Painting Open Calls & Competitions

Loghaven Artist Residency

Stipend (amount not specified), lodging in historic log cabins, studio access

Loghaven Artist Residency sits on ninety acres of woodland in Knoxville, Tennessee, providing fellows with lodging in five historic log cabins, studio access, and stipends to support the creation of new work. The 2027 residency sessions run from February through November, including a four-week winter session, a six-week spring session, and shorter two- to four-week sessions across the year. The program supports artists across writing, visual arts, dance, theater, music composition, architecture, and interdisciplinary work. Eligibility is limited to artists with legal work authorization in the US; international artists, currently enrolled degree-seeking students, and those living within 120 miles of Knoxville are not eligible, and applicants must be at least 21. Applications are accepted June 1 to July 15. The application fee is $25 and may be waived on request.

2026 ICCI Art Valley Program

Minimum RMB 8,000 project grant + round-trip airfare to Shanghai + free accommodation

The 2026 ICCI Art Valley Program, run by the USC-SJTU Institute of Cultural and Creative Industry at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, recruits five to six international visiting artists or scholars for a residency from November 1 to December 15, 2026 in Shanghai. Selected participants receive a minimum project grant of RMB 8,000 for production and program materials, round-trip airfare to Shanghai and free accommodation. Applicants should have teaching or public-lecture experience and an active interdisciplinary practice, with priority for those working in digital art, easel painting or integrated media. During the residency they organize one to two public events and donate two artworks to the university's permanent collection.

Grand Canyon Artist in Residence 2027

US$800/week stipend, US$500 travel subsidy, up to US$300 supplies, free accommodations on the South Rim

Grand Canyon Conservancy seeks contemporary artists whose work is human-centered and experiential to live and work on-site at the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. Three artists will be selected by peer-review panel for a residency of up to eight weeks during 2027. The program favors place-based, immersive, interactive, or participatory practices, and prioritizes artists who explore underrepresented perspectives and narratives. Selected artists receive an US$800 weekly stipend, a US$500 travel subsidy, up to US$300 for project supplies, free accommodations, staff support, and opportunities to engage K-12 students and the public. Applicants must be 18 or older and legally able to work in the U.S. The entry fee is US$25 (waived for Indigenous members of the canyon's 11 associated Tribal Nations).

Botanical Dreamscapes Open Call

Selected works featured in a curated online exhibition. Prize amount not specified.

Anthology Gallery, an online contemporary art and curatorial platform, partners with Poetic Tiger Gallery to present "Botanical Dreamscapes," a group exhibition celebrating flora as living mythology. The curators seek work that treats botanical subjects as a portal where a single petal or tangled thicket can hold an entire interior world, spanning tenderness and strangeness, the cultivated and the wild, across all media. Artists 18 and older may submit up to two works created in 2025 or 2026. AI-generated work, NFTs, and copyright-infringing imagery are not accepted. Selected artists will be notified on 22 July 2026, with the exhibition opening 7 August 2026.

HER.SELF

$750 Best of Show; two $250 Director Choice awards

Her Self is an online juried exhibition presented by Art Fluent, open to artists worldwide. The show invites artwork honoring women in all their complexities, exploring themes of presence, resilience, beauty, and becoming. All fine art mediums are accepted including oil, acrylic, watermedia, pastel, drawing, printmaking, mixed media, photography, sculpture, fiber, ceramics, and digital art; AI-generated work is not accepted. Artists retain 100% of sale proceeds. Awards include a $750 Best of Show prize and two $250 Director Choice awards. The entry fee is $25 for the first submission and $10 per additional entry.

Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize 2026

Over US$77,000 total; Grand Prize US$10,000; category awards US$4,500-US$6,000; People's Choice US$1,000

The Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize is an international, non-acquisitive competition run by Beautiful Bizarre Magazine, celebrating contemporary figurative, fantastical, and imaginative art. Artists worldwide may enter across seven categories: Painting (US$6,000), Imaginative Realism (US$5,000), and Drawing, Photography, Digital Art, Sculpture, and Emerging Artist (US$4,500 each), plus a US$10,000 Grand Prize and a US$1,000 People's Choice award decided by public voting in September. Work made wholly or partly with AI image generators is not accepted. Winners are invited to exhibit at Modern Eden Gallery in San Francisco from November 7, 2026 to January 7, 2027. Entry fee is US$40 per artwork per category.

