Photo courtesy of the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts: Spring + Summer 2021 Artists-in-Residence Opportunities.

Each month we find the best opportunities for artists. 

At the start of each month, we seek out and compile the best competitions, workshops, fairs, residencies, and artist grants with deadlines coming up this month, so you can save the hours searching and put them toward applying.

This month, we doubled down and compiled the best opportunities for artists in both March and April so that you can get ahead of the game. 

And, don't forget to download the Complete Guide to 2020 Artist Opportunities and save a copy of all the best opportunities this year to your desktop. 

Find the next big thing for your art career with the guide below (sorted by those deadlines coming up first):

 

Calls for Entry DECAY CORROSION RUST 2020

There are new shiny things all around us but are they as interesting as an old rusted car, peeling paint on a run-down building, or half-fallen walls in a dilapidated castle. There is amazing beauty in the decayed, the corroded, the rusted... making those images more compelling and interesting than those of readily available brand new items! The New York Center for Photographic Art (NYC4PA) invites photographers world-wide to submit images using any photographic process (print, image transfer, emulsion transfer, encaustic, black and white, color etc.). 

WHO: Photographers worldwide

TYPE: Call-for-Entry

LOCATION: Online

DEADLINE: March 8, 2020

FINE PRINT: Winners will receive over $4,000 in cash awards, be featured in the NYC4PA Online Gallery and Award Winners Catalog. The Grand Prize-winning image will be posted on the NYC4PA home page. Learn more here.

 

Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson Residency for African American Artists

The Greater Columbus Arts Council, in partnership with the Columbus Museum of Art, offers a 90-day artist residency for a U.S.-based professional African American visual artist. The 2020 residency will include a $2,500 unrestricted cash award, a $5,500 stipend and the honor of staying and working in the Robinson home/studio in Columbus, OH.

MacArthur Fellow Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson’s diverse body of work often incorporates found objects- both natural and machine-made such as twigs, leather, buttons, fabrics, and music boxes. She used "hogmawg," a sculptural mixture she made from mud, grease, leaves, dyes, and glue in both two- and three-dimensional work. Her work is all about building bridges and making connections between the past and the present, America and Africa, and the physical world and the world of spirits. She created art in order to pass these stories on to future generations in the spirit of Sankofa—the African concept of knowing one’s past in order to go forward.

WHO: Craft/Traditional Arts, Painting, Sculpture artists in the US

APPLICATION FEE: $15

AWARD AMOUNT: $8,000

TYPE: Residency

DEADLINE: March 9, 2020

RFP for Grant Proposals 2020 by Asian Women Giving Circle

Grants for women artists and AAPI community organizations based in NYC area awarded annually to 5-8 projects. The maximum grant is $15,000. Using arts and culture to bring about social transformation; raise awareness of critical issues facing AAPI women or girls; highlight and promote women's central role as leaders, creators, developers, managers of these projects. The selection process includes online voting by AWGC community of donors. Applications must have 501(C)(3) status. or through sponsoring 501(c)(3) fiscal agents. All artistic disciplines may apply

DEADLINE: March 13, 2020

WHO: For New York artists and community organizations featuring artist-led programming for progressive social change. Photography, Drawing, Film/Video/New Media, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Painting, Sculpture welcome.

TYPE: Grants & Fellowships

 

Roswell Artist-in-Residence Program

Well known by visual artists as the "Gift of Time", the Roswell Artist-in-Residence Program was established in 1967 to provide gifted studio-based visual artists with the unique opportunity to concentrate on their work in a supportive, collegial environment for a whole year. This "gift of time" allows artists to work without distraction in an effort to break new ground and focus on individual goals. 

WHO: professional visual artists 21 years of age or older, involved in painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, photography, installation and other fine art media.  (Grants are not made in the disciplines of performance art or production crafts.)

DATES: Year-long residency in 2021

LOCATION: Roswell, New Mexico

DEADLINE: March 15, 2020

TYPE: Residency

FINE PRINT: A stipend, or living allowance, of $800 per month is offered along with $100 for a spouse/partner and $200 per child living with the grantee. Artists are granted a large, open studio as housing in a complex of six houses and 10 studios located on fifty acres of land. Rent, utilities (except telephone), repairs and maintenance costs are borne by the Program.​Learn more here.

