Every week, we gather a variety of artist opportunities from the DC area and beyond. Find one below and apply today — good luck! Click here for recent opportunities posts, and submit your opportunity listing here.
Even during difficult times, creativity persists. Throughout this period of social distancing, we will begin our listing with opportunities that uniquely address the coronavirus pandemic—be they calls for art that specifically speaks to it, or virtual exhibits that are cropping up as a result of it. Some have definitive deadlines and others are more flexible, so be sure to check guidelines carefully. We encourage you to share these and other opportunities with your creative circle.
Deadline: August 14 Artists are invited to submit works that represent the full gamut of how the global coronavirus pandemic and its associated social distancing has affected them. Fear, uncertainty, anger and doubt are certainly typical responses but we are also interested in evidence of the creative benefits of solitude and reflection and the time to process them. For more information click here.
Deadline: September 31 In response to COVID-19, Las Laguna Gallery has launched its first online exhibition of art in all media, “A Light in the Darkness.” All submissions will be accepted and posted in an online gallery. Click here to learn more.
Deadline: January 1, 2021 COVID-19 Artist Residency Project is an In-Place Residency that was launched in May 2020 to help creatives reframe their time during the Pandemic as an opportunity for self-exploration. The non-competitive residency is free to apply. All creative disciplines welcome. Learn more here.
The Drawing Rooms gallery is currently taking submissions for Prayers for the Pandemic; Prayers for Progress, a worldwide public art project, from artists living locally, nationally, and around the world. Our goal is to flood the world with artist-created prayer flags for an online show of images of the flags which will be posted on our website, Facebook and Instagram. Learn more here.
Cognizant of the need to stay connected and elevate queer voices amid a climate of uncertainty, Hyperallergic is commemorating Pride Month by featuring one queer art worker per day on our website and asking them to reflect on what this time means to them. This series is meant to build on last year’s Queer Artists in Their Own Words. We encourage queer artists, curators, arts educators, filmmakers, programmers, conservators, and administrators from across the art world to join us. Click here to learn more.
Temporarily, during the current COVID-19 pandemic, Hyperallergic is asking artists to share their experiences of their studios during times of quarantine for their “View From the Easel” section. For more information click here.
The visual media organizations CatchLight, Dysturb, and The Everyday Projects are seeking submissions for visual art and storytelling that addresses key public health messages in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Formats can include: photography, video, cartoons/comics, graphic design, paintings, drawings, memes, and more. We will work with the selected artists to package the material for distribution on social media and for display in public spaces as murals and/or projections. For more information click here.
For tens of thousands of artists around the world, in a matter of weeks the novel coronavirus has caused the loss of exhibitions, projects, side gigs, and left much uncertainty behind. As we sit isolated at home and consider our fears and hopes for the future, this project is a challenge to confront ourselves by creating a self-portrait. A new artist will be featured weekly. For more information, click here.
Deadline: August 31 The International ARC Salon Competition is the most influential and far reaching competition for Contemporary Realism in the world, offering over $130,000 in cash awards and international recognition through partnerships with prestigious magazines, galleries and museums, with live exhibitions and a strong online presence. For more information, click here.
Deadline: September 1 With craft shows coming to a complete standstill, artists Kate Gibney and Divya T. Ahuja are filling the void with Art at Your Doorstep, a virtual gallery that connects shoppers to artists’ websites, social media links, or other forms of contact. For more information, click here.
Deadline: September 1 As the founding entity of the Torpedo Factory Art Center, The Torpedo Factory Artists’ Association (TFAA), is a thriving professional artists community of more than 250 juried visual artists. TFAA is currently open for new membership. To learn more and apply, click here.
Deadline: September 7 Calling all artists, designers, artisans, and crafters! The City of Alexandria is hosting an online Artful Holiday Gift Guide featuring unique and authentic works of art and creative goods. For more information, click here.
Deadline: September 10 The Prince George’s Arts and Humanities Council is currently accepting applications for an Administrative Officer, Program Coordinator, and Operations Budget Manager. To learn more, click here.
Deadline: September 16 Generation180, a non-profit working to inspire and equip people to take action on clean energy, seeks submissions for their Vote Clean Energy 2020 campaign. Three selected artists will be awarded a $2,000 contract to produce art for the campaign’s print and digital promotion. Open to all individuals living within the United States. All visual mediums, styles, and formats will be considered, including but not limited to computer-generated drawings, illustrations, paintings, murals, comics, installations, print, sculptural, two-dimensional or three-dimensional, mixed media, video, etc. For more information, click here.
