Material Works Art Award 2026
About this call
Material Works Art is an artist run platform founded in 2024 that supports artists and the development of their work and careers through awards and exposure opportunities. Its 2026 award is a one time purchase prize: 2,500 US dollars given in exchange for an original artwork of similar monetary value, which then joins the platform's growing contemporary art collection and is considered for future exhibitions. The award is decided on the merit of the submitted portfolio and aims to promote career advancement by increasing visibility and exposure. Shortlisted artists, not only the winner, receive an interview, an archived online profile and social media features. Applications are open to visual artists working worldwide in painting, photography, installation, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, mixed media, experimental and conceptual art. There is a cap of 300 applications for 2026, so the call closes either when that cap is reached or on 6 December 2026, whichever comes first.
Who can apply
- International applicants
- Medium: Painting / Photography / Installation / Sculpture / Drawing / Printmaking / Mixed Media
- Entry fee: $40
- Applicants must be over the age of 18 and may submit once. Visual artists working worldwide in painting, photography, installation, sculpture, drawing, printmaking, mixed media, experimental and conceptual art are eligible; submissions in music, writing and poetry, culinary, film and time based media are not accepted at this time. Everything is submitted through the online form: 1 to 15 images of your own original work at roughly 2 MB per jpeg, an image list giving title, medium, date, size and further details for each work, and optionally one image of the artwork you would offer for the collection in exchange for the award, an artist statement of up to 500 words, a bio of up to 500 words, a CV or resume, and one studio or portrait image. A 40 US dollar application review fee is paid through the payment link at the end of the form. One fee free application day is announced in advance on the platform's Instagram; outside that day the fee cannot be waived. Note the 300 application cap for 2026, after which submissions close regardless of the date.