 

Creative Time Emerging Artist Open Call

The Creative Time Emerging Artist Open Call is a biennial initiative that offers early-career artists based in New York the opportunity to create their first major socially engaged public artwork.

WHO: Proposals are welcomed from emerging artists, regardless of age, at a critical career juncture in which the opportunity to experiment and receive resources from a major arts organization would be impactful. Artists must have experience conceiving and executing works or projects but have not yet received substantial support from a major arts institution. Artists must be over 21 and based in the New York City area. Artists cannot be currently enrolled in a degree program.

DEADLINE: March 15, 2020

TYPE: Call-for-Entry

LOCATION: New York City

 

Djerassi Resident Artists Program

Each year, 70+ writers, artists, composers, choreographers, filmmakers and scientists are awarded the gift of time and space: a one-month residency on Djerassi’s 583-acre ranch in Northern California's Santa Cruz Mountains. All at no cost to the artists.

WHO: Artists worldwide

DATES: Mid-March through Mid-November 2021

LOCATION: Santa Cruz Mountains, CA

DEADLINE: March 16, 2020

TYPE: Residency

FINE PRINT: Residencies are awarded competitively, at no cost, to national and international artists in the disciplines of choreography, literature, music composition, visual arts, media arts, and science. There are 6 residency sessions each year: 5 are 4 weeks long and 1 that includes Open House/Open Studios is 5 weeks long. No shortened or partial residencies are offered. Learn more here.

 

Powderhorn Art Fair

The 29th Annual Powderhorn Art Fair (PAF) is a Fine Arts and Fine Crafts Upper Midwest Regional Art Fair. Set in Powderhorn Park, a pastoral 66-acre city park, 186 artists circle around the tree-lined Powderhorn Lake.
The Powderhorn Art Fair attracts artists from more than twenty states and 200 cities making it a local and regional favorite. The Fair welcomes thousands of attendees to shop with artists, experience activities, enjoy local food trucks and a beer garden.

The Powderhorn Art Fair uplifts and supports local artists. There are separate areas from the Main Exhibitors for local artists that include a Community Showcase, Group Exhibitors and Youth Showcase.

WHO: Open to international artists in Clay, Digital Art, Drawing, Fiber, Glass, Jewelry, Leather, Metal, Mixed Media, Painting, Paper, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture, Wood (PAF does not accept crafts such as dried flowers, soap, candles, etc)

DEADLINE: March 17, 2020

EVENT DATES: August 1, 2020 - August 2, 2020

ENTRY FEE: $35 Application Fee (Multiple Booth Options If Selected)

TYPE: Exhibition

FINE PRINT: Award Info: First, Second, Third Place, Honorable Mention, and Spirit of Powderhorn recipients will be invited back with jury and booth fee waived (large booth fee extra).

 

DRY TORTUGAS NATIONAL PARK @ LOGGERHEAD KEY 2020 (with $2000 stipend)

Dry Tortugas National Park at Loggerhead Key is like no other little paradise in the world. Because of its fragile ecosystem, very few people are allowed to step foot -- much less live there -- as an Artist-in-Residence. This is a unique opportunity for a wide range of visual artists, filmmakers, performers and dancers who want to get serious work done without disruptions.

WHO: Visual artists, filmmakers, performers and dancers

DATES: September 1 - 30, 2020

LOCATION: Near Fort Jefferson, Florida

DEADLINE: March 20, 2020

FINE PRINT: $2,000 stipend. Most modern amenities exist, but this island paradise is “off the grid” for internet, phone, TV, etc. You must be totally self sufficient, have insurance, be self realized, highly independent and prepared to be art focused in this natural environment. Learn more here.

 

Hand Drawn Juried Drawing Exhibition with Prizes

Mills Pond Gallery invites artists to submit works for a juried drawing exhibition. The exhibition is open to drawing in any medium. All subjects, styles, and genres are encouraged, i.e. fine art, illustration, design, conceptual, realism, digital, expressive, abstract, etc.

