Artist opportunities 2026: grants, residencies, and open calls

If you’ve been thinking about what’s next for your art practice and career, this is your sign to start taking action. Funding new work, gaining visibility, building international connections, or pushing your creative boundaries often starts with one simple step: applying to grants and residences for artists and other 2026 artist opportunities.

We know putting yourself out there isn’t always easy: applications take time, rejection is part of the process, and it can feel overwhelming to know where to start. But every application is also a chance to refine your voice, clarify your goals, and open doors you didn’t know were there.

So you don’t have to hunt everything down, we’ve put together a guide to the best artist grants and opportunities in 2026 so you can put yourself out there. We’ll be updating this guide throughout the year with new opportunities every month, so save it, bookmark it, and keep coming back.

Once you get started, applying is a lot less intimidating than you think, so trust yourself and your work and take real steps toward your next opportunity. You’ve got this!

Best artist grants and fellowships

Artist grants and fellowships make space for possibility. They can cover practical needs like materials or studio costs, and by covering the economic side of things, they also give you room to breathe and focus, jumpstarting your confidence and momentum.

These opportunities aren’t about selling or producing on demand. They exist to support artists at different stages of their careers and to invest in creative ideas that need time and care to unfold, supporting ideas, processes, and practices.

Here are some of the best artist grants in 2026 to get you going:

MFA Community Arts Initiative: Artist Project [CLOSED]

• Deadline: January 16
• Eligibility: Experienced artists with community arts experience
• Location: Boston, MA, USA
• Medium/Category: Multidisciplinary
• Award/What you get: $50,000 stipend plus materials budget
• Description: This year-long initiative selects one experienced artist to plan and lead a collaborative art project with children aged six to twelve through partnerships with after-school community organizations. The project draws inspiration from the MFA’s collection and culminates in a public exhibition at the museum.
• Apply here!

Artflow Prize 2026 [CLOSED]

• Deadline: February 10
• Eligibility: International artists 18 years old and above
• Location: Online
• Mediums/Categories: Visual and multidisciplinary practices
• Award/What you get: £200 cash prize, exhibition opportunities, interviews, media features
• Description: The Artflow Prize is a biannual initiative designed to support emerging artists through a combination of financial awards, exhibition opportunities, and media exposure. In addition to a £200 cash prize, selected artists receive opportunities to participate in group exhibitions, published interviews, and promotional features through Artflow Studio and partner organizations.
• Apply here!

Grants help cover material needs, giving you space to dedicate yourself fully to your art practice.

Artist Grant for visual artists

• Deadline: March 15
• Eligibility: Visual artists 18 years old and above
• Location: Online/International
• Mediums/Categories: Photography, drawing, painting, sculpture, mixed media 
• Award/What you get: $1,200 unrestricted grant
• Description: Artist Grant awards an unrestricted $1,200 grant to one visual artist three times per year. The grant is open to artists worldwide working in eligible visual media (excluding film/video, music, theater, dance). Applications are reviewed based on artistic merit, with no specific project requirement attached to the funding.
• Apply here!

Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant

• Deadline: Rolling throughout 2026
• Eligibility: Professional visual artists with demonstrated financial need
• Location: International
• Mediums/Categories: Painting, sculpture, works on paper
• Award/What you get: Emergency or project-based financial assistance
• Description: The Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant provides financial support to professional visual artists who are experiencing financial hardship or require assistance to complete a body of work. Grants may be used for emergency needs or project-related expenses.
• Apply here!

Residencies are great to expand your practice and community by living and working with other artists.

Top artist residencies 2026

Residencies invite artists to step away from daily routines and focus deeply on their work, often in beautiful locations. 

Most importantly, they provide access to new communities (of fellow artists, curators, and audiences), sparking connections and collaborations that can shape your practice long after the residency ends. For many artists, residencies are turning points: moments of experimentation, reflection, and growth that lead to new bodies of work, exhibitions, or long-term professional relationships.

We’ve selected some of the best art residency opportunities around the world you can apply to today:

Anderson Center Residency Program [CLOSED]

• Deadline: January 13
• Eligibility: Early-career, mid-career, and established artists worldwide
• Location: Minnesota, USA
• Mediums/Categories: All disciplines
• Award/What you get: Live/work space, meals
• Description: The Anderson Center Residency Program offers interdisciplinary residencies to artists working across creative fields. Selected artists receive live/work accommodations, meals, and opportunities for exchange within a five-artist cohort. Residencies take place during June, July, August, and October 2026.
• Apply here!