Deadline: September 30 The Torpedo Factory Art Center invites artists and artist groups to apply for available open studios. The leases will begin on December 1, 2020, and end on March 31, 2022, with the possibility of renewal. For more information, click here.
Deadline: October 17 We are on the lookout for an eye-catching mural design that incorporates the native flora and fauna of Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, and will welcome visitors to our main parking lot. Both individuals and groups welcome to enter. For more information, click here.
Deadline: August 30 The Women’s Caucus for Art of Greater Washington, DC invites members of the National Women’s Caucus for Art to submit artwork for a juried online exhibition titled See My Color, WCADC’s Social Justice Art Exhibition. “See My Color” will explore artists’ relationships with racial injustice, police brutality, and criminal justice reform through visual art. Click here for more information.
Deadline: August 31 Too Tired Project is holding a call for photography that explores mental health in our current climate of a global pandemic, political upheaval, systemic oppression, and the social injustices that are happening every single day. To enter click here.
Deadline: August 31 The Mosely Gallery at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore invites artists to submit works in response to the recent national and international wave of protests around Black Lives Matter. For more information, click here.
Deadline: August 31 Since its establishment ten years ago, the Aesthetica Magazine Art Prize has provided a platform for artists across the globe to showcase their work through publication, exhibition, prize money and wider exposure. Aesthetica is looking for artists redefining the parameters of contemporary art. The Prize is open to multiple genres including photography, sculpture, installation, digital media, video, painting and more. To enter click here.
Deadline: August 31 The Council on Virginia Tech History has initiated a call for public art in preparation for the university’s sesquicentennial in 2022. The call, “Understanding Our Complicated Past and Reconnecting with Our Layered Histories: An International Ideas Competition,” seeks proposals for creative approaches to highlight how historically marginalized communities have shaped and will continue to shape Virginia Tech. The winning art pieces will be featured at the university’s oldest structures, Solitude and the Fraction Family House, which were part of the grounds of a former plantation owned by the Preston family. The Solitude House was occupied by the family, and the Fraction Family House is the only remaining structure for housing those enslaved by the Prestons. Proposals for all forms of art, from virtual to physical and everything in between, are highly encouraged. Learn more here.
Deadline: September 1 Virginia’s K-12 Art Educators have an opportunity to show off their own artwork and vie for prizes worth a total of $2000! Virginia Beach Art Center is presenting this states-wide expression of loving what you teach. Learn how to enter here.
Deadline: September 2 This nine-month-long residency (January– September 2021) will offer one artist the opportunity to create a new project or body of work inspired by beautiful natural landscape, stunning monuments, and compelling history. The residency is open to emerging or mid-career artists residing in New York City and working in the visual and/or performing arts. Learn more here.
Deadline: September 8 Stable, a new non-profit organization aimed at strengthening Washington, DC’s contemporary visual arts community by providing affordable and sustainable studio space and exhibition opportunities, is seeking a Director of Art and Programming. Learn more and apply here.
Deadline: September 15 This award, administered by the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, acknowledges the vital role of the arts in our world, the importance of artists who exemplify excellence in their field, and the necessity of time and space for the creative phase of all artistic work. This year’s applicants must have worked professionally as a visual artist for the past 15 years with substantial national or international achievement in their field, including grants, awards, performances/installations, etc. Apply here.
Deadline: September 22 Soho Photo Gallery, New York’s longest running cooperative gallery, is excited to announce our 16th International Alternative Processes Competition. All selected images will be featured on the gallery’s website. To enter, click here.
Deadline: September 28 The National Juried Photography Exhibition is held biennially in November at The Delaplaine Arts Center as part of Focus, our month-long celebration of photography. All photographs, black & white, color, non-silver, computer-manipulated, digital, or pinhole are eligible. Learn more here.
Deadline: September 30 The Delaware Contemporary is accepting submissions for our spring exhibition Round About: Reconsidering the Object in Space. This small group exhibition of four artists will take a fresh look at the traditional models for sculptural work through the lens of today and reconsider the viewers’ relationship to the presence of objects in space. Learn more here.