WHO: Artists 18 and older in the United States

DATES: April 25 - May 29, 2020

LOCATION: St. James, NY

DEADLINE: March 24, 2020

TYPE: Call-for-Entry

FINE PRINT: No prints, watercolors, photos or scanned digital photography manipulated with an app. Entry Fee $45/3 images Awards: $800 Best in Show, $500 Second Place, $300 Third Place. Learn more here.

 

 

The Harpo Foundation Grants for Visual Artists

The Harpo Foundation seeks to stimulate creative inquiry and to encourage new modes of thinking about art. Applications are evaluated on the basis of the quality of the artist’s work, the potential to expand aesthetic inquiry, and its relationship to the foundation’s priority to provide support to visual artists who are under-recognized by the field.

WHO: Under-recognized US visual artists over the age of 21.

AMOUNT: The average grant is $6,000 and grant amounts do not exceed $10,000, with 7-10 grants awarded each year.

DEADLINE: April 2020

TYPE: Grant

FINE PRINT: Students are not eligible. A $15 application fee is required. You will need to submit an artist's resume, artist statement, and work samples on the online application. Detailed FAQ here.

PAAM's The Lillian Orlowsky and William Freed Grant

The Lillian Orlowsky and William Freed Grant is awarded annually to under-recognized American painters over the age of 45 who demonstrate financial need. The mission of this grant is to promote public awareness of and a commitment to American art and to encourage interest in artists who lack adequate recognition.

WHO: U.S. painters aged 45 years or older at the time of application. A need for financial support must be clear and demonstrated. Applications must be submitted by an individual working artist or collaborators in an artist group; organizations cannot apply.

FIELD: Painting. For the purposes of this grant, painting is considered the application of various wet media (oil, acrylic, gouache, ink, tempera, watercolor, egg tempera, casein) on paper, canvas, fabric, or wood. This excludes mixed media, encaustic, collage, pastels, digital paintings, prints, and work in graphite or drawings. The use of multiple paint mediums is allowed (i.e. mixing acrylics with oil paints).

AMOUNT: Awards include a cash grant, ranging from $5,000 to $35,000 and an exhibition at PAAM.

DEADLINE: April 1, 2020

TYPE: Grant

FINE PRINT: Full grant information and the online application is available at www.paam.org/grant.

 

Women's Studio Workshop: Studio Workspace Residency

The Studio Workspace Residency is an opportunity for artists to create new work and fully immerse themselves in WSW’s supportive environment. This residency gives artists the gift of time, an uninterrupted period to live and work away from the stresses of daily life. 

Artists receive a thorough studio orientation and are expected to work independently, although studio staff is available to provide assistance. Deep technical assistance can be arranged for an additional fee. Artists must provide their own materials, some of which can be purchased from WSW.

WHO: Artists of all levels in intaglio, letterpress, papermaking, screenprinting, darkroom photography, or ceramics.

DATES:  4-6 weeks. Residency occurs between September through June following the application

LOCATION: Rosendale, NY

DEADLINE: April 1, 2020

TYPE: Residency

FINE PRINT: As of 2019, all workspace residencies are fully subsidized. This means that while artists are still responsible for their own travel, materials, meals, and other personal incidentals while in residence, WSW provides housing and studio space at no cost. More information here. 

 

Santa Fe Art Institute / Applications Open for 2021 "Revolution" Thematic Residency

Founded in 1985 by artists for artists, Santa Fe Art Institute (SFAI) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to cultivate creative leadership and to invest in community, culture, and place to reimagine a more equitable world.

Santa Fe Art Institute offers residencies free of charge to socially engaged, marginalized, and under-represented artists and creative practitioners from across the globe in all stages of their careers. SFAI is especially committed to supporting artists who identify as Black, Indigenous, people of color, disabled, LGBTQ+, women, and immigrants. Our annual programmatic theme provides a common ground for diverse individuals working in various media and disciplines while honoring their differences in experience and perspective.

To all residents we offer a 10'x12' semi-private studio with desk, chair, and task lamp; 24-7 access to the building, highspeed internet, use of common workspaces, and basic tools; use of communal living areas including a fully equipped kitchen, dining room, lounge, interior courtyard and free laundry facilities.