De Ateliers Residency [CLOSED]

• Deadline: January 15
• Eligibility: Artists at the beginning of their professional career
• Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
• Mediums/Categories: Visual and multidisciplinary arts
• Award/What you get: €17,916 stipend + €2,100 annual production budget
• Description: De Ateliers is a two-year post-academic program offering studio space, structured tutoring, and critical feedback through weekly studio conversations with regular and guest tutors. The program is designed for highly motivated early-career artists seeking to strengthen their artistic foundation and develop their practice in a focused, peer-based environment.
• Apply here!

Sharpe-Walentas Studio Program [CLOSED]

• Deadline: January 15
• Eligibility: Professional visual artists aged 21+, U.S. residents or citizens
• Location: New York, USA
• Mediums/Categories: Visual arts (all media)
• Award/What you get: Rent-free, non-living studio
• Description: The Sharpe-Walentas Studio Program provides professional visual artists with a rent-free studio space in Brooklyn for eleven months. The residency is open to US-based artists who are not currently enrolled in an art degree program.
• Apply here!

Ucross Foundation Residency [CLOSED]

• Deadline: January 15
• Eligibility: International professional artists
• Location: Wyoming, USA
• Mediums/Categories: All creative disciplines
• Award/What you get: Time and space for independent work
• Description: The Ucross Foundation Residency offers professional artists time and space to develop work in a rural setting in Wyoming. The program is open to artists working across disciplines, including visual art, writing, and music.
• Apply here!

Feminist Creative Residency at Centre Pompadour [CLOSED]

• Deadline: January 31
• Eligibility: Creatives, artists, and readers of any gender and age
• Location: Ercourt, France
• Mediums/Categories: Multidisciplinary
• Award/What you get: Creative or reading residency
• Description: Hosted by Centre Pompadour, this residency takes place in a feminist, all-gender-inclusive space focused on solidarity and research. Located in a rural château in northern France, the residency supports creative and research-based projects in feminism and gender studies.
• Apply now!

Ramona Residency [CLOSED]

• Deadline: March 1
• Eligibility: International
• Location: Texas, USA
• Medium/Category: Multidisciplinary
• Award/What you get: Housing, plus materials and childcare stipends
• Description: Ramona Residency is Texas’ first artist residency created specifically for artist mothers, offering fully funded two–four week stays in Houston. The program emphasizes community engagement through artist talks and pop-up exhibitions while providing dedicated creative time, professional networking, and meaningful support for BIPOC women and artist parents.
• Apply here!

Blue Line Art SCG Artist in Residence & Teaching Program (SCG ART)

• Deadline: March 8
• Eligibility: US artists
• Location: California, USA
• Medium/Category: Multidisciplinary
• Award/What you get: $10,000 compensation
• Description: this residency brings established artists to Roseville, California to teach workshops and engage with the local creative community. Artists receive $10,000 in compensation while sharing their expertise with students, educators, and art enthusiasts through hands-on programming designed to inspire and strengthen regional arts education.
• Apply here!

Arroscia Residency

• Deadline: April 7
• Eligibility: International
• Location: Pieve di Teco, Italy
• Medium/Category: Multidisciplinary
• Award/What you get: 3–8 week self-directed residency (fee applies)
• Description: Offers artists sustained time to work and research in a rural Italian setting with a supportive community and creative freedom.
• Apply here!

Lademoen Kunstnerverksteder + BABEL + Air 2027/2028

• Deadline: April 12
• Eligibility: International
• Location: Trondheim, Norway
• Medium/Category: Multidisciplinary
• Award/What you get: A focused environment and dedicated time
• Description: Offers artists sustained time to work and research in a rural Italian setting with a supportive community and creative freedom. Artists may also apply for an exhibition at BABEL during their residency.
• Apply here!

Hambidge Residencies

• Deadline: April 15
• Eligibility: International
• Location: Georgia, USA
• Medium/Category: Multidisciplinary
• Award/What you get: Self-directed residency with private studio and meals
• Description: A long-standing artist residency on 600+ acres offering solitude, creative time, and community dinners that encourage dialogue, collaboration, and connection.
• Apply here!