Deadline: October 1 Hamiltonian Artists is launching a new initiative of public programming, Platform, that positions the organization as a hub for conversation amongst practitioners. For the first season, now through the Presidential election on November 3, we invite artists, independent curators and organizers, organizations, and others to submit a proposal for a public program that specifically addresses racial justice, social justice movements and practices, collective action, and other conversations that intersect with the arts. Learn more here.
Deadline: October 5 The National Sculpture Society offers three grants of $5000 each. Figurative, realist and animal sculpture of greatest interest. Open to US residents and citizens with a social security number. For more information click here.
Deadline: October 16 The Bennett Prize, created in 2018, awards $50,000 to a woman artist to create her own solo exhibition of figurative realist paintings, which will travel the country. The Prize will propel the careers of women painters who have not yet realized full professional recognition, empowering new artists and those who have painted for many years. The Prize will expand opportunities for the public, who may not be familiar with figurative realist painting, to learn more about the creative vision of talented women painters in this increasingly popular genre. Apply here.
Deadline: November 6 The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Fellowship (VMFA) Program, a vital source of funding for the visual arts and art history in Virginia, is committed to supporting professional artists as well as art and art history students who demonstrate exceptional creative ability in their chosen discipline. Applications are now being accepted for the 2021-22 fellowship program. Click here to apply.
December 1 Artists are invited to engage in a conversation with paper in whatever way they want. Some examples of paper but not limited to: cardboard, paper, rice paper, newsprint, construction paper, decoupage paper, card stock, recycled paper, kraft paper, deconstructed books, etc. To enter, click here.
Deadline: December 30 Submit original works of art inspired by, but not necessarily representative of, an academic medicine experience from any perspective: caregiver, researcher, teacher, learner, or patient (for example, learning how to be a physician or scientist, caring for patients, exploring research questions, making a new discovery, being a research participant, teaching, or being cared for in a teaching hospital). The journal welcomes photography, sculpture, painting, textile work, and other visual media. Images may be cropped or resized to fit into the allotted cover space. Artists must also submit a related Cover Art essay as a narrative companion to the artwork, to explain the connection between the work and the “academic medicine experience.” Learn more here.
This residency was designed to give emerging contemporary artists an online platform to create new work and explore their practice. Over the course of four weeks, artists will be encouraged to experiment and explore their concepts and move their work forward in the contemporary art world. Learn more here.
The Alper Initiative for Washington Art features five exhibitions per year in the newly constructed first floor space in the American University Museum. We accept submissions, on a rolling basis, from Washington artists of all ages and backgrounds, and working in diverse media. The museum’s Director and Curator, Jack Rasmussen, will select curators who will review these submissions for potential use in Alper Initiative exhibitions. For more information click here.
The Hamilton Arts Collective (HAC) and the Hamilton Gallery seek applications from artists for month-long Guest Artist exhibitions at Hamilton Gallery located at 5502 Harford Road, Baltimore, MD. The selected guest artists will be invited to exhibit a selection of their current work in Gallery I of the Hamilton Gallery. The Guest Artist exhibition is featured in Hamilton Gallery communications and will be promoted by the HAC and Hamilton Gallery. This is an open call to artists residing within 60 miles of Baltimore City. Baltimore residents are encouraged to apply. Click here to learn more.
The Howard County Arts Council gallery program was established to enhance the public’s appreciation of the visual arts, provide a venue to exhibit the work of local, regional, and national artists in a professional space, and provide leadership in the arts by presenting a broad spectrum of arts in all media from both emerging and established artists. Artists, ages 18 and older, working in all media and styles including time-based and installation artists, are encouraged to apply either individually or as a group. Proposals from curators and arts organizations are also welcome. Click here to learn more.
The Maryland Art Place (MAP) is working with Hotel Indigo in downtown Baltimore to offer rotating exhibitions in the hotel’s library and Poets Modern Cocktails and Eats restaurant. This opportunity is open to visual artists living or working in Maryland. ’s public art partnership projects (MAP), in partnership with Hotel Indigo, is pleased to announce an open call to artists. MAP will curate four exhibitions a year based on submissions entered through a rolling basis. Click here to learn more.
The Athenaeum Gallery in Alexandria, Virginia exhibits visual arts created solely by artists living or working in the region (DC, Maryland and Virginia) and strives to present visitors with a wide variety of excellent art and unique experiences. In addition to the shows curated by the Gallery Director, the Athenaeum Gallery invites artists and curators to submit show proposals. For more information, visit https://artist.callforentry.org/festivals_unique_info.php?ID=6876.
