"Goat Polo" by Kathryn Mohrman is on view in our April Open Exhibit.
Welcome to Artful Weekend, our guide to fun and interesting ways to enjoy art in person or virtually.
This weekend: Last chance to see April shows at The League; a walking art tour in DC; two new exhibits at Studio Gallery; and more!
April Open Exhibit
“New Guinea” by Anthony Zaza
This is the final weekend to see April’s Open Exhibit, juried by contemporary and performance artist and curator Adriel Luis. Our open exhibits are a great way to view the breath of mediums and styles of our member artists. This month’s show features two large-scale fiber art pieces by Best-in-Show Award winner Cynthia Grisdela and Susan Lapham; a colorful sculpture made from piano innards by Tory Cowles; Michaela Borgehese’s vibrant fused glass Fan of Many Colors; James Wehner’s terracotta trio that calls to mind classical sculpture; and much, much more. See it in-person in the Gallery, Wednesday-Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday noon-5:00 p.m., through Sunday, May 2. You can also view the exhibit online.
Justin T. Worrell: Breath on Glass
“The Sovereign,” by Justin T. Worrell
Oil painter Justin T. Worrell captures the ephemeral, dusky prelude to nightfall in his solo exhibit Breath on Glass. Inspired by the American Tonalist school, Worrell’s landscapes blur the boundary between our physical world and the spiritual realm; on view at The Art League gallery through May 2.
Glover Park Art Walk & Sale
A scene from the first Glover Park Art Walk & Sale last December.
Last December, artist Jodi Ferreier organized an art stroll and sale in her Northwest DC neighborhood. “I had this idea because I thought there were a lot of creatives living here,” she says. She was correct and it was a hit. This Saturday, May 1 from noon to 5:00 p.m., the Glover Park Art Walk is back by popular demand. Take a self-guided tour and see paintings, drawings, jewelry, prints, photography, pottery and fiber art made by 20 artists who reside in the area. You can purchase a Mother’s Day gift while you’re there. Print out this map or pick one up at 3824 Beecher Street, NW on the day of the tour. The rain date is Sunday, May 2.
Alonzo Davis: Navigating Climate Change
When Alonzo Davis’s studio assistant traveled to Micronesia, a country of islands clustered in the Pacific Ocean, the artist became intrigued with the region and its culture. In Navigating Climate Change, Davis presents new mixed media works inspired by his fascination with Micronesian navigation stick charts (an ancient seafarer tool) to call attention to the devastation that the climate crisis is bringing to the Pacific Islands and the rest of the world. It is on view through June 19 at Joe’s Movement Emporium (appointments for viewing the work can be made for Thursdays from 6:30 pm- 8:30 pm and Saturdays from 12:00 pm- 4:00 pm). An outdoor Artist’s Talk will take place on Thursday, May 6 at 7 PM. RSVP here; Joe’s Movement Emporium, 3309 Bunker Hill Road, Mount Rainier, MD.
Micheline Klagsbrun: Night Boats and Deborah Addison Coburn: Ignorance Was Bliss
“Night Boat of the Bones Unbutton’d” by Micheline Klagsbrun
There are two new exhibits to view online or in-person at Studio Gallery: Night Boats, a series of mixed-media sculptures by Micheline Klagsbrun, expresses the dislocation and migrations she and her family faced as they escaped from and to various countries. The precarious quality of her pieces speaks to their sea voyages. Patched together from a variety of unseaworthy materials, this work evokes the refugees’ desperation and determination to escape, their resourcefulness and resilience.
“If You’d Told Me” by Deborah Addison Coburn
Ignorance Was Bliss is a reference to the period just before the pandemic when artist Deborah Addison Coburn stepped away from politically charged drawings to create the playful watercolor paintings in this exhibition. Coburn ponders how the lighthearted doodles she created in the before-times now, a year later, appear eerily microbial, as if to foretell what would come. Both exhibits are on view through May 22 at Studio Gallery, 2108 R St. NW.
Adriel Luis, our April juror, is a community organizer, artist, and curator who believes that our collective imagination can make a reality where we all thrive. His life’s work is focused on bridging artistic integrity and social vigilance. Adriel is the Curator of Digital and Emerging Practice at the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Center, where he advocates for under-served communities to be treated and represented equitably by museums and institutions. Below, he shares his thoughts on jurying the April 2021 Open Exhibit.
“To New Beginnings 3” by Jeremy Bomberg, recipient of an Honorable Mention
“I don’t normally love selecting from anonymous art submissions. I see art as a window to the artist – when I’m drawn to an artwork, my first impulse is to find out who the artist is, where they come from, and what drives them to create. But these aren’t normal times. It has been over a year since I’ve been welcomed into an artist’s studio, marveled at their works in-person, learned about their lives face to face. Selecting works for an exhibition without knowing anything about the artist is like feeling my way through the dark – but thanks to my experience with The Art League’s Spring Open Exhibit, I found new ways to see and appreciate art.”
“Taste of Summer” by Cynthia Grisdela, winner of The Art League Best in Show
“There’s an uncertainty to judging a work at face value, without being able to consider the context or circumstances in which it was created. Much like everything else these days, I had to encounter jurying this show by trusting my gut, following my subjective interpretations, and finding meaning in what was presented on my computer screen. It was all of the artists – not only the ones whose works I selected – that gave me a sense of community during a time when it’s so sorely needed.”
“Warm Sunlight on a December Morning” by Leslie Landerkin, part of the April Open Exhibit
“Embedded in the hundreds of pieces that I viewed were countless more hours that the submitters spent; all of us experiencing the same moment, and generating a multitude of visions from it. Whether they are abstract acrylic paintings or sculptures meditating on the human form, the works in this exhibition reveal introspection, thoughtfulness, and deep intentionality – virtues that I’ve come to cherish for guiding me through this period. I congratulate all of the artists involved with this show, not only for creating such a stunning body of work, but for meeting this moment with the passion and creativity that we all need.” – Adriel
"Fan of many Colors," by Michaela Borghese, is on view in our April Open Exhibit.
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.
Opportunities
Bookmaking Associate Wanted, Pyramid Atlantic Art Center — Hyattsville, MD
Deadline: Until filled This Artistic Associate position offers a unique opportunity to engage with Pyramid’s creative community, and work alongside professionals in a sharing/collaborative environment. In exchange for 12 volunteer hours a month (10 onsite, 2 offsite), the Bookmaking Associate will have 24 hour access to studios and equipment and receive a 40% discount on most workshops. The Bookmaking Associate also has the opportunity to teach classes, assist or collaborate with resident artists, and submit artwork for consideration to sell in the Pyramid Atlantic shop. Apply here.
Requests for Qualifications Connecticut Avenue Temporary Public Art — DC
Deadline: May 2 Calling all emerging and mid-career artists, artist-teams, and designers! The Golden Triangle Business Improvement District (BID) invites you to submit your qualifications to be considered for a temporary public art project (up to two years) to be installed in Spring/Summer 2022. The artwork will be located in the heart of DC’s central business district on the Connecticut Avenue Median (at K Street NW). The goal of this artwork, located in a prominent location adjacent to Farragut Square, is to cultivate and support a strong DC public art community. Only new works will be considered. Learn more here.
Call for Artists, Ernest Maier Bladensburg Mural — Bladensburg, MD
Deadline: May 10 On behalf of Ernest Maier, the Hyattsville Community Development Corporation (Hyattsville CDC) is seeking an artist, designer, or team to design and execute a mural upon the southern, street facing wall of the property located at 4602 Annapolis Road, Bladensburg, MD 20710. This project is part of a series of creative place-making enhancements Ernest Maier is pursuing to beautify its Bladensburg properties through the application of public art. For more information, click here.
Call to Artists, Money Money Collage Artist Residency — Virtual
Deadline: May 26 During this four-week, project-driven artist residency with Kolaj Institute, collage artists work together to create a series of collages that illustrate Eleanor H. Porter’s 1918 novel, Oh, Money! Money!. The result will be a book published by Kolaj Institute. The residency is being done in conjunction with “The Money $how” at Saint Kate – The Arts Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The book will be released at an event in July. For more information, click here.
Municipal Art Society of Baltimore Travel Prize — Baltimore
Deadline: May 31 Applications for the MASB Artist Travel Prize are now available. The sixth edition of the MASB Artist Travel Prize awards $6,000 to a visual artist or visual artist collaborators living in Baltimore City, to be used as funding for travel essential to studio practice. For more information, click here.
Re-runs: These were previously posted, but it’s not too late to enter!
Women’s Jewelry Association 2021 Cindy Edelstein Jewelry Design Scholarship – NY
Deadline: April 30 The scholarship is targeted to emerging fine jewelry designers or artisans. Women who are current WJA members only are eligible to apply. The recipient can pursue either design or business courses, providing they are focused on improving her artistry and/or her designer jewelry business. For more information click here.
Women’s Jewelry Association 2021 Student Scholarship – NY
Deadline: April 30 The Women’s Jewelry Association is committed to empowering women in the international jewelry, watch and related businesses. The WJA Foundation provides scholarships to female and female-identifying students enrolled in jewelry or metalsmithing programs at an accredited college, university, or training school between August 1, 2021 and July 31, 2022. Recipients are selected by a jury in early June and are awarded scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $7,000. Learn more here.
Call for VisArts Studio Fellowship 2021 – Rockville, MD
Deadline: May 2 VisArts invites applications and proposals from local, national, and international artists for a six month Studio Fellowship at VisArts at Rockville. The Studio Fellowship provides a unique opportunity for a dynamic individual artist or collaborative artist team to create a new body of work, evolve an existing body of work, or develop a project in a stimulating, supportive environment. Studio space is provided free of charge. Artists receive a $500.00 per month stipend. The Studio Fellowship offers the gift of time and space to two artists and/or collaborative artist teams each year to experiment and realize new work. The VisArts Studio Fellows will present their work in solo exhibitions at the end of their respective fellowships. Click here and scroll down to learn more.
Arts on the Block: The Apprentice Program — Online
Deadline: May 3 The Apprentice Program (TAP, formerly Pour Your ART Out) is a free, virtual summer intensive workshop for creative high school students in the DMV who have a passion for visual arts. Apprentices are paid with an educational stipend or can earn Student Service Learning hours (SSL). As an apprentice, you will train in art, job, and life skills while meeting and collaborating with creative peers. Many apprentices return each year to participate in the summer and/or school year programs to advance in their training. After graduating high school, apprentices are eligible in the fall to apply for our Studio Crew team, where they can further their career development while completing AOB commissions. Click hereto learn more.
