What painting-specific opportunities should I look for?

Dedicated painting prizes often carry the largest awards, including acquisitive prizes where the host purchases the winning work. Beyond prizes, look for juried group shows with named jurors and residencies offering proper studio space, ventilation, and wall area.

Do I ship original paintings for juried shows?

Selection is almost always juried from digital images first; only accepted work ships. Shipping and insurance for paintings can be significant, especially internationally, so check the venue location and any size limits on the listing before entering large work.

How do painting calls treat digital or reproduced work?

Most painting categories require original physical work; prints of paintings usually belong in print or open-media categories instead. Read the medium definition in the official rules, since misclassified entries are commonly disqualified without refund.

Painting Open Calls & Competitions

Painting prizes, juried exhibitions, and residencies with real studio space. Verified and updated throughout the week.

Open now9076 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

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

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.

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…

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.

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).

78more calls with a free account

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

Painting open calls, answered.

Painting remains the backbone of juried exhibitions and art prizes worldwide: national painting prizes, landscape and portrait awards, gallery open submissions, and residencies with studio space suited to painters.

This page collects every live call on Arthead tagged for painting, across oil, acrylic, watercolor, and mixed techniques, each verified by hand before listing.

What painting-specific opportunities should I look for?: Dedicated painting prizes often carry the largest awards, including acquisitive prizes where the host purchases the winning work. Beyond prizes, look for juried group shows with named jurors and residencies offering proper studio space, ventilation, and wall area.
Do I ship original paintings for juried shows?: Selection is almost always juried from digital images first; only accepted work ships. Shipping and insurance for paintings can be significant, especially internationally, so check the venue location and any size limits on the listing before entering large work.
How do painting calls treat digital or reproduced work?: Most painting categories require original physical work; prints of paintings usually belong in print or open-media categories instead. Read the medium definition in the official rules, since misclassified entries are commonly disqualified without refund.