Deadline: Rolling. The purpose of the Creativity Grant Program is to strengthen the vitality and sustainability of artists and small organizations to maintain a strong and stable arts infrastructure in the State of Maryland. The Creativity Grant also provides opportunities to serve the growing needs of relevant arts projects and collaborations within Maryland communities. For more information regarding eligibility and funding timelines, please review the Creativity Grants Guidelines. For more information about the program, and to apply visit the Creativity Grant Program State of Maryland website.
Deadline: Rolling. Submit original works of art inspired by, but not necessarily representative of, an academic medicine experience from any perspective: caregiver, researcher, teacher, learner, or patient (for example, learning how to be a physician or scientist, caring for patients, exploring research questions, making a new discovery, being a research participant, teaching, or being cared for in a teaching hospital). The journal welcomes photography, sculpture, painting, textile work, and other visual media. Images may be cropped or resized to fit into the allotted cover space. Artists must also submit a related Cover Art essay as a narrative companion to the artwork, to explain the connection between the work and the “academic medicine experience.” The related narrative should be 250 to 600 words and is subject to editing. To apply for this opportunity, and to learn more, visit the Academic Medicine website.
Deadline: Open. The Awesome Foundation for the Arts and Sciences is a worldwide network of people devoted to forwarding the interest of “awesomeness in the universe.” Established in 2009, the foundation distributes $1,000 grants on a monthly basis to projects and their creators. The money is pooled from ten or more self-organizing “micro-trustees.” The chapters are autonomous and organized by the trustees around geographic areas or topics of interest. Apply on the Awesome Foundation website.
Deadline: rolling. Maryland Art Place (MAP), in partnership with Hotel Indigo is pleased to announce an open ‘Call to Artists’. As an extension of MAP’s annual IMPACT public art partnership projects, MAP is working with Hotel Indigo to offer rotating exhibitions in Hotel indigo’s library and Poets Modern Cocktails and Eats. This opportunity is available to visual artists living or working in Maryland. Maryland Art Place will curate four exhibitions a year based on submissions entered through a rolling basis. Guidelines and information here.
Deadline: Rolling. Peripheral ARTeries is looking for artists to be featured in the new special Biennial Edition of their art publication, that comes to its 10th edition. This opportunity is great for both established and early career artists who need a boost to their artist portfolio. The 10th edition will once again explore and show current trends and tendencies in Contemporary Art: Peripheral ARTeries cultivates a spirit of openness through a unique collaborative and participatory approach.Each artist may submit a maximum of three works or projects made in any technique: painting, drawing, video art, experimental cinema, fine art photography, experimental media, mixed media, installations, public art, performance. The call is open to all proposed kind of art and media capable of challenging the viewers’ traditional perspective on art itself. To submit, visit the Peripheral ARTeries website.
Artists works will displayed in the hotel’s gallery (220 S Union St, Old Town Alexandria) for a six-month period. Two-dimensional, framed works only. Artists will install the work using the hotel’s mounting hardware. Labels will be provided by the hotel. All sales handled by artist, no commission. Preference for local or locally influenced selections but not required. The space measures approximately 7’10” by 8’3.″ If interested, contact Kate Ellis, General Manager, [email protected].
Ongoing. Located in Studio 8, the New Project Studio is a community-focused arts incubator space that offers a short-term location to test new program ideas, spotlight underrepresented voices, and enhance community engagement. Projects rotate on a regular basis. For more information, clickhere.
Ongoing. The City of Alexandria’s Office of the Arts provides grants for nonprofit arts organizations as well as individual artists. See all current opportunities and online applications here.
Deadline: ongoing. Montgomery College, Rockville and Germantown Art Department is seeking proposals for its Artist-in-Residence Program, encouraging proposals that cultivate collaborative work between artists and students.
Deadline: ongoing. Foundry Gallery is seeking a few artists in the greater Washington, DC area. If interested in applying for membership please send up to five images (jpg attachments) and an email letter to: [email protected]. The oldest cooperative in Washington, the gallery holds monthly solo and members’ group shows at its beautiful space north of Shaw near the 9:30 Club.
Deadline: ongoing. Washington Printmakers Gallery is seeking artist members specializing in printmaking, photography and book arts. An active cooperative for over 30 years, the gallery holds monthly solo and members’ group shows in its lovely space in upper Georgetown. Distant and shared memberships are available. If interested in applying for membership please email [email protected].
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