Call for Artwork, Out of Order + Kidooo — Online
Deadline: May 4 Maryland Art Place (MAP) is happy to continue KIDOOO, a youth version of Out of Order, MAP’s annual art auction! KIDOOO was created as an opportunity for young artists to exhibit their work with a major arts venue, expanding MAP’s services to students in elementary, middle, and high school level arts classes. To participate in the exhibition, artists must be ages 6-16. For more information, click here.
Call for Artists, Artesian Online Art Market
Deadline: May 7 The Artesian Online Art Market call for artists is now open! The virtual market is open to artists from all Federally recognized tribes. Prizes will be awarded in each category and will feature a best in show award and judges’ awards. Artists are encourage to apply early due to limited space. The market is open from May 28 – Aug. 2, 2021. For more information, click here.
H2O Mid-Atlantic Call to Artists – Virginia Beach, VA
Deadline: May 7 The Virginia Beach Art Center presents a showcase of water-related artwork from the Mid-Atlantic states. Artists from South Carolina to Pennsylvania are invited to show explore our relationship to water through visual media. From a single drop to mighty oceans, from rising mists to stormy skies, water is all around us – and up to 78% of our bodies! Learn more here.
Call for Submissions, I Am A Public Art Postcard Exhibition — Fairfax, VA
Deadline: May 9 I Am is a large group public art exhibition celebrating personal identity. Curated by artist Debra Wright in collaboration with the Old Town Fairfax Business Association, artists across the United States are invited to submit one 4 x 6 inch postcard-sized work for public display in the Fairfax, Virginia, commercial district area. Learn more here.
Robotics Art Residency, University of Pennsylvania — Philadelphia
Deadline: May 15The GRASP Lab at The School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Weitzman School of Design invite you to apply for a four week residency program that will bring together faculty and students to explore the use of robotic technologies in addressing contemporary social, cultural, and environmental challenges. Three artists, designers, engineers or creatives from any discipline will spend four weeks at the GRASP Lab at PERCH, during which each will develop a creative project with resources offered by PERCH and the Department of Fine Arts and Design. Learn more here.
Call for Submissions, Frames & Frequency VII – Rockville, MD
Deadline: May 21 Frame & Frequency is an ongoing International Film & Video Art Screening Series presented by VisArts located in Rockville, Maryland (just outside of Washington DC) that highlights artists whose new media, experimental film, and video works explore contemporary visual culture, and presents an intimate panorama of the variety and breadth of video art in artistic practice today. Frame & Frequency aims to present a diverse group of artists representing multi-generational and cultural backgrounds, nationalities and personal histories, while demonstrating the artists’ impressive command of video and new media technologies. Click here and scroll down to learn more.
Call to Artists, 11th Annual Workhouse Clay International – Lorton, VA
Deadline: May 24 The Workhouse Arts Center (WAF) is extremely proud to announce a call for entries for its 11th annual Workhouse Clay International Exhibition 2021. This is an open call for functional and/or sculptural ceramic artworks. For more information, click here.
Call for Entry, Art of the State – Harrisburg, PA
Deadline: May 28 Presented by The State Museum of Pennsylvania in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation, the 54th Art of the State exhibition will offer cash awards for selected entries in the categories of painting, work on paper, photography and digital media, sculpture and craft. It open to Pennsylvania artists and craftspeople. Learn more here.
Call for Entry, Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival 2021 – Reston, VA
Deadline: May 30 The annual Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival is a competitive, juried event that is consistently rated as one of the best outdoor art festivals in the country, both for the quality of the artwork presented and for its exceptional artist hospitality. For more information, click here.
Photo Review 2021 International Photography Competition
Deadline: May 31 Accepted work will be reproduced in the 2021 competition issue of The Photo Review, a critical journal of photography with an international scope and readership, and on The Photo Review website. Prizewinners will be exhibited at the Philadelphia Photo Arts Center. Editor’s selections will be exhibited in several Photo Review web galleries. Over $4,000 worth of prizes will be awarded, including a $500 purchase prize for inclusion in the Haverford College Photography Collection, one of the largest and most comprehensive college photography collections in the United States. For more information, click here.
Call for Artists, Our Best Friends Regional Juried Exhibition, Liberty Town Arts Workshop — Fredericksburg, VA
Deadline: May 31 2020 of all years made our appreciation of our pets grow ever stronger. They were there to cuddle us when we were lonely, to push us out the door for walks when we felt sluggish. They entertained us running around their cages and through our house with balls. They chase away our blues and malaise with their love of us. We want to see all of your best animal companions in this show, be they small as mouse, or large as a horse. All artists age 16 and older, working in any media, may apply to this show. Learn more here.
Call for Entry, (re)Building: Atlantic Gallery Juried Exhibition 2021 – New York
Deadline:June 1 Atlantic Gallery is seeking works from this past year (2020-21) that inspire and embrace the spirit of rebuilding, renewal and resiliency. Submissions must utilize cold wax, encaustic, or both, in two dimensional or three-dimensional works. One artist will be chosen for the grand-prize of a weeklong solo show at Atlantic Gallery. For more information, click here.
Call for Submissions, Ceramics – Rockville, MD
Deadline: June 7 VisArts invites artists working in the expanded field of ceramics to apply for “This Moment of Rupture,” a juried national survey of contemporary ceramics. We are seeking artists who work in an expansive variety of media but that all incorporate ceramics in some way, be it with traditional methods, or with processes such as 3d printing, or as a part of performance art, mixed media and more. Artists may submit up to 3 works for consideration. Click hereand scroll down to learn more.
Glen Echo Park Partnership Gallery Request for Proposals 2022 – Glen Echo, Maryland
Deadline: June 28 The Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture requests proposals from individuals, groups of artists or curators to present exhibitions in the Popcorn Gallery, Stone Tower Gallery and Park View Gallery venues at Glen Echo Park for the calendar year 2022. For more information, click here.
Get Out(side), a Regional Juried Exhibition, Liberty Town Arts Workshop — Fredericksburg, VA
Deadline: June 28 As the weather warms, now is the perfect time to celebrate the joy of the outdoors in our little corner of the world. Fredericksburg, and Virginia as a whole, has extraordinary pockets of beauty to explore. We want to see the art inspired by your wanderings into nature in Virginia. For more information, click here.
Call for Solo Exhibitions 2022, VisArts – Rockville, MD
Deadline: July 9 VisArts invites artists working in all media to apply for 2022 Solo Exhibitions in the Gibbs Street Gallery, Common Ground Gallery, and Concourse Gallery. Exhibitions in each of the galleries explore the breadth of contemporary art featuring emerging to mid-career artists. Exhibits reflect a wide range of media and experimental approaches that offer the viewer unexpected interactions with art. Click hereand scroll down to learn more.
Call for Proposals, 2022 Rehoboth Art League Solo and Group Exhibitions – Rehoboth Beach, DE
Deadline: July 18 The Exhibitions Committee of the Rehoboth Art League is in the process of organizing solo and group exhibitions for 2022. This is a very competitive program as RAL can only accept a limited number of proposals each year. Artworks in any media will be reviewed. The RAL is situated in the town of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, a highly traveled area not only by the residents of this and the expanding surrounding communities, but also by art patrons from the Washington DC, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and New York metropolitan areas. Over 29,000 people participate in Rehoboth Art League programs annually. Special exhibitions have played an important part of our programming since the league’s beginning, in 1938. The RAL campus houses the Corkran,Tubbs, Ventures, and Homestead galleries. For more information and to apply, click here.
Call for Entry, 121st International Exhibition of Works on Paper — Wallingford, PA
Deadline: August 3 This is a prestigious exhibit that has been held by the Philadelphia Water Color Society every year since 1900. There are over $10,000.00 in prizes including the $2,000 PWCS Award of Excellence. This exhibit is open to both PWCS members and nonmembers. For more information, click here.
Call For Entries, Athenaeum Gallery – Alexandria, VA
Deadline: August 25, 2021 Artists who live or work in Virginia, Maryland, or the District of Columbia may submit a proposal for a solo show. A group of artists who live or work in the area may submit a proposal for a group show. A curator, living or working anywhere, may submit a proposal for a show featuring works by artists living or working in this area. For more information, click here.
Ongoing: These opportunities have rolling deadlines.
Call for Art, Links Bridge Vineyards—Thurmont, MD
Links Bridge Vineyards, a small artisan style winery located just outside of Frederick, Maryland, is looking to feature the artwork of various artists on the walls of their tasting barn for two weeks at a time. To learn more, call Joan Cartier 301-602-5733 or email her at [email protected].
Pyramid Atlantic offers year-round workshops in printmaking, papermaking, book arts, and hybrids thereof. We offer multi-week, daytime, evening, and weekend intensives for adults in our fully equipped studios. As part of a robust and diverse schedule of offerings, we welcome unsolicited workshop proposals, and hope that you will consider applying! Workshop proposal reviews are ongoing, but for best consideration, submit class proposals by the following dates: 1/15 for Summer Workshops; 4/1 for Fall Workshops; 7/1 for Winter Workshops; 10/1 for Spring Workshops. Questions? Email Gretchen, Artistic Director, [email protected]
Call For Stories About Women in the Arts, Maryland State Arts Council
2020 has been dedicated to the Year of the Woman in Maryland. Do you have an inspiring story about vital contributions of women-identifying people who are artists, arts administrators, or cultural workers? Perhaps an exhibition, performance or project featuring women? Share it with the Maryland State Arts Council for potential use in marketing and communications! Send your ideas to [email protected], and include “Year of the Woman” in the subject line. Satff will contact senders whose stories are selected for inclusion in future newsletters, eblasts, or social media postings. Learn more about Maryland’s year of the Woman here.
Call For Artists, Busboys and Poets
Busboys and Poets is looking for submissions from Maryland and Virginia artists as it expands to new locations in both areas. Submissions can include drawings, painting, photography, sculpture, mixed media, assemblage, fiber, quilts, etc. Art images reflecting life in the city, family, portraits, whimsy, abstraction, social uplift and life experiences within diverse cultures are encouraged for submission. For more information, click here.
Alterwork Studios Online Residency
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.
Accepting Artwork for Curatorial Review by AIWA
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.
Call For Entry Hamilton Arts Collective Guest Artist Exhibition – Baltimore, MD
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.
Howard County Arts Council Quarterly Call For Artists – Ellicott City, MD
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.
Exhibit at Hotel Indigo Downtown Baltimore — Baltimore, MD
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.
Solo or Group Shows in Athenaeum Gallery – VA
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, click here.
The Creativity Grant Program State of Maryland (MD)
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.
Artist/Writers: Cover Art for Academic Medicine
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.
The Awesome Foundation Accepting Applications for Art Projects
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.
