productive community atmosphere alongside other artists and are expected to abide by all studio policies. Housing is not provided, although, upon acceptance, artists will receive information on opportunities of nearby housing.
Spring/Summer 2025 Keyholder Residency
(Runs March–August, 2025)
Applications will be accepted starting in November 2025
Fall/Winter 2025 Keyholder Residency
(Runs September 2025–February 2026)
Applications will be accepted starting in May 2025
May 31, 2024 23 days left
Eliza Moore Fellowship for Artistic Excellence
Grants & Fellowships
- Submission Deadline: May 31, 2024
- Award Info: The $10,000 individual grant
- Eligibility: International
- Categories: Craft/Traditional Arts, Photography, Drawing, Film/Video/New Media, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Painting, Sculpture
- Location: Upperville, VA 20184
The Eliza Moore Fellowship for Artistic Excellence is awarded annually to one outstanding, early-career artist who is developing new works that address plants, gardens, or landscapes in the broad sense. This award is open to visual artists, literary artists, dancers, and musicians. The award includes a $10,000 individual grant and requires a 2 - 5 week stay at Oak Spring. While at OSGF, the Fellow will be able to meet with staff, explore our 700-acre landscape and our efforts in sustainable land management, and visit our rare book library that holds over 19,000 objects, including many examples of botanical art.
OSGF intends to award the Fellowship to an exceptional artist whose works show remarkable promise to contribute to a deeper understanding of the natural world, and humankind’s place in it. The Fellow will be scheduled to visit when there are other Interdisciplinary Residents or Fellows on-site. This scheduling will allow the Fellow to join in communal meals, and optional activities and field trips with other artists, ecologists, researchers, or scholars working on projects related to OSGF’s mission. Beyond time devoted to their projects, a Fellow’s typical day at Oak Spring might include a walk to enjoy the landscape or birds; an appointment to visit the Oak Spring Library; and/or a morning spent volunteering at the BCCF or in the formal garden. These optional activities provide Fellows time to learn from, and interact with our staff. None of these activities are required, and we understand that some Fellows might want to spend most of their time in their writing or working independently. We support and enable Fellows to use their time as they best see fit.
May 31, 2024 23 days left
Artist Call: Virtual Exhibit at Elena Bulatova Fine Art Miami Beach during Art Basel Miami Beach 2024 🌟🎨
Exhibition
- Organization: Elena Bulatova Fine Art
- Submission Deadline: May 31, 2024
- Event Dates: December 4, 2024 - December 8, 2024
- Entry Fee: $39 per artwork
- Award Info: Selected artworks will be showcased at Elena Bulatova Fine Art in Miami Beach during 2024 Art Basel Miami
- Eligibility: International
- Categories: Craft/Traditional Arts, Photography, Drawing, Film/Video/New Media, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Painting, Sculpture
- Location: Miami Beach, FL 33139, United States
Attention artists! Elena Bulatova Fine Art Miami Beach is excited to invite you to submit your artwork for our virtual exhibit during Art Basel Miami Beach 2024.
Submission Guidelines:
Submit up to 3 works for consideration.
For each artwork, please include the following details:
Title
Size (dimensions in inches or cm)
Medium
Retail Price
Artist's Bio:
Please provide a brief artist biography highlighting your artistic journey, inspiration, and any notable achievements or exhibitions.
How to Apply:
Email your submission to [email protected] with the subject line "Art Basel Miami Beach 2024 Submission - [Your Name]."
Deadline for submissions: May 31, 2024.
Submission fee: $39 per artwork (paid via PayPal to [email protected] or Venmo @Elena-Bulatova).
Selected Participants:
Selected participants will be notified via email by July 31, 2024.
Don't miss this opportunity to showcase your art to a global audience during Art Basel Miami Beach 2024. We look forward to receiving your submissions!