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.

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Drawing · Worldwide

Drawing Open Calls & Competitions

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

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RESResidency

International·Syracuse, New York, United States·Free entry

2027 Erie Canal Artist-in-Residence

$10,000 stipend per artist (paid quarterly), plus up to $2,000 reimbursement for production of final project. Exhibition in 2028.

A year-long residency (Jan-Dec 2027) for two artists to pursue creative visual inquiry into the New York State Canal System, reflecting on its past, present condition, and future. Artists engage with the Canal, communities, and partner organizations.

Erie Canal Museum / New York State Canal Corporation

International·The Hunt Museum, Custom House, Limerick, Ireland (gallery and online), Ireland·Entry fee €15

Hunt Open Submission Exhibition 2026

Inclusion in a juried museum exhibition (5 Dec 2026 - 21 Feb 2027) plus four special exhibition awards. Award amounts not specified.

The Hunt Museum, one of Ireland's leading cultural institutions housed in the historic Custom House in Limerick, presents its Second Annual Hunt Open Submission Exhibition.

International·Princeton, United States·Free entry

The Hodder Fellowship

$93,000 stipend for a 10-month Visiting Fellow appointment

The Hodder Fellowship at Princeton University supports artists and writers of exceptional promise, selected more for promise than for performance.

Regional·Montevideo, Uruguay·Free entry

Fundación Ama Amoedo Grants

Ten grants of USD 10,000 each, across four categories (Artists, Art and Social Engagement, Organizations, Publications).

The fourth edition of the Fundación Ama Amoedo Grants awards ten grants of USD 10,000 each across four categories (Artists, Art and Social Engagement, Organizations, Publications).

Domestic·Bangalore, India·Entry fee See official site

IASPIS Residency in Bangalore at 1Shanthiroad, 2027

A stipend of SEK 45,000 covering travel, living expenses and some material costs, plus accommodation and a workspace at 1Shanthiroad for two months during 2027.

The Swedish Arts Grants Committee runs its IASPIS residencies abroad with local partners, and the Bangalore placement sits at 1Shanthiroad Studio/Gallery, an artist-run residency and exhibition space founded in 2003 by Suresh Jayaram.

Swedish Arts Grants Committee

International·Denver, Colorado, United States·Entry fee See official site

Artburst Studios: "Pattern Language" Online Art Show

Juror's Award USD 350; two Honorable Mention Awards of USD 100 each.

Artburst Studios hosts curated online art shows connecting artists directly with collectors. "Pattern Language" runs October 28 to November 11, 2026. Shows are fast-paced boutique events lasting under 72 hours, with artwork available for purchase on the Artburst website.

International·Saatchi Gallery, London, United Kingdom·Entry fee £36

ArtEvol 2026 International Art Exhibition in London

Free exhibition at Saatchi Gallery (no hanging or display fees)

ArtEvol 2026 is an international open call inviting artists across different cultures, disciplines and lived realities to exhibit at the iconic Saatchi Gallery in London.

London Art Collective

International·Cambridge, United States·Free entry

Harvard Radcliffe Fellowship Program

Stipend of $78,000 plus an additional $5,000 for project expenses; fellows may also be eligible for relocation, housing, and childcare funds, with healthcare support available.

The Radcliffe Fellowship at Harvard Radcliffe Institute is a residential fellowship supporting artists, scholars, scientists, and writers who pursue an individual project over an academic year in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Harvard Radcliffe Institute

International·Vienna, Austria·Free entry

VBKO Open Call: Refusing Rehearsing Resisting

EUR 4,000 project budget per selected project, covering artist fees and production costs. Exhibition space with shared kitchen, graphic design for online materials, press release, photo documentation, technical support (max 10 hours).

VBKO, the Association of Women Artists in Austria, invites submissions for its annual programme from March 2027 to February 2028. The programme seeks group exhibitions and collaborative projects exploring feminist, queer, anti-racist, anti-colonial and anti-authoritarian…

Vereinigung bildender Künstlerinnen Österreichs

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Domestic·Longmont, Colorado, United States·Entry fee $35

Open Call: Main Gallery 2027/2028

Prize amount not specified; exhibition opportunity in a National Historic Landmark venue

Firehouse Art Center in Longmont, Colorado invites artists across the continental United States to submit proposals for their 2027/2028 exhibition program.

Domestic·Clichy-la-Garenne, France·Entry fee See official site

Galerie Vendome Open Call: L'Odyssee, a Group Illustration Exhibition

A flat fee of 500 euros including tax per artist, covering the exhibition, copyright, and representation and reproduction rights. The city pays for communication, the opening and insurance of the works, and each artist gets a dedicated wall space in the gallery.

The city of Clichy-la-Garenne invites emerging illustrators to build a group exhibition around the odyssey of Homer, timed to accompany the opening of the municipal complex L'Odyssee.

Galerie Vendôme, Ville de Clichy

International·Toulon, France·Entry fee See official site

Vrrraimant! 2026, the 15th Contemporary Drawing, Music and Performance Festival

The festival covers the artists' reception: meals, return travel and accommodation. Most of the materials needed across the three days of work are supplied, and other specific needs can be discussed. Artists may sell their pieces at the end of the festival at whatever price they choose and the festival takes no percentage; works made on site or sold stay the artist's property.

Vrrraimant! is a contemporary drawing festival built as a weekend of collective improvisation where graphic art, music and performance run into each other.

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✦ DRAWING OPEN CALLS

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.