Call for Artists: Maryland Art Place Seeks Proposals for Rotating Exhibition Partnership with Baltimore’s Hotel Indigo (MD)
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 informationhere.
Peripheral ARTeries – Biennial Contemporary Art Publication
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.
Exhibit at Hotel Indigo (VA)
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].
The New Project Studio – Ongoing Opportunity (VA)
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, click here.
Public Arts Grants & Opportunities (VA)
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 applicationshere.
Residency: Maryland
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.
Looking for artists: Foundry Gallery (DC)
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.
Looking for artists: Printmakers (DC)
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].
"Old and New in Blue," by Carol Dawn Petersen, is currently on view in April's Open Exhibit.
Welcome to Artful Weekend, our guide to fun and interesting ways to enjoy art in person or virtually.
This weekend: April exhibits at the League; art that celebrates Earth Day; Yoko Ono’s Wish Tree goes virtual; and more!
April Open Exhibit
“Alley at Night” by Michael McSorley
Don’t miss this month’s group exhibition juried by contemporary and performance artist and curator Adriel Luis. Our Open Exhibits are a great way to view the breath of mediums and styles of our member artists. This month’s show features two large-scale fiber art pieces by Best-in-Show Award winner Cynthia Grisdela and Susan Lapham; a colorful sculpture made from piano innards by Tory Cowles; Michaela Borgehese’s vibrant fused glass Fan of Many Colors; James Wehner’s terracotta trio that calls to mind classical sculpture; and much, much more. See it in-person in the Gallery, Wednesday-Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday noon-5:00 p.m., through Sunday, May 2. You can also view the exhibit online. Join us for a panel discussion with our award winners on Thursday, April 15, at 6:00 p.m. on Zoom; register here.
Justin T. Worrell: Breath on Glass
“The Sovereign,” by Justin T. Worrell
Oil painter Justin T. Worrell captures the ephemeral, dusky prelude to nightfall in his solo exhibit Breath on Glass. Inspired by the American Tonalist school, Worrell’s landscapes blur the boundary between our physical world and the spiritual realm; on view at The Art League gallery through May 2.
Earth Day Art Gallery
In celebration of Earth Day, Little Tree Huggers Preschool is hosting an Earth Day Art Gallery and live auction Saturday and Sunday (April 24-25) in their beautiful mid-19th century barn. The showcased art will reflect the school’s interest in preserving the natural world. Rosemary Gallick, Ravi Raman, Mari Calai, and Kathleen Howsare are among the area artists whose works will be on view and for sale. The art will be auctioned off in a hybrid, in person and virtual format. In person tickets are for one-hour time slots with a maximum of 10 people per hour. Purchase tickets through Eventbrite.
Armando Lopez-Bircann: Arma the Oracle: Extended Reality (XR)
Latinx artist Armando Lopez-Bircann shares their vision of an ethical queer future with Arma the Oracle: Extended Reality (XR). In their Tarot-inspired performances, Lopez-Bircann’s alter ego, Arma Dura, summons the cyber faeries, wields the Glitchblade, and channels other guides in this oracle card reading. Through Lopez-Bircann’s wearable sculptures and augmented-reality attire, which explore non-binary and binary gender aesthetics, they push the limits of what types of reality —both virtually and physically—are possible, and present alternative futures to strive towards. Arma the Oracle is the second installment of Looking In/Looking Out, a series of solo storefront exhibitions at Transformer gallery in DC; on view through May 22, 1404 P Street, NW.
Virtual Wishes
Every summer through Labor Day, visitors are invited to the sculpture garden to tie their written wishes to the branches of Yoko Ono’s Wish Tree for Washington, DC. This year, instead of tying written wishes to the tree’s branches, you are invited to share your thoughts virtually through April 30. Your wishes will join the hopes and ambitions of people around the world to bloom on social media for all to connect with.
"Almost There," by Brenda Barthell, is currently on view in the April Open Exhibit.
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.
Opportunities
Call for Entry, 2021 Abbey Mural Prize — New York
Deadline: April 23 The National Academy of Design invites artists, architects, arts and community-based organizations, and other nonprofits to submit applications for the 2021 Abbey Mural Prize. Building on a tradition of public murals as instruments of social activism, neighborhood revitalization, and community engagement, the Abbey Mural Prize aims to broaden support and recognition of the vital role that murals play in making public space more open and accessible. Learn morehere.
Call for Entry, The Chelsea International Photography Competition — New York
Deadline: April 27 The Competition is an ideal way to exhibit your talent to a wider international audience. With a distinguished panel of jurors and more than $55,000 in valuable prizes, it is open to photographers from around the world at any stage of their careers. Learn more here.
Call for Entry, Contemporary Art Room Competition — Online
Deadline: April 29 Contemporary Art Room Gallery is proud to announce their 3rd City Online Art Competition for the month of May 2021. The city theme may include everything that is city related, (cityscapes, towns, urban scenes or any metropolitan subjects). A variety of interpretations of City theme can be submitted (representative, abstract, conceptional). All visual art mediums are acceptable (painting, photography, drawing, sculpture, digital, prints, fiber art, collage or installation art) except sound and video art. Learn more here.
Call for Submissions, I Am A Public Art Postcard Exhibition — Fairfax, VA
Deadline: May 9 I Am is a large group public art exhibition celebrating personal identity. Curated by artist Debra Wright in collaboration with the Old Town Fairfax Business Association, artists across the United States are invited to submit one 4 x 6 inch postcard-sized work for public display in the Fairfax, Virginia, commercial district area. Learn more here.
Robotics Art Residency, University of Pennsylvania — Philadelphia
Deadline: May 15 The GRASP Lab at The School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Weitzman School of Design invite you to apply for a four week residency program that will bring together faculty and students to explore the use of robotic technologies in addressing contemporary social, cultural, and environmental challenges. Three artists, designers, engineers or creatives from any discipline will spend four weeks at the GRASP Lab at PERCH, during which each will develop a creative project with resources offered by PERCH and the Department of Fine Arts and Design. Learn more here.
Open Call for Art, VAST Magazine Issue n°03 — Online
Deadline: June 16VAST Magazine is excited to announce the international open call for ISSUE N°03. See your work in print and published along side new, emerging, and established practices from around the world. Thirty artists will be selected and profiled in full color print spreads showcasing their work, artist biography, and artist statement. For more information, click here.
Re-runs: These were previously posted, but it’s not too late to enter!
Exhibition Opportunity at Gallery B — Bethesda, MD
Deadline: April 23 Interested in having an exhibit at Gallery B? They are currently seeking applications for summer and fall 2021 openings. Learn more here.
Call for Entry, Baltimore Office of Promotions & The Arts 2021 Community Arts Grant – Baltimore
Deadline: April 23 Community Arts Grant are now available. The Community Arts Grant awards funding of up to $16,000 to Baltimore City artists and neighborhoods who work together to creatively re-imagine and enliven public spaces through new exterior wall mural art projects. Learn more here.
Graffiti and Aerosol Mural Artists Wanted, MuralsDC – DC
Deadline: April 23 The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, in partnership with the DC Department of Public Works, seeks graffiti and aerosol mural artists and artist teams to design, create and install aerosol murals as part of the MuralsDC program. Selected artists will be expected to engage in a guided component of the program with designated youth (ages 14-18) to help them understand the art of aerosol graffiti mural painting and provide youth with opportunities to assist in activities such as site preparation and mural outlining. Learn more here.
Calls & Submissions, Merge: Nation’s Best Emerging Young Artists with Disabilities / Calls & Submissions – DC
Deadline: April 28 The VSA (Very Special Arts) Emerging Young Artists Program amplifies the voices of visual artists with disabilities through career development and professional empowerment. The competition seeks excellent work from emerging artists with disabilities, ages 16-25, residing in the United States. Fifteen winning artists are selected by jury. Grand Prize is $20,000, First Prize is $10,000, Second Prize is $6,000, and the remaining Awards of Excellence are $2,000 each. For winning artists, one of the submitted artworks will be selected for a national exhibition. Artists participate in professional development activities provided by the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Learn more here.
Women’s Jewelry Association 2021 Cindy Edelstein Jewelry Design Scholarship – NY
Deadline: April 30 The scholarship is targeted to emerging fine jewelry designers or artisans. Women who are current WJA members only are eligible to apply. The recipient can pursue either design or business courses, providing they are focused on improving her artistry and/or her designer jewelry business. For more information click here.
Women’s Jewelry Association 2021 Student Scholarship – NY
Deadline: April 30 The Women’s Jewelry Association is committed to empowering women in the international jewelry, watch and related businesses. The WJA Foundation provides scholarships to female and female-identifying students enrolled in jewelry or metalsmithing programs at an accredited college, university, or training school between August 1, 2021 and July 31, 2022. Recipients are selected by a jury in early June and are awarded scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $7,000. Learn more here.
Call for VisArts Studio Fellowship 2021 – Rockville, MD
Deadline: May 2 VisArts invites applications and proposals from local, national, and international artists for a six month Studio Fellowship at VisArts at Rockville. The Studio Fellowship provides a unique opportunity for a dynamic individual artist or collaborative artist team to create a new body of work, evolve an existing body of work, or develop a project in a stimulating, supportive environment. Studio space is provided free of charge. Artists receive a $500.00 per month stipend. The Studio Fellowship offers the gift of time and space to two artists and/or collaborative artist teams each year to experiment and realize new work. The VisArts Studio Fellows will present their work in solo exhibitions at the end of their respective fellowships. Click here and scroll down to learn more.
Arts on the Block: The Apprentice Program — Online
Deadline: May 3 The Apprentice Program (TAP, formerly Pour Your ART Out) is a free, virtual summer intensive workshop for creative high school students in the DMV who have a passion for visual arts. Apprentices are paid with an educational stipend or can earn Student Service Learning hours (SSL). As an apprentice, you will train in art, job, and life skills while meeting and collaborating with creative peers. Many apprentices return each year to participate in the summer and/or school year programs to advance in their training. After graduating high school, apprentices are eligible in the fall to apply for our Studio Crew team, where they can further their career development while completing AOB commissions. Click hereto learn more.
Call for Artwork, Out of Order + Kidooo — Online
Deadline: May 4 Maryland Art Place (MAP) is happy to continue KIDOOO, a youth version of Out of Order, MAP’s annual art auction! KIDOOO was created as an opportunity for young artists to exhibit their work with a major arts venue, expanding MAP’s services to students in elementary, middle, and high school level arts classes. To participate in the exhibition, artists must be ages 6-16. For more information, click here.
