Are free open calls lower quality than paid ones?

No. Entry fees reflect how an organization funds its program, not the quality of the opportunity. Many of the strongest opportunities, including major foundation grants, museum residencies, and public gallery exhibitions, are free to apply to precisely because they are institutionally funded.

Why do some open calls charge fees at all?

Fees typically fund jury honorariums, exhibition production, and prize pools at organizations without public funding. That model is common in US juried exhibitions. If you prefer to avoid fees entirely, this page and the free-only filter on the main calls page keep you covered.

Can a free call still have hidden costs?

Application itself stays free, but selected artists sometimes cover shipping, framing, or travel. Arthead notes known later-stage costs on each listing, and the official guidelines linked from every listing are the authoritative source worth checking before you commit.

How many free open calls are live right now?

Typically between 40 and 80 at any given time, roughly half of the live database. The count updates as new calls are verified and expired ones are retired. The number at the top of this page is the current live figure.

Free Open Calls for Artists

Every call on this page is free to apply to. No entry fees, verified against the official guidelines.

Open now8872 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

Fellowship6days

Asymmetry Assistant Curator Fellowship

“A salary, not a stipend: two years on Nottingham Contemporary's curatorial team, for curators who identify with Chinese or Sinophone cultures.”

Nottingham Contemporary

Fellowship22days

Asian Cultural Council Hong Kong 2027 Fellowships and Grants

“Six months in New York with no pressure to produce or show work, on a US$38,000 grant.”

Asian Cultural Council Hong Kong

Closing this week12● URGENT

Grant

Limited by country or regionBeirut (administering organization; grantees based across Arab region), LebanonFree entry

Culture Resource (Mawred): Production Awards 2027

Up to EUR 6,500 for literature; up to EUR 8,500 for visual arts, music and sound art, and performing arts; up to EUR 13,000 for cinema. Up to 25 projects supported yearly; results announced end of March 2027.

Culture Resource (Al-Mawred Al-Thaqafy), a Beirut-based regional non-profit, invites young artists and writers from the Arab region to apply for Production Awards 2027, a program supporting the creation and production of new creative work across visual arts, literature, music…

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 Arab Emirates onlyDubai, United Arab EmiratesFree entry

OMIC Art Prize 2026

AED 15,000 total prize pool: 1st place AED 10,000 plus OMIC Art Emblem, 2nd place AED 3,000, 3rd place AED 2,000

The OMIC Art Prize 2026 at OMIC Cultural Hub in Dubai invites UAE residents to submit painting, sculpture, or installation works on the theme of 'Shared Ground,' exploring the UAE as a space shaped by cultural and human exchange.

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.

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

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 nationalityUnited KingdomFree entry

Brooks International Fellowship Programme 2027 with Tate

Two 6-month fellowship positions at Tate Britain Curatorial Division (April 5 to September 17, 2027), with complementary activities at Delfina Foundation. Financial details available via application portal.

Delfina Foundation, in collaboration with Tate, invites applications for two six-month Brooks International Fellowship positions based at Tate Britain in 2027.

Canada onlyCanadaFree entry

International Residencies Grant, Arts Across Canada and Abroad

Up to CAD 20,000 per application, for expenses not covered by the host, including artist and professional fees, travel and accommodation, safety, dependent care, and accessibility costs.

International Residencies is one of ten funding opportunities in the Canada Council for the Arts' Arts Across Canada and Abroad program. It offers support for artists, arts workers, artistic groups and artistic organizations from Canada to attend a residency abroad.

Canada Council for the Arts

Any nationalityLondon, United KingdomFree entry

Wellcome Photography Prize 2027

£10,000 to the winner of each of three categories; 22 further entries get £1,000 each.

The Wellcome Photography Prize, run by Wellcome in London, United Kingdom, brings together photography and scientific imaging to show how health and science influence our lives, communities and futures.

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.

Any nationalityNottingham, United KingdomFree entry

Asymmetry Assistant Curator Fellowship

GBP 27,556 a year for two years, plus pension and National Insurance, annual leave, visa and legal fee assistance where required, and a travel and relocation allowance.

Asymmetry and Nottingham Contemporary have opened a global call for the inaugural Asymmetry Assistant Curator Fellowship, a two-year post beginning in April 2027 for an early-career curator who identifies, to any extent, with Chinese or Sinophone cultures or backgrounds.

Nottingham Contemporary

United States onlyThe Bronx, New York City, United StatesFree entry

2027 AIM Fellowship

A nine-month professional development practicum for a cohort of 14 Fellows at The Bronx Museum; no application fee and no cost to participate.

The AIM Fellowship is The Bronx Museum's annual professional development and career accelerator program for rising visual artists based in New York City, United States, now in its 47th cycle. Fourteen Fellows are selected each year.

76more calls with a free account

A free account opens all 8 pages, with 3 searches a day.

Free-to-apply open calls, answered.

Every listing on this page is free to apply to: no entry fee, no submission charge. Free calls span the full range, from fully funded residencies and foundation grants to juried exhibitions run by universities, nonprofits, and public galleries.

Fee status is verified against the official guidelines before a call goes live on Arthead. If a program charges later-stage costs, such as shipping for selected work or optional program fees, the listing notes them so there are no surprises.

Are free open calls lower quality than paid ones?: No. Entry fees reflect how an organization funds its program, not the quality of the opportunity. Many of the strongest opportunities, including major foundation grants, museum residencies, and public gallery exhibitions, are free to apply to precisely because they are institutionally funded.
Why do some open calls charge fees at all?: Fees typically fund jury honorariums, exhibition production, and prize pools at organizations without public funding. That model is common in US juried exhibitions. If you prefer to avoid fees entirely, this page and the free-only filter on the main calls page keep you covered.
Can a free call still have hidden costs?: Application itself stays free, but selected artists sometimes cover shipping, framing, or travel. Arthead notes known later-stage costs on each listing, and the official guidelines linked from every listing are the authoritative source worth checking before you commit.
How many free open calls are live right now?: Typically between 40 and 80 at any given time, roughly half of the live database. The count updates as new calls are verified and expired ones are retired. The number at the top of this page is the current live figure.