WHO: SFAI welcomes Local, National, and International applicants of all backgrounds to apply to our International Thematic Residency Program. Our residency is open to all artistic disciplines (e.g., visual arts, writing, performance, new media, etc.) and other creative practices including, but not limited to curation, design, architecture, and education. We strongly encourage applicants with interdisciplinary and non-traditional creative practices. Applicants must be 25 years and older.

DEADLINE: April 1, 2020, 11:59pm, letters of recommendation due April 8, 2020, 11:59pm

TYPE: Residency

FINE PRINT: All residencies are offered free of charge to awarded residents. $35 non-refundable application processing fee. $150 refundable security deposit upon acceptance.

 

Sonoma Ceramic's Residence Program 

Self-directed program for emerging or established ceramic artists. Two all-inclusive residencies offered each year for potters and ceramic sculptors. 

WHO: Ceramic artists in the US

DATES: July - December 2020

LOCATION: Sonoma, CA

DEADLINE: April 5, 2020

TYPE: Residency

FINE PRINT: Studio space and apartment provided. Solo exhibition at the end of the term.

 

Halcyon Arts Lab Fellowship

At the intersection of art and social change, Halcyon Arts Lab is a five-month residential fellowship designed to provide support and resources to emerging artists working on projects which address issues of social justice, civic engagement, and community building. Arts Lab fellows strive to expand their practices and grow as leaders in their respective fields.

WHO: Emerging artists worldwide who are interested in further investigating a socially engaged practice and creating lasting connections and partnerships in Washington, DC.

DATES: August 31, 2020 - February 14, 2021

LOCATION: Washington, DC

DEADLINE: April 8, 2020

FINE PRINT: Halcyon defines emerging artists as an early career artist who has demonstrated promising artistic development and demonstrates dedication to their practices but is at a pivotal point in their career where they could benefit from further training and support. Learn more here.

 

Climate in Crisis Residencies at Studio in the Woods

Rising: Climate in Crisis Residencies at A Studio in the Woods invite artists to examine the severity of the climate crisis and be agents of change to guide our collective understanding, response, and vision as we shape our shared future.

Rising Residencies will provide artists with time, space, scholarship and staff support to foster critical thinking and creation of new works. The call is open to artists of all disciplines who have demonstrated an established dialogue with environmental and culturally related issues and a commitment to seeking and plumbing new depths.

DEADLINE: April 13

WHERE: New Orleans

WHO: Local, national, and international visual, musician/composing, performance, literary, new media, and interdisciplinary artists are eligible to apply. Both established and emerging artists may apply, but a rigorous work ethic and demonstrated commitment to public engagement are expected. Artists of color are encouraged to apply and we are particularly interested in receiving applications from indigenous artists. Students are not eligible. Collaborative teams of up to two artists can be in residence.

WHEN: Six weeks between September 2020 and May 2021

TYPE: Residency

 

Sleeping Bear Dunes Artist in Residence Program

The picturesque National Lakeshore is ideally suited for an Artist-in-Residence program. It is a hilly region fringed with massive coastal plateaus and sand dunes and dotted with clear lakes. The residency program provides artists the opportunity to capture the moods of Sleeping Bear Dunes in their particular medium. 

The program provides rent-free use of a park house located in the vicinity of the village of Empire (no pets). You may also choose to stay at a campsite in one of the developed mainland campgrounds.

WHO: Professional American writers, composers and visual artists, including photographers, whose work can be influenced and enhanced by this superb Michigan scene.

DATES: Two 3-week residencies are available during September and October 2021

LOCATION: Sleeping Bear Dunes, Michigan

AMOUNT: A stipend, or living allowance, of $800 per month is offered along with $100 for a spouse/partner and $200 per child living with the grantee. Housing provided.

DEADLINE: April 15, 2020—letter submission

TYPE: Residency

FINE PRINT: The artist is asked to donate to the park an original piece of work representative of their medium, produced during the residency, and to contribute to the advancement of the park's mission. This is done by sharing knowledge with the public during the final week of residency through a workshop, demonstration, reading, slide talk, etc. In addition, the artist must be willing to interact with park visitors when contacts are made in the field while working. Donated works will be displayed in the park or shared with the public through other appropriate means. Learn more here.