Call for Artists, Artesian Online Art Market
Deadline: May 7 The Artesian Online Art Market call for artists is now open! The virtual market is open to artists from all Federally recognized tribes. Prizes will be awarded in each category and will feature a best in show award and judges’ awards. Artists are encourage to apply early due to limited space. The market is open from May 28 – Aug. 2, 2021. For more information, click here.
H2O Mid-Atlantic Call to Artists – Virginia Beach, VA
Deadline: May 7 The Virginia Beach Art Center presents a showcase of water-related artwork from the Mid-Atlantic states. Artists from South Carolina to Pennsylvania are invited to show explore our relationship to water through visual media. From a single drop to mighty oceans, from rising mists to stormy skies, water is all around us – and up to 78% of our bodies! Learn more here.
Call for Submissions, Frames & Frequency VII – Rockville, MD
Deadline: May 21 Frame & Frequency is an ongoing International Film & Video Art Screening Series presented by VisArts located in Rockville, Maryland (just outside of Washington DC) that highlights artists whose new media, experimental film, and video works explore contemporary visual culture, and presents an intimate panorama of the variety and breadth of video art in artistic practice today. Frame & Frequency aims to present a diverse group of artists representing multi-generational and cultural backgrounds, nationalities and personal histories, while demonstrating the artists’ impressive command of video and new media technologies. Click here and scroll down to learn more.
Call to Artists, 11th Annual Workhouse Clay International – Lorton, VA
Deadline: May 24 The Workhouse Arts Center (WAF) is extremely proud to announce a call for entries for its 11th annual Workhouse Clay International Exhibition 2021. This is an open call for functional and/or sculptural ceramic artworks. For more information, click here.
Call for Entry, Art of the State – Harrisburg, PA
Deadline: May 28 Presented by The State Museum of Pennsylvania in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation, the 54th Art of the State exhibition will offer cash awards for selected entries in the categories of painting, work on paper, photography and digital media, sculpture and craft. It open to Pennsylvania artists and craftspeople. Learn more here.
Call for Entry, Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival 2021 – Reston, VA
Deadline: May 30 The annual Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival is a competitive, juried event that is consistently rated as one of the best outdoor art festivals in the country, both for the quality of the artwork presented and for its exceptional artist hospitality. For more information, click here.
Photo Review 2021 International Photography Competition
Deadline: May 31 Accepted work will be reproduced in the 2021 competition issue of The Photo Review, a critical journal of photography with an international scope and readership, and on The Photo Review website. Prizewinners will be exhibited at the Philadelphia Photo Arts Center. Editor’s selections will be exhibited in several Photo Review web galleries. Over $4,000 worth of prizes will be awarded, including a $500 purchase prize for inclusion in the Haverford College Photography Collection, one of the largest and most comprehensive college photography collections in the United States. For more information, click here.
Call for Artists, Our Best Friends Regional Juried Exhibition, Liberty Town Arts Workshop — Fredericksburg, VA
Deadline: May 31 2020 of all years made our appreciation of our pets grow ever stronger. They were there to cuddle us when we were lonely, to push us out the door for walks when we felt sluggish. They entertained us running around their cages and through our house with balls. They chase away our blues and malaise with their love of us. We want to see all of your best animal companions in this show, be they small as mouse, or large as a horse. All artists age 16 and older, working in any media, may apply to this show. Learn more here.
Call for Entry, (re)Building: Atlantic Gallery Juried Exhibition 2021 – New York
Deadline:June 1 Atlantic Gallery is seeking works from this past year (2020-21) that inspire and embrace the spirit of rebuilding, renewal and resiliency. Submissions must utilize cold wax, encaustic, or both, in two dimensional or three-dimensional works. One artist will be chosen for the grand-prize of a weeklong solo show at Atlantic Gallery. For more information, click here.
Call for Submissions, Ceramics – Rockville, MD
Deadline: June 7 VisArts invites artists working in the expanded field of ceramics to apply for “This Moment of Rupture,” a juried national survey of contemporary ceramics. We are seeking artists who work in an expansive variety of media but that all incorporate ceramics in some way, be it with traditional methods, or with processes such as 3d printing, or as a part of performance art, mixed media and more. Artists may submit up to 3 works for consideration. Click hereand scroll down to learn more.
Glen Echo Park Partnership Gallery Request for Proposals 2022 – Glen Echo, Maryland
Deadline: June 28 The Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture requests proposals from individuals, groups of artists or curators to present exhibitions in the Popcorn Gallery, Stone Tower Gallery and Park View Gallery venues at Glen Echo Park for the calendar year 2022. For more information, click here.
Get Out(side), a Regional Juried Exhibition, Liberty Town Arts Workshop — Fredericksburg, VA
Deadline: June 28 As the weather warms, now is the perfect time to celebrate the joy of the outdoors in our little corner of the world. Fredericksburg, and Virginia as a whole, has extraordinary pockets of beauty to explore. We want to see the art inspired by your wanderings into nature in Virginia. For more information, click here.
Call for Solo Exhibitions 2022, VisArts – Rockville, MD
Deadline: July 9 VisArts invites artists working in all media to apply for 2022 Solo Exhibitions in the Gibbs Street Gallery, Common Ground Gallery, and Concourse Gallery. Exhibitions in each of the galleries explore the breadth of contemporary art featuring emerging to mid-career artists. Exhibits reflect a wide range of media and experimental approaches that offer the viewer unexpected interactions with art. Click hereand scroll down to learn more.
Call for Proposals, 2022 Rehoboth Art League Solo and Group Exhibitions – Rehoboth Beach, DE
Deadline: July 18 The Exhibitions Committee of the Rehoboth Art League is in the process of organizing solo and group exhibitions for 2022. This is a very competitive program as RAL can only accept a limited number of proposals each year. Artworks in any media will be reviewed. The RAL is situated in the town of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, a highly traveled area not only by the residents of this and the expanding surrounding communities, but also by art patrons from the Washington DC, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and New York metropolitan areas. Over 29,000 people participate in Rehoboth Art League programs annually. Special exhibitions have played an important part of our programming since the league’s beginning, in 1938. The RAL campus houses the Corkran,Tubbs, Ventures, and Homestead galleries. For more information and to apply, click here.
Call for Entry, 121st International Exhibition of Works on Paper — Wallingford, PA
Deadline: August 3 This is a prestigious exhibit that has been held by the Philadelphia Water Color Society every year since 1900. There are over $10,000.00 in prizes including the $2,000 PWCS Award of Excellence. This exhibit is open to both PWCS members and nonmembers. For more information, click here.
Call For Entries, Athenaeum Gallery – Alexandria, VA
Deadline: August 25, 2021 Artists who live or work in Virginia, Maryland, or the District of Columbia may submit a proposal for a solo show. A group of artists who live or work in the area may submit a proposal for a group show. A curator, living or working anywhere, may submit a proposal for a show featuring works by artists living or working in this area. For more information, click here.
Ongoing: These opportunities have rolling deadlines.
Call for Art, Links Bridge Vineyards—Thurmont, MD
Links Bridge Vineyards, a small artisan style winery located just outside of Frederick, Maryland, is looking to feature the artwork of various artists on the walls of their tasting barn for two weeks at a time. To learn more, call Joan Cartier 301-602-5733 or email her at [email protected].
Pyramid Atlantic offers year-round workshops in printmaking, papermaking, book arts, and hybrids thereof. We offer multi-week, daytime, evening, and weekend intensives for adults in our fully equipped studios. As part of a robust and diverse schedule of offerings, we welcome unsolicited workshop proposals, and hope that you will consider applying! Workshop proposal reviews are ongoing, but for best consideration, submit class proposals by the following dates: 1/15 for Summer Workshops; 4/1 for Fall Workshops; 7/1 for Winter Workshops; 10/1 for Spring Workshops. Questions? Email Gretchen, Artistic Director, [email protected]
Call For Stories About Women in the Arts, Maryland State Arts Council
2020 has been dedicated to the Year of the Woman in Maryland. Do you have an inspiring story about vital contributions of women-identifying people who are artists, arts administrators, or cultural workers? Perhaps an exhibition, performance or project featuring women? Share it with the Maryland State Arts Council for potential use in marketing and communications! Send your ideas to [email protected], and include “Year of the Woman” in the subject line. Satff will contact senders whose stories are selected for inclusion in future newsletters, eblasts, or social media postings. Learn more about Maryland’s year of the Woman here.
Call For Artists, Busboys and Poets
Busboys and Poets is looking for submissions from Maryland and Virginia artists as it expands to new locations in both areas. Submissions can include drawings, painting, photography, sculpture, mixed media, assemblage, fiber, quilts, etc. Art images reflecting life in the city, family, portraits, whimsy, abstraction, social uplift and life experiences within diverse cultures are encouraged for submission. For more information, click here.
Alterwork Studios Online Residency
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.
Accepting Artwork for Curatorial Review by AIWA
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.
Call For Entry Hamilton Arts Collective Guest Artist Exhibition – Baltimore, MD
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.
Howard County Arts Council Quarterly Call For Artists – Ellicott City, MD
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.
Exhibit at Hotel Indigo Downtown Baltimore — Baltimore, MD
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.
Solo or Group Shows in Athenaeum Gallery – VA
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, click here.
The Creativity Grant Program State of Maryland (MD)
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.
Artist/Writers: Cover Art for Academic Medicine
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.
The Awesome Foundation Accepting Applications for Art Projects
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.
Call for Artists: Maryland Art Place Seeks Proposals for Rotating Exhibition Partnership with Baltimore’s Hotel Indigo (MD)
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 informationhere.
Peripheral ARTeries – Biennial Contemporary Art Publication
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.
Exhibit at Hotel Indigo (VA)
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].
The New Project Studio – Ongoing Opportunity (VA)
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, click here.
Public Arts Grants & Opportunities (VA)
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 applicationshere.
Residency: Maryland
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.
Looking for artists: Foundry Gallery (DC)
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.
Looking for artists: Printmakers (DC)
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].
"Alone With Rubber Ball," by Helen Sampson, is currently on view in our April Open Exhibit.
Welcome to Artful Weekend, our guide to fun and interesting ways to enjoy art in person or virtually.
This weekend: April exhibits at the League; Georgetown GLOW; and watercolor seascapes at Foundry!
April Open Exhibit
“The Piano Reincarnated,” by Tory Cowels, received Honorable Mention in the April Open Exhibit.