The Kyoto Retreat

Round-trip airfare to Kyoto (KIX); 4-week accommodation Nov 1-30, 2026; $800 USD meals and transport allowance

The Kyoto Retreat is a four-week international residency program founded by independent curator Dexter Wimberly, offering artists, curators, and writers from around the world the opportunity to immerse themselves in Kyoto, Japan. The 2026 program runs from November 1 through November 30 and provides participants with a roundtrip flight to Kansai International Airport, a private bedroom in a shared house, and $800 USD for meals and local transportation. The program is open to visual artists across all media, writers, curators, and interdisciplinary practitioners over the age of 21 from any country. Residents are encouraged to engage with Kyoto's rich cultural landscape including temples, shrines, artisan workshops, and galleries for research, exploration, and creative renewal. Applicants will be notified of selection decisions by September 1, 2026.

E.SUN Art Awards 2026

Foreigner category: First Prize US$36,000; Special Selection US$18,000; Outstanding US$7,200. Total prize pool US$126,000 across all categories

E.SUN Bank hosts one of Asia's most generous painting competitions, open to artists of all ages and nationalities. The Foreigner category offers a first prize of US$36,000, special selection of US$18,000, and outstanding award of US$7,200. Two optional themes are available: Yushan and Music. Submissions are made online via the Bounty Hunter platform by July 17, with original works required for final judging in August. Selected works will be exhibited at E.SUN Bank from October to December 2026, with winners announced by late September. No entry fee.

Artists Accelerator Program Fall 2026

The Artist Accelerator Program at Sebastopol Center for the Arts is a three-month cohort running September 1 through November 30, 2026, open to artists based in Sonoma County, California, working in any medium. Free to apply and free to participate, sponsored by Creative Sonoma and the County of Sonoma. Workshop materials including a Marketing 101 guide are provided. Applications close July 17 via CallForEntry.org; notification by July 25.

Public Art Commissions City of Hampton

$100,000 total commission budget (Site A) or $150,000 total commission budget (Site B)

The City of Hampton, Virginia is commissioning permanent public artworks at two downtown sites. Site A at Settlers Landing Parking Garage carries a budget of $100,000 for exterior murals or stairwell treatments. Site B at the Queens Way and Kings Way corner carries a budget of $150,000 for sculptural or installation-based work that promotes community engagement. The overarching theme is From the Sea to the Stars: Past, Present, Possible. Artists or artist teams must be 18 or older, legally authorized to work in the US, and demonstrate experience in public art or large-scale projects. Concept submissions are optional at the application stage.

2026 16th Annual Abstract Only!

Monetary prizes awarded to selected works

The 16th Annual Abstract Only exhibition at Wailoa Center in Hilo, Hawaii accepts abstract art in any media, including 2D, 3D, and digital/video works. No figurative or representational work is permitted. Open to artists in Hawaii, the US, and internationally. Each entry costs $20, with a free first entry for full-time Hawaii Island students. Up to five works may be submitted per artist. All work must be created within the past four years; no AI-generated or AI-assisted art is accepted. Juror Codie M. King will select works. The exhibition runs August 14 through September 17, 2026.

Art House by Civil Art — Open Call

Mentorship, professional development workshops, networking and exhibition opportunities; prize amount not specified

Art House is a professional development programme by Civil Art for emerging Asian Pacific Islander artists in the New York City area. Up to 16 candidates receive mentorship, professional development workshops, leadership opportunities, networking events and potential exhibition and publication opportunities. The programme runs from August 2026 to April 2027 and requires consistent in-person participation in NYC. Applicants must be 2025 or 2026 graduates with an active fine art practice, identifying as Asian Pacific Islander and able to regularly access New York City.