 

Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts: Spring + Summer 2021 Artists-in-Residence Opportunities

Located in downtown Omaha’s historic Old Market, the Bemis Center's 110,000 square foot facility accommodates a broad range of artistic activity. 20 selected artists-in-residence enjoy generous sized, private live/work studios complete with kitchen and bathroom. Artists-in-residence have 24-hour access to extensive installation and production spaces and the Okada Sculpture & Ceramics Facility, a 9,000 square foot industrial space used for large-scale sculpture fabrication.

U.S.-based artists-in-residence receive a $1,000 USD monthly stipend and an additional $750 USD travel stipend. Due to the limitations of B2 visas (touring/visiting), international artists-in-residence are eligible to receive reimbursement of qualified expenses, such as airfare, ground transportation, and meals. Bemis Center is not responsible for organizing the artist’s travel to Omaha to attend the residency. Additional stipends for studio supplies or materials are not available.

DEADLINE: April 15, 2020

TYPE: Residency

WHO: International in Craft/Traditional Arts, Drawing, Film/Video/New Media, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Painting, Sculpture

WHERE: Omaha, Nebraska 

TYPE: Residency

FINE PRINT: $40 application fee. Residency opportunities are open to national and international artists 21+ years of age showing a strong professional working history. Bemis residency alumni are allowed to re-apply after a five-year hiatus from the program. Preference may be given to applicants who have not previously attended. Artists enrolled in an academic program during the time of the residency opportunity are not eligible to apply.

 

Northern Clay Center Emerging Artist Residencies (EAR)

The Emerging Artist Residency program encompasses two unique Fellowships, designed to provide up to three ceramic artists with an opportunity to be in residence for one year at Northern Clay Center, where they can develop their own work, as well as exchange ideas and knowledge with other ceramic artists.

WHO: Ceramic artists

DATES: September 1, 2020, to July 31, 2021

LOCATION: Minneapolis, MN

DEADLINE: April 17, 2020

TYPE: Residency

FINE PRINT: Each residency recipient will have a furnished studio space with 24/7 access. In addition to the workspace, each fellowship includes ab annual material and firing stipend and professional development and enrichment opportunities through NCC’s education, exhibitions, and sales gallery programs, for qualified and interested fellows. 

 

Doylestown Arts Festival

This September 12th & 13th, the Doylestown Arts Festival returns for its 29th anniversary. Featuring 160 juried artists, live music on five stages, local food vendors, live art, and interactive demonstrations, the festival is a great experience for all ages! Free to attend, the Doylestown Arts Festival is one of the largest and most celebrated arts festivals in the region. 

Interested in participating at the Doylestown Arts Festival? Our annual event attracts tens of thousands of visitors. A vibrant scene of art and creativity, we are proud to curate a seller's market where attendees come to support local artists. Loved by artists and attendees alike, this is not an event to miss!

The Doylestown Arts Festival is a juried show. Every applicant is reviewed by a volunteer jury of artists, curators, and local residents. The entry fee is 32.50.

DEADLINE: April 24, 2020

DATES: September 12, 2020 - September 13, 2020

WHO: Craft/Traditional Arts, Photography, Drawing, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Painting, Sculpture

WHERE: Doylestown, PA 

 

Are you ready to apply?

Don’t miss out on the perfect call for your art business just because you can’t get your application together in time.

With Artwork Archive, you can manage jury-ready photos of your work, their inventory details, and up-to-date documents like artist statements and bios that make submitting easy. Plus, track the locations of your artwork so you never submit a piece that’s supposed to be showing somewhere else.

The best part is you can add the application and show dates to the “My Schedule” feature and receive email reminders before it’s time to submit and send off your work. You’ll never forget these opportunities or appear unprofessional again.

And, don’t forget to check out our Call-for-Entry page!

We showcase the best opportunities for artists, from juried shows and art festivals to public art commissions and residencies, with more opportunities being posted each day.

It’s free to use for artists across the globe. And, you can filter by opportunity type, location, event dates, eligibility, and more to find exactly what your art career needs to thrive.

Download the Complete 2020 Opportunity Guide for Artists here.