Don’t miss this month’s group exhibition juried by contemporary and performance artist and curator Adriel Luis. Our Open Exhibits are a great way to view the breath of mediums and styles of our member artists. This month’s show features two large-scale fiber art pieces by Best-in-Show Award winner Cynthia Grisdela and Susan Lapham; a colorful sculpture made from piano innards by Tory Cowles; Michaela Borgehese’s vibrant fused glass Fan of Many Colors; James Wehner’s terracotta trio that calls to mind classical sculpture; and much, much more. See it in-person in the Gallery, Wednesday-Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday noon-5:00 p.m., through Sunday, May 2. You can also view the exhibit online. Join us for a panel discussion with our award winners on Thursday, April 15, at 6:00 p.m. on Zoom; register here.
Justin T. Worrell: Breath on Glass
“The Sovereign,” by Justin T. Worrell
Oil painter Justin T. Worrell captures the ephemeral, dusky prelude to nightfall in his solo exhibit Breath on Glass. Inspired by the American Tonalist school, Worrell’s landscapes blur the boundary between our physical world and the spiritual realm. The exhibit is on view online and in-person at The Art League gallery through May 2.
Georgetown GLOW
“The Weight of A Rainbow,” by Stephanie Mercedes, can be viewed at Georgetown Park Plaza (3276 M ST NW).
GLOW is back! This year’s public art installation is an extended, two-part series featuring a total of eight art works, including six by local DC artists, to ensure a safer and more comfortable visitor experience. In addition to the installations, Spring GLOW programming will include in-person and virtual options – from walking tours to artist talks; on view in Georgetown through June 27.
Katherine Blakeslee: Connections
Sea Spray – 11 x 14 – watercolor
“I fell in love with watercolor for its ability to capture nature’s mysterious and sometimes other-worldly moods,” says D.C.-based artist Katherine Blakeslee. In her latest exhibit Connections, at Foundry Gallery, Blakeslee captures seascapes and the magical line between the sky and land or water; on view through May 2 at Foundry Gallery, 2118 8th Street, NW, and online.
Deadline: April 15Resident artists are selected based on a competitive pool of applicants from across the country and abroad, working in sculpture, functional pottery and design. Residents are provided with time to push personal, professional, technical and conceptual limits. Ceramic artists who are at a crucial stage in their career, requiring an opportunity to experiment, refine and formalize studio practices are encouraged to apply. To apply, click here.
Queens Court Art Request For Proposals for a Visual Tribute to Carrie Johnson — Arlington, VA
Deadline: April 15 The Arlington Partnership for Affordable Housing (APAH) is inviting artist(s) to submit proposals for a commissioned, permanent artwork to be displayed at its Queens Court Apartments. APAH seeks to commission an artwork, focused on the broad theme of celebrating community engagement, to honor the life and contributions of Carrie Johnson. For more information, click here.
Exhibition Opportunity at Gallery B — Bethesda, MD
Deadline: April 23 Interested in having an exhibit at Gallery B? They are currently seeking applications for summer and fall 2021 openings. Learn morehere.
Arts on the Block: The Apprentice Program — Online
Deadline: May 3 The Apprentice Program (TAP, formerly Pour Your ART Out) is a free, virtual summer intensive workshop for creative high school students in the DMV who have a passion for visual arts. Apprentices are paid with an educational stipend or can earn Student Service Learning hours (SSL). As an apprentice, you will train in art, job, and life skills while meeting and collaborating with creative peers. Many apprentices return each year to participate in the summer and/or school year programs to advance in their training. After graduating high school, apprentices are eligible in the fall to apply for our Studio Crew team, where they can further their career development while completing AOB commissions. Click hereto learn more.
Call for Artwork, Out of Order + Kidooo — Online
Deadline: May 4Maryland Art Place (MAP) is happy to continue KIDOOO, a youth version of Out of Order, MAP’s annual art auction! KIDOOO was created as an opportunity for young artists to exhibit their work with a major arts venue, expanding MAP’s services to students in elementary, middle, and high school level arts classes. To participate in the exhibition, artists must be ages 6-16. For more information, clickhere.
Call for Artists, Artesian Online Art Market
Deadline: May 7 The Artesian Online Art Market call for artists is now open! The virtual market is open to artists from all Federally recognized tribes. Prizes will be awarded in each category and will feature a best in show award and judges’ awards. Artists are encourage to apply early due to limited space. The market is open from May 28 – Aug. 2, 2021. For more information, click here.
Call for Entry, 121st International Exhibition of Works on Paper — Wallingford, PA
Deadline: August 3 This is a prestigious exhibit that has been held by the Philadelphia Water Color Society every year since 1900. There are over $10,000.00 in prizes including the $2,000 PWCS Award of Excellence. This exhibit is open to both PWCS members and nonmembers. For more information, click here.
Call for Artists, Our Best Friends Regional Juried Exhibition, Liberty Town Arts Workshop — Fredericksburg, VA
Deadline: May 31 2020 of all years made our appreciation of our pets grow ever stronger. They were there to cuddle us when we were lonely, to push us out the door for walks when we felt sluggish. They entertained us running around their cages and through our house with balls. They chase away our blues and malaise with their love of us. We want to see all of your best animal companions in this show, be they small as mouse, or large as a horse. All artists age 16 and older, working in any media, may apply to this show. Learn more here.
Get Out(side), a Regional Juried Exhibition, Liberty Town Arts Workshop — Fredericksburg, VA
Deadline: June 28 As the weather warms, now is the perfect time to celebrate the joy of the outdoors in our little corner of the world. Fredericksburg, and Virginia as a whole, has extraordinary pockets of beauty to explore. We want to see the art inspired by your wanderings into nature in Virginia. For more information, click here.
Re-runs: These were previously posted, but it’s not too late to enter!
Deadline: until filled The Pyramid Atlantic Papermaking Associates are crucial to keeping the paper mill thriving, relevant and dynamic. This work-exchange position offers a unique opportunity to engage with Pyramid’s creative community, and work alongside professionals in a sharing/collaborative environment. For more information and to apply, clickhere.
The Latin American Contemporary Fine Art Competition – NYC
Deadline: April 13 The competition is open for Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain, Portugal, the Latin American diaspora, and foreign artists living and working in any of the above regions/countries. All Latin American artists above the age of 18 are eligible to participate. Painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, digital, printing, and mixed media are eligible. For more information, click here.
Call for Entry, The Art League May 2021 Open Exhibit – Alexandria, VA
Deadline: April 15 Open exhibits are not limited by theme, medium, process, or content. Artists must be a current exhibiting artist member of The Art League Gallery, and may enter any current work made within 5 years. For more information, clickhere.
Call for Entry, Baltimore Office of Promotions & The Arts 2021 Community Arts Grant – Baltimore
Deadline: April 23 Community Arts Grant are now available. The Community Arts Grant awards funding of up to $16,000 to Baltimore City artists and neighborhoods who work together to creatively re-imagine and enliven public spaces through new exterior wall mural art projects. Learn morehere.
Graffiti and Aerosol Mural Artists Wanted, MuralsDC – DC
Deadline: April 23 The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, in partnership with the DC Department of Public Works, seeks graffiti and aerosol mural artists and artist teams to design, create and install aerosol murals as part of the MuralsDC program. Selected artists will be expected to engage in a guided component of the program with designated youth (ages 14-18) to help them understand the art of aerosol graffiti mural painting and provide youth with opportunities to assist in activities such as site preparation and mural outlining. Learn morehere.
Calls & Submissions, Merge: Nation’s Best Emerging Young Artists with Disabilities / Calls & Submissions – DC
Deadline: April 28 The VSA (Very Special Arts) Emerging Young Artists Program amplifies the voices of visual artists with disabilities through career development and professional empowerment. The competition seeks excellent work from emerging artists with disabilities, ages 16-25, residing in the United States. Fifteen winning artists are selected by jury. Grand Prize is $20,000, First Prize is $10,000, Second Prize is $6,000, and the remaining Awards of Excellence are $2,000 each. For winning artists, one of the submitted artworks will be selected for a national exhibition. Artists participate in professional development activities provided by the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Learn more here.
Women’s Jewelry Association 2021 Cindy Edelstein Jewelry Design Scholarship – NY
Deadline: April 30 The scholarship is targeted to emerging fine jewelry designers or artisans. Women who are current WJA members only are eligible to apply. The recipient can pursue either design or business courses, providing they are focused on improving her artistry and/or her designer jewelry business. For more information click here.
Women’s Jewelry Association 2021 Student Scholarship – NY
Deadline: April 30 The Women’s Jewelry Association is committed to empowering women in the international jewelry, watch and related businesses. The WJA Foundation provides scholarships to female and female-identifying students enrolled in jewelry or metalsmithing programs at an accredited college, university, or training school between August 1, 2021 and July 31, 2022. Recipients are selected by a jury in early June and are awarded scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $7,000. Learn morehere.
Call for VisArts Studio Fellowship 2021 – Rockville, MD
Deadline: May 2 VisArts invites applications and proposals from local, national, and international artists for a six month Studio Fellowship at VisArts at Rockville. The Studio Fellowship provides a unique opportunity for a dynamic individual artist or collaborative artist team to create a new body of work, evolve an existing body of work, or develop a project in a stimulating, supportive environment. Studio space is provided free of charge. Artists receive a $500.00 per month stipend. The Studio Fellowship offers the gift of time and space to two artists and/or collaborative artist teams each year to experiment and realize new work. The VisArts Studio Fellows will present their work in solo exhibitions at the end of their respective fellowships. Click hereand scroll down to learn more.
H2O Mid-Atlantic Call to Artists – Virginia Beach, VA
Deadline: May 7 The Virginia Beach Art Center presents a showcase of water-related artwork from the Mid-Atlantic states. Artists from South Carolina to Pennsylvania are invited to show explore our relationship to water through visual media. From a single drop to mighty oceans, from rising mists to stormy skies, water is all around us – and up to 78% of our bodies! Learn more here
Call for Submissions, Frames & Frequency VII – Rockville, MD
Deadline: May 21 Frame & Frequency is an ongoing International Film & Video Art Screening Series presented by VisArts located in Rockville, Maryland (just outside of Washington DC) that highlights artists whose new media, experimental film, and video works explore contemporary visual culture, and presents an intimate panorama of the variety and breadth of video art in artistic practice today. Frame & Frequency aims to present a diverse group of artists representing multi-generational and cultural backgrounds, nationalities and personal histories, while demonstrating the artists’ impressive command of video and new media technologies.Clickhereand scroll down to learn more.
Call to Artists, 11th Annual Workhouse Clay International – Lorton, VA
Deadline: May 24 The Workhouse Arts Center (WAF) is extremely proud to announce a call for entries for its 11th annual Workhouse Clay International Exhibition 2021. This is an open call for functional and/or sculptural ceramic artworks. For more information, clickhere.