Proyecto*ace Residencies

• Deadline: Ongoing through May–June 2026
• Eligibility: International artists
• Location: Argentina
• Mediums/Categories: Multidisciplinary (studio, mural, micro residencies)
• Award/What You Get: Artists work on site with support and project coordination from the host network.
• Description: Proyecto*ace offers a variety of residency formats such as studio residencies, mural residencies, and micro residencies, with rolling dates that include opportunities throughout 2026.
• Apply here!

Use Personal Spaces to showcase your art in the galleries you’re pitching to, letting jurors see how your work will look in their space.

Art exhibitions, art competitions, and open calls 2026

Calls for exhibitions, art competitions, and open submissions are often the most direct way to get your work seen. These opportunities connect artists with curators, jurors, institutions, and audiences, sometimes across borders and disciplines.  

Participating in open calls helps you build exhibition history, gain press or publication opportunities, and learn how your work resonates with wider audiences. Competitions and juried shows can also offer prizes, funding, or professional exposure that supports long-term career growth.

Here, we’ve gathered some great artist opportunities to get you seen:

Idaho Falls Arts Council 18th Annual Juried Exhibition [CLOSED]

• Deadline: January 14
• Eligibility: Artists 14+ living and working in the United States
• Location: Idaho, USA
• Mediums/Categories: All mediums
• Award/What you get: Cash awards, exhibition, and sale
• Description: The Idaho Falls National Exhibition is an annual juried exhibition by the Idaho Falls Arts Council (IFAC) shown at the Willard Arts Center in Idaho Falls. More than 5,000 exhibition visitors each year. The exhibition artworks are included in a full-color catalogue and on IFAC’s website, and the People’s Choice award winner is featured on all promotional materials for the next year.
• Apply here!

Cia Gallery Funded Solo and Group Exhibitions [CLOSED]

• Deadline: January 31
• Eligibility: International
• Location: New York City, USA
• Mediums/Categories: Visual and multidisciplinary arts
• Award/What you get: $2,000 funding per selected exhibition
• Description: Cia Gallery’s inaugural open call selects one solo exhibition and one group exhibition proposal. Each exhibition runs for up to three weeks and includes an opening at the gallery’s ground-floor space in NYC. Funding is distributed partially in advance, with the remainder paid as an artist or curator fee. Selected projects receive promotion, installation support, and some staffed gallery hours.
• Apply here!

River Towns Plein Air 2026 [CLOSED]

• Deadline: February 15
• Eligibility: Artists 18 years old and above
• Location: Pennsylvania, USA
• Mediums/Categories: Plein air painting
• Award/What you get: Cash awards, exhibition, and sale
• Description: River Towns Plein Air is an outdoor painting competition sponsored by Marietta Art Alive. Artists compete for cash awards and exhibit their work in a culminating show and sale that attracts regional collectors and visitors to the lower Susquehanna Valley.
• Apply here! 

ART 64 – Live Painting Tournament [CLOSED]

• Deadline: March 1, 2026
• Eligibility: International
• Location: Wisconsin, USA
• Medium/Category: Painting/mixed media
  Award/What you get: $20,000 grand prize (tournament format)
• Description: ART 64 is a high-energy, live painting competition where 64 artists face off in a bracket-style tournament decided by real-time audience voting. Held in Wisconsin, this interactive event awards a $20,000 grand prize, with all participating artists receiving compensation as they advance through the rounds.
• Apply here!

Ann Arbor State Street District Art Fair [CLOSED]

• Deadline: March 2
• Eligibility: International
• Location: Michigan, USA
• Medium/Category: Multidisciplinary
• Award/What you get: $1,000 for Best in Show
• Description: Part of the nationally renowned Ann Arbor Art Fair, this juried event attracts nearly 400,000 visitors each summer and offers artists the chance to present original fine art and craft to a massive audience of collectors and art lovers. Selected artists compete for Best in Show awards while gaining exposure at one of the top-ranked outdoor art fairs in the United States.
• Apply here!

Foto Forum Santa Fe Photography Award 2026

• Deadline: March 5
• Eligibility: International
• Location: New Mexico, USA
• Medium/Category: Photography
• Award/What you get: Solo exhibition + $2,500 in cash and prizes
• Description: This international photography award offers one artist a solo exhibition in Santa Fe, along with $2,500 in cash and prizes. Open to emerging and established photographers, the competition provides professional exposure through juror review and curated presentation in one of the Southwest’s leading photography communities.
• Apply here!

