What counts as drawing in open calls?

Definitions vary by call. Traditional shows mean works on paper in graphite, charcoal, ink, or pastel; contemporary drawing biennials often accept expanded practices including wall drawing and animation. The official rules define the boundary, so check them when your work sits between categories.

Are works-on-paper shows a good fit for drawings?

Yes, and they widen your options: works-on-paper exhibitions accept drawing alongside prints and watercolor, effectively doubling the calls available to you. Framing requirements, usually glazing and conservation standards, are the main practical consideration for shipping.

Do drawing prizes pay as well as painting prizes?

Top dedicated drawing prizes carry substantial awards, though the average purse runs smaller than painting’s. The trade-off works in your favor on competition: drawing categories typically draw fewer entries, so strong work stands out more readily.

Drawing Open Calls & Competitions

Drawing prizes, biennials, and works-on-paper exhibitions. Verified and updated throughout the week.

Open now7158 added in 30 days3,100+ tracked since launch

✦ Editor’s picks

ARTHEAD hand-picked this week

Fellowship2days

State of the Arts Fellowship

“A year inside a New York State agency, working with its staff on real public problems, for $60,000. Open to artists of any discipline.”

New York State Council on the Arts

Closing this week12● URGENT

Exhibition

Any nationalityLondon, United KingdomEntry fee £10

Hampstead Art Society Works on Paper Open Call

Group exhibition for one week at Regents Park Gallery in central London, 16 to 22 November. Works must be for sale and 40 percent commission is taken on sold works. The organizer publishes no prize for this edition.

Hampstead Art Society invites artists worldwide to submit works on paper for a curated winter group exhibition in central London. Any medium executed on paper is accepted, including pencil, graphite, watercolour, gouache, pastels, oils, acrylics, and etchings; photography and…

Hampstead Art Society

Any nationalitySackville, NB, CanadaFree entry

Call for Submissions: 2027 Open Studio Residency Program

24-hour access to a private studio space (approx. 400 sq ft), furnished 2-bedroom private apartment with separate entrance, and staff support for community outreach, technical, and logistical assistance

Struts Gallery offers two five-week residency positions in Sackville, New Brunswick for professional visual and media artists at all career stages.

United States onlySpokane, Washington, United StatesFree entry

sƛ̓x̣etkʷ Artist-in-Residence Program, Round 3

Three stipend payments in the amount of $3,000.00 each, totalling $9,000, plus travel reimbursement not exceeding $800, furnished off-campus lodging for three months with kitchen, laundry and WiFi, and access to studio spaces and equipment in the sƛ̓x̣etkʷ Fine and Applied Arts Building.

Spokane Falls Community College hosts a three-month winter-quarter residency for one emerging Native American artist, running 5 January to 26 March 2027.

Spokane Falls Community College

Limited by country or regionScotland, United KingdomEntry fee See official site

Visual Artist and Craft Maker Awards (VACMA) 2026/27

Fixed bursaries of £500 or £1,000; disabled applicants and those with caring responsibilities can also request Personal Access Costs

The Visual Artist and Craft Maker Awards (VACMA) are small grant schemes funded by Creative Scotland through the National Lottery and managed locally by local authorities and arts organisations across Scotland.

Creative Scotland with local authority and arts organisation partners

Any nationalityMiami, Florida, United StatesFree entry

Open Call for Visual Artists: Miami Art Week 2026

Publication in Art Miami Magazine's Special Print Edition distributed during Miami Art Week alongside Art Basel Miami Beach

Art Miami Magazine invites visual artists of all nationalities and career stages to submit work for publication in its Special Print Edition, distributed during Miami Art Week alongside Art Basel Miami Beach.

Any nationalityNew York, NY (325 Broome Street, 1W), United StatesEntry fee $30

Small Hours

Group exhibition, installation photography, Artsy presentation, press, opening reception, 50/50 sales

Collective Z in New York invites artists to apply for Small Hours, its December group exhibition (December 11, 2026 to January 9, 2027). Every artist shows four works in one small size, hung in grids.

Any nationalityMesa, Arizona (gallery show); online exhibition, United StatesEntry fee $35

Sacred Art Prize 2026

Grand prize $2,500; second prize $750; third place $250

The Catholic Art Institute invites artists worldwide to submit original sacred art for its annual juried online exhibition and physical gallery show.

Catholic Art Institute

United Kingdom onlyCambridge, England, United KingdomEntry fee See official site

De Reus Foundation Art Prize 2026

2026 prize amounts not published; in 2025, 1st and 2nd place won cash prizes. Winner announced 30 October.

The De Reus Foundation Art Prize is an annual competition for emerging artists currently residing in the United Kingdom. Open to artists aged 18 to 30, the prize focuses on 2D physical works including painting and drawing. Applicants may submit up to two original artworks.

United States onlyNew York, United StatesFree entry

State of the Arts Fellowship

$60,000 per artist fellow, inclusive of all project expenses

The State of the Arts Fellowship is a New York State initiative that embeds artists within state government agencies to develop creative solutions to real policy and community challenges.

New York State Council on the Arts

Any nationalityOnlineEntry fee $20

Animals - 10th Online Art Competition

Digital award certificate for all selected artists; first, second, and third place each featured with a full article and artist profile on the website; winning artwork (first place) displayed on the exhibition poster.

Art Room Gallery invites artists worldwide to submit work for its 10th online 'Animals' competition. Accepted media include painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, digital art, prints, fiber art, collage, and installation art (video and sound excluded).

United States onlyPortland, Oregon, United StatesEntry fee See official site

Art as Power: Blind Insect Holiday Art Exhibition 2026

Up to 4 works shown in the holiday group exhibition, December 3, 2026 to January 18, 2027; sales split 50/50.

Blind Insect Gallery in Portland, Oregon invites U.S.-based artists to its sixth annual holiday exhibition, Art as Power, on art as a voice, a connection and a way to imagine transformation.

Limited by country or regionSurrey, CanadaFree entry

Crescent Beach Community Gallery Artist Call 2027

Free one-month gallery space at Crescent Beach. Artists retain 100% of sales revenue. Opportunity to host events and collaborative projects during the exhibition period.

The City of Surrey invites groups of two or more visual artists to apply for one-month exhibition opportunities at the Crescent Beach Community Gallery in 2027. The gallery aims to support Surrey artists and build connections with the local community.

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Drawing open calls, answered.

Drawing has its own circuit of dedicated prizes and biennials, alongside works-on-paper exhibitions that treat drawing as a primary medium rather than a preparatory step.

This page collects every live call on Arthead tagged for drawing, from graphite and charcoal to ink, pastel, and expanded drawing practices, each verified by hand before listing.

What counts as drawing in open calls?: Definitions vary by call. Traditional shows mean works on paper in graphite, charcoal, ink, or pastel; contemporary drawing biennials often accept expanded practices including wall drawing and animation. The official rules define the boundary, so check them when your work sits between categories.
Are works-on-paper shows a good fit for drawings?: Yes, and they widen your options: works-on-paper exhibitions accept drawing alongside prints and watercolor, effectively doubling the calls available to you. Framing requirements, usually glazing and conservation standards, are the main practical consideration for shipping.
Do drawing prizes pay as well as painting prizes?: Top dedicated drawing prizes carry substantial awards, though the average purse runs smaller than painting’s. The trade-off works in your favor on competition: drawing categories typically draw fewer entries, so strong work stands out more readily.