Call for Entry, Art of the State – Harrisburg, PA
Deadline: May 28 Presented by The State Museum of Pennsylvania in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation, the 54th Art of the State exhibition will offer cash awards for selected entries in the categories of painting, work on paper, photography and digital media, sculpture and craft. It open to Pennsylvania artists and craftspeople. Learn more here.
Call for Entry, Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival 2021 – Reston, VA
Deadline: May 30 The annual Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival is a competitive, juried event that is consistently rated as one of the best outdoor art festivals in the country, both for the quality of the artwork presented and for its exceptional artist hospitality. For more information, clickhere.
Photo Review 2021 International Photography Competition
Deadline: May 31 Accepted work will be reproduced in the 2021 competition issue of The Photo Review, a critical journal of photography with an international scope and readership, and on The Photo Review website. Prizewinners will be exhibited at the Philadelphia Photo Arts Center. Editor’s selections will be exhibited in several Photo Review web galleries. Over $4,000 worth of prizes will be awarded, including a $500 purchase prize for inclusion in the Haverford College Photography Collection, one of the largest and most comprehensive college photography collections in the United States. For more information, click here.
Call for Entry, (re)Building: Atlantic Gallery Juried Exhibition 2021 – New York
Deadline:June 1 Atlantic Gallery is seeking works from this past year (2020-21) that inspire and embrace the spirit of rebuilding, renewal and resiliency. Submissions must utilize cold wax, encaustic, or both, in two dimensional or three-dimensional works. One artist will be chosen for the grand-prize of a weeklong solo show at Atlantic Gallery. For more information, clickhere.
Call for Submissions, Ceramics – Rockville, MD
Deadline: June 7 VisArts invites artists working in the expanded field of ceramics to apply for “This Moment of Rupture,” a juried national survey of contemporary ceramics. We are seeking artists who work in an expansive variety of media but that all incorporate ceramics in some way, be it with traditional methods, or with processes such as 3d printing, or as a part of performance art, mixed media and more. Artists may submit up to 3 works for consideration. Clickhereand scroll down to learn more.
Glen Echo Park Partnership Gallery Request for Proposals 2022 – Glen Echo, Maryland
Deadline: June 28 The Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture requests proposals from individuals, groups of artists or curators to present exhibitions in the Popcorn Gallery, Stone Tower Gallery and Park View Gallery venues at Glen Echo Park for the calendar year 2022. For more information, clickhere.
Call for Solo Exhibitions 2022, VisArts – Rockville, MD
Deadline: July 9 VisArts invites artists working in all media to apply for 2022 Solo Exhibitions in the Gibbs Street Gallery, Common Ground Gallery, and Concourse Gallery. Exhibitions in each of the galleries explore the breadth of contemporary art featuring emerging to mid-career artists. Exhibits reflect a wide range of media and experimental approaches that offer the viewer unexpected interactions with art. Clickhereand scroll down to learn more.
Call for Proposals, 2022 Rehoboth Art League Solo and Group Exhibitions – Rehoboth Beach, DE
Deadline: July 18 The Exhibitions Committee of the Rehoboth Art League is in the process of organizing solo and group exhibitions for 2022. This is a very competitive program as RAL can only accept a limited number of proposals each year. Artworks in any media will be reviewed. The RAL is situated in the town of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, a highly traveled area not only by the residents of this and the expanding surrounding communities, but also by art patrons from the Washington DC, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and New York metropolitan areas. Over 29,000 people participate in Rehoboth Art League programs annually. Special exhibitions have played an important part of our programming since the league’s beginning, in 1938. The RAL campus houses the Corkran,Tubbs, Ventures, and Homestead galleries. For more information and to apply, clickhere.
Call For Entries, Athenaeum Gallery – Alexandria, VA
Deadline: August 25, 2021 Artists who live or work in Virginia, Maryland, or the District of Columbia may submit a proposal for a solo show. A group of artists who live or work in the area may submit a proposal for a group show. A curator, living or working anywhere, may submit a proposal for a show featuring works by artists living or working in this area. For more information, clickhere.
Ongoing: These opportunities have rolling deadlines.
Call for Art, Links Bridge Vineyards—Thurmont, MD
Links Bridge Vineyards, a small artisan style winery located just outside of Frederick, Maryland, is looking to feature the artwork of various artists on the walls of their tasting barn for two weeks at a time. To learn more, call Joan Cartier 301-602-5733 or email her at [email protected].
Pyramid Atlantic offers year-round workshops in printmaking, papermaking, book arts, and hybrids thereof. We offer multi-week, daytime, evening, and weekend intensives for adults in our fully equipped studios. As part of a robust and diverse schedule of offerings, we welcome unsolicited workshop proposals, and hope that you will consider applying! Workshop proposal reviews are ongoing, but for best consideration, submit class proposals by the following dates: 1/15 for Summer Workshops; 4/1 for Fall Workshops; 7/1 for Winter Workshops; 10/1 for Spring Workshops. Questions? Email Gretchen, Artistic Director, [email protected]
Call For Stories About Women in the Arts, Maryland State Arts Council
2020 has been dedicated to the Year of the Woman in Maryland. Do you have an inspiring story about vital contributions of women-identifying people who are artists, arts administrators, or cultural workers? Perhaps an exhibition, performance or project featuring women? Share it with the Maryland State Arts Council for potential use in marketing and communications! Send your ideas to [email protected], and include “Year of the Woman” in the subject line. Satff will contact senders whose stories are selected for inclusion in future newsletters, eblasts, or social media postings. Learn more about Maryland’s year of the Woman here.
Call For Artists, Busboys and Poets
Busboys and Poets is looking for submissions from Maryland and Virginia artists as it expands to new locations in both areas. Submissions can include drawings, painting, photography, sculpture, mixed media, assemblage, fiber, quilts, etc. Art images reflecting life in the city, family, portraits, whimsy, abstraction, social uplift and life experiences within diverse cultures are encouraged for submission. For more information, click here.
Alterwork Studios Online Residency
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.
Accepting Artwork for Curatorial Review by AIWA
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.
Call For Entry Hamilton Arts Collective Guest Artist Exhibition – Baltimore, MD
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.
Howard County Arts Council Quarterly Call For Artists – Ellicott City, MD
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.
Exhibit at Hotel Indigo Downtown Baltimore — Baltimore, MD
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.
Solo or Group Shows in Athenaeum Gallery – VA
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, click here.
The Creativity Grant Program State of Maryland (MD)
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.
Artist/Writers: Cover Art for Academic Medicine
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.
The Awesome Foundation Accepting Applications for Art Projects
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.
Call for Artists: Maryland Art Place Seeks Proposals for Rotating Exhibition Partnership with Baltimore’s Hotel Indigo (MD)
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 informationhere.
Peripheral ARTeries – Biennial Contemporary Art Publication
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.
Exhibit at Hotel Indigo (VA)
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].
The New Project Studio – Ongoing Opportunity (VA)
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, click here.
Public Arts Grants & Opportunities (VA)
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 applicationshere.
Residency: Maryland
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.
Looking for artists: Foundry Gallery (DC)
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.
Looking for artists: Printmakers (DC)
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].
"First In-Last Out, Essaouira, Morocco," by Van Pulley, is currently on view in the April Open Exhibit.
Welcome to Artful Weekend, our guide to fun and interesting ways to enjoy art in person or virtually.
This weekend: New exhibits at the League; socially conscious architecture at the Building Museum; the Justice Art Coalition’s first online exhibit; and more!
April Open Exhibit
“Taste of Summer,” by Cynthia Grisdela, is the Best-in-Show winner in the April 2021 Open Exhibit.
Don’t miss this month’s group exhibition juried by contemporary and performance artist and curator Adriel Luis. Our Open Exhibits are a great way to view the breath of mediums and styles of our member artists. This month’s show features two large-scale fiber art pieces by Best-in-Show Award winner Cynthia Grisdela and Susan Lapham; a colorful sculpture made from piano innards by Tory Cowles; Michaela Borgehese’s vibrant fused glass Fan of Many Colors; James Wehner’s terracotta trio that calls to mind classical sculpture; and much, much more. See it in-person in the Gallery, Wednesday-Saturday 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday noon-5:00 p.m., through Sunday, May 2. You can also view the exhibit online. Join us for a panel discussion with our award winners on Thursday, April 15, at 6:00 p.m. on Zoom; register here.
Justin T. Worrell: Breath on Glass
“The Sovereign,” by Justin T. Worrell
Oil painter Justin T. Worrell captures the ephemeral, dusky prelude to nightfall in his solo exhibit Breath on Glass. Inspired by the American Tonalist school, Worrell’s landscapes blur the boundary between our physical world and the spiritual realm. The exhibit is on view online and in-person at The Art League gallery through May 2. Worrell will be talking about his exhibit and process in a Zoom artist talk on Tuesday, April 13 at 6:00 p.m.; register here.
Inside & Out: Photorealists to Minimalists
The Justice Art Coalition unites teaching artists and arts advocates with currently and formerly incarcerated artists to harness the transformative power of the arts to reimagine justice. Inside & Out: Photorealists to Minimalists, their inaugural online exhibit, features works ranging from abstract paintings to computer-animated video that were created by more than 30 artists in the program; on view through April 22.
Justice as Beauty: The Work of Mass Design Group
Photo of the GHESKIO Cholera Treatment in Port Au Prince, Haiti. Credit: Iwan Baan
MASS Design Group, a nonprofit architecture firm believes that architecture is never neutral—it either heals or hurts. Justice as Beauty– introduces MASS Design Group’s extraordinary portfolio, including completed buildings, proposed projects, and applied research initiatives. Photographs, videos, renderings, and models convey the firm’s groundbreaking approach to its architectural projects examining how its nonprofit status enables it to take on ambitious projects, and how its collective organizational structure supports its mission to address society’s most challenging problems through socially conscious design strategies; on view through September 25 at the National Building Museum, 401 F Street, NW, and online.
Eric Uhlir: Before, After, and In Between
Tamarama, 2020 Oil on linen 18 × 24 in
Often re-contextualizing epic scenes from the Western European art historical canon, Eric Uhlir brings into play current ideas about climate change, colonialism, human interaction and migration. Before, After and In Betweenexpands on these themes and explores the persistent social and political upheaval of our time; on view through May 8 at Culture House, 700 Delaware Avenue, SW.
"Celebration,"
by Sandra Pérez-Ramos, can be seen at 4th & Butternut Sts. NW.