Call for entry: The Narrative

• Deadline: March 20
• Eligibility: International
• Location: Online
• Medium/Category: Photography
• Award/What you get: Juried exhibition opportunity
• Description: This international photography open call invites artists to share visual stories that explore personal, cultural, or philosophical narratives. Open to photographers 18+ working in traditional or experimental processes, selected works will be featured in an online juried exhibition highlighting compelling storytelling through photographic imagery.
• Apply here!

The Delaplaine 2026 National Juried Exhibition

• Deadline: March 22
• Eligibility: US artists
• Location: Maryland, USA
• Medium/Category: Multidisciplinary
• Award/What you get: $1000 grand prize and other awards
• Description: The Delaplaine Arts Center’s annual national exhibition showcases contemporary work from artists across the United States. Accepted artists exhibit their work for three months and compete for multiple cash prizes, including a $1,000 grand prize. All media are welcome, making this a strong opportunity for artists seeking exposure.
• Apply here!

Colors 2026 Art Competition

• Deadline: April 1
• Eligibility: International
• Location: Online
• Medium/Category: Multidisciplinary
• Award/What you get: Cash prizes
• Description: Fusion Art welcomes artists worldwide to submit colorful artwork across any medium for juried recognition and exhibition. This is a no-theme competition, so any subject matter and any media are acceptable.
• Apply here!

Football Art Prize

• Deadline: April 7
• Eligibility: International
• Location: Sheffield, UK
• Medium/Category: Multidisciplinary
• Award/What you get: £5,000 first prize
• Description: International competition blending football culture and art, open to artists interpreting the sport’s impact across mediums.
• Apply here!

Metro Montage XXVI at Marietta Cobb Museum of Art

• Deadline: April 13
• Eligibility: International
• Location: Georgia, USA
• Medium/Category: Multidisciplinary
• Award/What you get: Cash prizes and exhibition space
• Description: The show accepts a wide range of media, including oil, acrylic, watercolor, pastel, ink, mixed media, collage, printmaking, limited-edition photography, and sculpture. Work must have been completed within the last ten years and not previously shown at MCMA.
• Apply here!

EMPIRE OF ART: 2026 International Art Competition

• Deadline: August 1
• Eligibility: International
• Location: New York, USA
• Mediums/Categories: Open to all visual art disciplines
• Award/What you get: Cash prizes for winning works
• Description: An open international art competition with cash awards, inviting artworks across visual mediums. This competition provides exposure and recognition through juried selection with cash prizes.
• Apply here!

With Portfolio Presentations, you can create a beautiful PDF presentation to share your artist statement, biography, and selected artworks.

How to apply to artist opportunities in 2026

Preparing your artist applications doesn’t have to be chaotic. With the right tools, you can present your work clearly, professionally, and consistently, saving time while putting your best foot forward. 

ArtPlacer is here to help you get through the application process with ease, making sure you’re sharing your work and your story in a way that’s engaging and professional.

Present your work with context

Most applications will ask you to submit a short document explaining who you are and how you go about creating your pieces. This can include a biography, an artist CV, and/or an artist statement. ArtPlacer’s Portfolio Presentations are the best way to share this information. Combine text and images to present your application portfolio and provide context for each of the pieces as a cohesive story, in an elegant design that is easy to create and a delight to read.

Clean, clear, and reviewer-friendly

When applications ask for information sheets, Inventory Reports save the day. Generate clean, organized PDF catalogs with a complete list of works and relevant details like medium and size. Just plug your info into ArtPlacer’s report template and send it out. This is perfect for grant committees, residency juries, or exhibition reviewers who want clarity at a glance.

Make your application unforgettable

When pitching your work to a gallery, institution, or site-specific exhibition, it can help to illustrate how your work will fit the space. With Personal Spaces, you can digitally place your artwork into photos of real galleries or venues, helping curators instantly visualize your work in their space. It’s a powerful way to stand out and make your application feel tangible and considered.

The only way to win a grant, residency, or competition is by applying. And the more you apply, the more your confidence grows!

Start applying to artist opportunities today

It’s normal to hesitate before applying, but every opportunity you pursue builds experience, confidence, and clarity around your practice. You don’t need to be “ready enough” to apply; you just need to start.  

With ArtPlacer, the logistics of applying and sharing your work become simpler, so you can focus on your art and the story behind it. Choose a few opportunities, plan ahead, and give yourself the chance to grow: your future self will thank you!