Flower sculptures designed by local artists for the National Cherry Blossom Festival are a must-see.
by Julia Chance
Recently, while walking down 4th St. N.W. near the Takoma Park Metro station, I came upon a large flower sculpture adorned with playful red hearts, polka dots, wavy stripes, and biomorphic designs. Bruce Guthrie, a photographer who was busy snapping pictures of it, must have seen the curious expression on my face because he came over to me and explained that the sculpture is one of several painted by various artists for the National Cherry Blossom Festival (NCBF) Art in Bloom exhibit, taking place throughout the Washington metropolitan area. Perhaps you’ve seen them, too.
Inspired by the colorful “Party Animals” and “PandaMania” sculptures that the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities sprinkled around the city during the early aughts, NCBF planners thought that large cherry blossom sculptures would be a ideal for this year’s festivities. “We’ve had different art exhibitions throughout the years, but we’ve never done anything like this,” says Diana Mayhew, NCBF president and CEO. “Our goal was to bring the celebration to the residents.”
Back in January, the organization put out a call inviting artists to submit their vision for the sculptures. They were encouraged to come up with dynamic, eye-catching designs that people would want to venture out to see. They could even include decorative embellishments or appendages provided that the materials they used could withstand human weight and Mother Nature.
Judging the entries was no easy feat, Mayhew says. “We had exactly 139 entries that went through a judging panel and we got it down to 26 [accepted designs].” Twenty-five artists were selected to decorate the 5 foot, fiberglass and steel structures, 23 of which sit in all of DC’s eight wards with two at National Landing and one at National Harbor.
Hiba Alyawer, one of the artists selected, says it was her 2021 New Year’s wish was to have a sculpture in D.C. She learned about Art in Bloom when a friend messaged her on Instagram on the day of the deadline. Initially, she thought she had to design an actual sculpture and began doing so. “Then I realized, eight hours before the deadline, that it was not a sculpture I had to design, just what I would paint onto one. I got two submissions in five minutes before the deadline.”
Abstract artist Hiba Alyawer strikes a pose with her “Happy Dots” sculpture at National Landing. (Photo courtesy of Hiba Alyawer)
In a delightful twist of fate, Alyawer’s colorful Happy Dots sculpture was not placed in D.C. after all, but in Crystal City Water Park within walking distance from Booz Alan Hamilton where she works as a data scientist. “I go to visit it often, and seeing the reactions of people has been absolutely wonderful,” she says. “A person posted on Facebook that they were having a bad day. They went for a run, saw the sculpture, and it made them happy. This, to me, is just heartwarming.”
Though muralist Andrew Funk has landmark works around the DMV—like the recent addition to 3Stars Brewing Company and the restored Marilyn Monroe mural on Calvert Street in Woodley Park—he says having two designs accepted for Art in Bloom was a big deal. “It’s cool to do public work that’s more high profile, and watching a whole crew install it was pretty neat.”
“Cherry Tattoo,” by Andrew Funk, was inspired by traditional Japanese cherry blossom tattoos. (Photos courtesy of Andrew Funk)
For Cherry Tattoo, at 11th & I Sts. NW (City Center DC plaza), funk painted bold cherry blossoms that are similar in style to the way the flowers are traditionally depicted in classic Japanese style tattoos. “They’re simplified and a little bit more geometric obviously than natural cherry blossoms are, but the idea is so that they’re bold and bright,” says the artist.
Andrew Funk’s sculpture “The Message” before installation…
…and after!(Photos courtesy of Andrew Funk)
The Message, at 1100 Michigan Ave. NE (Turkey Thicket Recreation Center), is a nod to Funk’s appreciation for the vibrant New York-style graffiti of the 1980s and ‘90s. “The title of is the name of a famous hip-hop song by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five,” he says. The top petal of the sculpture is inscribed with the verse “…to bring some lovin’ here today,” from the 1971 Marvin Gaye hit “What’s Going On.”
“I wanted to put in a quote that would have meaning to the city and the kids in the neighborhood,” Funk says. “It’s a great song and has a good message, especially with how crazy the last year was. And Marvin Gaye is from D.C.”
You can go on a Blossom Hunt, using the map found here, and see these dynamic sculptures for yourself. While there, snap some pictures and post them on Instagram or Twitter using the tag @CherryBlossFest with the hashtag #ArtInBloom for a chance to win prizes. “Each week we’re picking one photo entry at random to get a festival surprise pack as well as a $25 gift card from Amazon,” says Mayhew. “At the end of it all on May 31, all entries will then be eligible for a $500 Amazon gift card.” See detailed contest rules here.
“The Writer in Repose,” or me reclining on “Celebration” by Sandra Pérez-Ramos. (Photo by Bruce Guthrie)
Cherry blossom sculptures aren’t the only things that are getting a paint job for the Cherry Blossom Festival. On Saturday, April 10, and Sunday, April 11, a fleet of Toyota vehicles painted by various artists will cruise along DMV roadways for the inaugural Petal Procession presented by Amazon, one of the festival’s sponsors. For more festival events, check here.
Call to Photographers, Unbound! at Candela Gallery – Richmond
Deadline: April 12 This annual summer group exhibition, held in Richmond, VA, is typically the only open call we hold each year. It is dedicated to featuring a wide range of photographic artworks, fine art photography, and artists’ books from 40-50 fine art photographers. UnBound! generates opportunities and exposure beyond the traditional group or juried show by providing a collection opportunity for artists. For more information, click here.
Photo Review 2021 International Photography Competition
Deadline: May 31 Accepted work will be reproduced in the 2021 competition issue of The Photo Review, a critical journal of photography with an international scope and readership, and on The Photo Review website. Prizewinners will be exhibited at the Philadelphia Photo Arts Center. Editor’s selections will be exhibited in several Photo Review web galleries. Over $4,000 worth of prizes will be awarded, including a $500 purchase prize for inclusion in the Haverford College Photography Collection, one of the largest and most comprehensive college photography collections in the United States. For more information, click here.
Call for Entry, (re)Building: Atlantic Gallery Juried Exhibition 2021 – New York
Deadline:June1 Atlantic Gallery is seeking works from this past year (2020-21) that inspire and embrace the spirit of rebuilding, renewal and resiliency. Submissions must utilize cold wax, encaustic, or both, in two dimensional or three-dimensional works. One artist will be chosen for the grand-prize of a weeklong solo show at Atlantic Gallery. For more information, click here.
Call for Entry, Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival 2021 – Reston, VA
Deadline: May 30 The annual Northern Virginia Fine Arts Festival is a competitive, juried event that is consistently rated as one of the best outdoor art festivals in the country, both for the quality of the artwork presented and for its exceptional artist hospitality. For more information, click here.
Re-runs: These were previously posted, but it’s not too late to enter!
Deadline: until filled The Pyramid Atlantic Papermaking Associates are crucial to keeping the paper mill thriving, relevant and dynamic. This work-exchange position offers a unique opportunity to engage with Pyramid’s creative community, and work alongside professionals in a sharing/collaborative environment. For more information and to apply, click here.
2021 International Krappy Kamera – NYC
Deadline: April 8 Soho Photo Gallery is pleased to announce the 23rd International Krappy Kamera Competition. Located in lower Manhattan, SPG is New York City’s longest running co-operative photography gallery. This year because of the pandemic the winning work will be shown on the SPG website from July 16th to August 8th, 2021, not in the gallery. The opening reception will be held on Zoom on Wednesday, July 21st with our juror Ann Jashad. All work will be permanently archived on our website. Learn more here.
Bloomberg 2021 Arts Internship – Baltimore
Deadline: April 9 Young Audiences offers paid internships to 25 rising seniors from Baltimore City public high schools through the 2021 Bloomberg Arts Internship program. This seven-week, full-time paid internship will build strong career skills and help students gain meaningful workforce experiences in the field of arts and culture among other benefits. For more information, click here.
Call for Artists, VisArts NextGen 8.0 – Rockville, MD
Deadline: April 9 VisArts welcomes aspiring artists ages 17 – 27 in the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area to submit their application for NextGen 8.0. This iteration of NextGen will be held in an online gallery from June 4 – August 8, 2021. This will present a unique opportunity for aspiring artists with little to no experience to exhibit their work in a professional online gallery. Programming for this exhibition will include conversations with other emerging artists, critiques with local curators/arts administrators who work with young artists, and professional development. Learn more here.
Call for Entries, Alexandria Museum of Art 34th September Competition – Alexandria, VA
Deadline: April 10 Seeking all mediums for Alexandria Museum of Art’s 34th September Competition. All artists over the age of 18 – working in any medium – are eligible. All work must be original and must have been completed in the last two years (2019 or later). AMoA encourages artists working in video and other experimental media to submit entries for judging. Learn more here.
High School Congressional Art Exhibition 2021 – Maryland’s 8th Congressional District
Deadline: April 12 Welcome to Representative Jamie Raskin’s 2021 Congressional Art Competition. High school students who reside in the 8th District of Maryland, represented by Congressmember Jamie Raskin, are eligible to submit for this juried exhibition. Click hereand scroll down to learn more:
Call for Entry, paint It! Ellicott City – Ellicott City, MD
Deadline: April 12 Paint It! Ellicott City is an annual event that brings artists and spectators interested in the plein air tradition to Historic Ellicott City. It culminates in an exhibit of juried artists’ work in our gallery, which features an opening reception and juror’s award presentation. For more information, click here.
Artist Residency, Arlington Arts Center – Arlington, VA
Deadline: April 12 Arlington Arts Center’s Resident Artist program provides subsidized studio space in a supportive and inclusive environment that encourages interaction, dialogue, and exploration. The program gives artists the opportunity to develop their practice in a community with other contemporary artists and alongside AAC’s critically acclaimed exhibitions and extensive educational programs. All studios have excellent sunlight, private work sinks, and high ceilings with 24-hour access, 365 days a year. Shared facilities include a lounge area, kitchen, and bathroom. All studios and shared facilities are wheelchair accessible. To apply, click here.
Instituto Sacatar Group Projects 2021 Artist Residency – Itaparica, Bahia, Brazil
Deadline: April 12 The Group Project should include two to five participating artists in any artistic discipline or in any multidisciplinary endeavor. The project may be for research, development or completion of plays, operas, musicals, multi-media installations, dance pieces, multidisciplinary spectacles, films, production design, or any other project that involves the integration of different disciplines or different artists. For more information, click here.
Call for Submissions, 2021 Trawick Prize, Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards
Deadline: April 12 The Trawick Prize Bethesda Contemporary Art Awards is a visual art prize produced by the Bethesda Arts & Entertainment District that honors artists from Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Virginia. The annual juried competition awards $14,000 in prize monies to selected artists and features the work of the finalists in a group exhibition. All original 2-D and 3-D fine art including painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, fiber art, digital, mixed media and video completed within the last two years will be accepted. Learn more here.
The Latin American Contemporary Fine Art Competition – NYC
Deadline: April 13 The competition is open for Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain, Portugal, the Latin American diaspora, and foreign artists living and working in any of the above regions/countries. All Latin American artists above the age of 18 are eligible to participate. Painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, digital, printing, and mixed media are eligible. For more information, click here.
Call for Entry, The Art League May 2021 Open Exhibit – Alexandria, VA
Deadline: April 15 Open exhibits are not limited by theme, medium, process, or content. Artists must be a current exhibiting artist member of The Art League Gallery, and may enter any current work made within 5 years. For more information, click here.
Call for Entry, Baltimore Office of Promotions & The Arts 2021 Community Arts Grant – Baltimore
Deadline: April 23 Community Arts Grant are now available. The Community Arts Grant awards funding of up to $16,000 to Baltimore City artists and neighborhoods who work together to creatively re-imagine and enliven public spaces through new exterior wall mural art projects. Learn more here.
Graffiti and Aerosol Mural Artists Wanted, MuralsDC – DC
Deadline: April 23 The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, in partnership with the DC Department of Public Works, seeks graffiti and aerosol mural artists and artist teams to design, create and install aerosol murals as part of the MuralsDC program. Selected artists will be expected to engage in a guided component of the program with designated youth (ages 14-18) to help them understand the art of aerosol graffiti mural painting and provide youth with opportunities to assist in activities such as site preparation and mural outlining. Learn more here.
Calls & Submissions, Merge: Nation’s Best Emerging Young Artists with Disabilities / Calls & Submissions – DC
Deadline: April 28 The VSA (Very Special Arts) Emerging Young Artists Program amplifies the voices of visual artists with disabilities through career development and professional empowerment. The competition seeks excellent work from emerging artists with disabilities, ages 16-25, residing in the United States. Fifteen winning artists are selected by jury. Grand Prize is $20,000, First Prize is $10,000, Second Prize is $6,000, and the remaining Awards of Excellence are $2,000 each. For winning artists, one of the submitted artworks will be selected for a national exhibition. Artists participate in professional development activities provided by the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Learn more here.
Women’s Jewelry Association 2021 Cindy Edelstein Jewelry Design Scholarship – NY
Deadline: April 30 The scholarship is targeted to emerging fine jewelry designers or artisans. Women who are current WJA members only are eligible to apply. The recipient can pursue either design or business courses, providing they are focused on improving her artistry and/or her designer jewelry business. For more information click here.
Women’s Jewelry Association 2021 Student Scholarship – NY
Deadline: April 30 The Women’s Jewelry Association is committed to empowering women in the international jewelry, watch and related businesses. The WJA Foundation provides scholarships to female and female-identifying students enrolled in jewelry or metalsmithing programs at an accredited college, university, or training school between August 1, 2021 and July 31, 2022. Recipients are selected by a jury in early June and are awarded scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $7,000. Learn more here.
Call for VisArts Studio Fellowship 2021 – Rockville, MD
Deadline: May 2 VisArts invites applications and proposals from local, national, and international artists for a six month Studio Fellowship at VisArts at Rockville. The Studio Fellowship provides a unique opportunity for a dynamic individual artist or collaborative artist team to create a new body of work, evolve an existing body of work, or develop a project in a stimulating, supportive environment. Studio space is provided free of charge. Artists receive a $500.00 per month stipend. The Studio Fellowship offers the gift of time and space to two artists and/or collaborative artist teams each year to experiment and realize new work. The VisArts Studio Fellows will present their work in solo exhibitions at the end of their respective fellowships. Click here and scroll down to learn more.
H2O Mid-Atlantic Call to Artists – Virginia Beach, VA
Deadline: May 7 The Virginia Beach Art Center presents a showcase of water-related artwork from the Mid-Atlantic states. Artists from South Carolina to Pennsylvania are invited to show explore our relationship to water through visual media. From a single drop to mighty oceans, from rising mists to stormy skies, water is all around us – and up to 78% of our bodies! Learn more here
Call for Submissions, Frames & Frequency VII – Rockville, MD
Deadline: May 21 Frame & Frequency is an ongoing International Film & Video Art Screening Series presented by VisArts located in Rockville, Maryland (just outside of Washington DC) that highlights artists whose new media, experimental film, and video works explore contemporary visual culture, and presents an intimate panorama of the variety and breadth of video art in artistic practice today. Frame & Frequency aims to present a diverse group of artists representing multi-generational and cultural backgrounds, nationalities and personal histories, while demonstrating the artists’ impressive command of video and new media technologies. Click here and scroll down to learn more.
Call to Artists, 11th Annual Workhouse Clay International – Lorton, VA
Deadline: May 24 The Workhouse Arts Center (WAF) is extremely proud to announce a call for entries for its 11th annual Workhouse Clay International Exhibition 2021. This is an open call for functional and/or sculptural ceramic artworks. For more information, click here.
Call for Entry, Art of the State – Harrisburg, PA
Deadline: May 28 Presented by The State Museum of Pennsylvania in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Heritage Foundation, the 54th Art of the State exhibition will offer cash awards for selected entries in the categories of painting, work on paper, photography and digital media, sculpture and craft. It open to Pennsylvania artists and craftspeople. Learn more here.
Call for Submissions, Ceramics – Rockville, MD
Deadline: June 7 VisArts invites artists working in the expanded field of ceramics to apply for “This Moment of Rupture,” a juried national survey of contemporary ceramics. We are seeking artists who work in an expansive variety of media but that all incorporate ceramics in some way, be it with traditional methods, or with processes such as 3d printing, or as a part of performance art, mixed media and more. Artists may submit up to 3 works for consideration. Click hereand scroll down to learn more.
Call for Solo Exhibitions 2022, VisArts – Rockville, MD
Deadline: July 9 VisArts invites artists working in all media to apply for 2022 Solo Exhibitions in the Gibbs Street Gallery, Common Ground Gallery, and Concourse Gallery. Exhibitions in each of the galleries explore the breadth of contemporary art featuring emerging to mid-career artists. Exhibits reflect a wide range of media and experimental approaches that offer the viewer unexpected interactions with art. Click hereand scroll down to learn more.
Glen Echo Park Partnership Gallery Request for Proposals 2022 – Glen Echo, Maryland
Deadline: June 28 The Glen Echo Park Partnership for Arts and Culture requests proposals from individuals, groups of artists or curators to present exhibitions in the Popcorn Gallery, Stone Tower Gallery and Park View Gallery venues at Glen Echo Park for the calendar year 2022. For more information, click here.
Call for Proposals, 2022 Rehoboth Art League Solo and Group Exhibitions – Rehoboth Beach, DE
Deadline: July 18 The Exhibitions Committee of the Rehoboth Art League is in the process of organizing solo and group exhibitions for 2022. This is a very competitive program as RAL can only accept a limited number of proposals each year. Artworks in any media will be reviewed. The RAL is situated in the town of Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, a highly traveled area not only by the residents of this and the expanding surrounding communities, but also by art patrons from the Washington DC, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and New York metropolitan areas. Over 29,000 people participate in Rehoboth Art League programs annually. Special exhibitions have played an important part of our programming since the league’s beginning, in 1938. The RAL campus houses the Corkran,Tubbs, Ventures, and Homestead galleries. For more information and to apply, click here.
Call For Entries, Athenaeum Gallery – Alexandria, VA
Deadline: August 25, 2021 Artists who live or work in Virginia, Maryland, or the District of Columbia may submit a proposal for a solo show. A group of artists who live or work in the area may submit a proposal for a group show. A curator, living or working anywhere, may submit a proposal for a show featuring works by artists living or working in this area. For more information, click here.
Ongoing: These opportunities have rolling deadlines.
Call for Art, Links Bridge Vineyards—Thurmont, MD
Links Bridge Vineyards, a small artisan style winery located just outside of Frederick, Maryland, is looking to feature the artwork of various artists on the walls of their tasting barn for two weeks at a time. To learn more, call Joan Cartier 301-602-5733 or email her at [email protected].
Pyramid Atlantic offers year-round workshops in printmaking, papermaking, book arts, and hybrids thereof. We offer multi-week, daytime, evening, and weekend intensives for adults in our fully equipped studios. As part of a robust and diverse schedule of offerings, we welcome unsolicited workshop proposals, and hope that you will consider applying! Workshop proposal reviews are ongoing, but for best consideration, submit class proposals by the following dates: 1/15 for Summer Workshops; 4/1 for Fall Workshops; 7/1 for Winter Workshops; 10/1 for Spring Workshops. Questions? Email Gretchen, Artistic Director, [email protected]
Call For Stories About Women in the Arts, Maryland State Arts Council
2020 has been dedicated to the Year of the Woman in Maryland. Do you have an inspiring story about vital contributions of women-identifying people who are artists, arts administrators, or cultural workers? Perhaps an exhibition, performance or project featuring women? Share it with the Maryland State Arts Council for potential use in marketing and communications! Send your ideas to [email protected], and include “Year of the Woman” in the subject line. Satff will contact senders whose stories are selected for inclusion in future newsletters, eblasts, or social media postings. Learn more about Maryland’s year of the Woman here.
Call For Artists, Busboys and Poets
Busboys and Poets is looking for submissions from Maryland and Virginia artists as it expands to new locations in both areas. Submissions can include drawings, painting, photography, sculpture, mixed media, assemblage, fiber, quilts, etc. Art images reflecting life in the city, family, portraits, whimsy, abstraction, social uplift and life experiences within diverse cultures are encouraged for submission. For more information, click here.
Alterwork Studios Online Residency
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.
Accepting Artwork for Curatorial Review by AIWA
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.
Call For Entry Hamilton Arts Collective Guest Artist Exhibition – Baltimore, MD
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.
Howard County Arts Council Quarterly Call For Artists – Ellicott City, MD
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.
Exhibit at Hotel Indigo Downtown Baltimore — Baltimore, MD
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.
Solo or Group Shows in Athenaeum Gallery – VA
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, click here.
The Creativity Grant Program State of Maryland (MD)
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.
Artist/Writers: Cover Art for Academic Medicine
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.
The Awesome Foundation Accepting Applications for Art Projects
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.
Call for Artists: Maryland Art Place Seeks Proposals for Rotating Exhibition Partnership with Baltimore’s Hotel Indigo (MD)
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 informationhere.
Peripheral ARTeries – Biennial Contemporary Art Publication
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.
Exhibit at Hotel Indigo (VA)
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].
The New Project Studio – Ongoing Opportunity (VA)
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, click here.
Public Arts Grants & Opportunities (VA)
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 applicationshere.
Residency: Maryland
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.
Looking for artists: Foundry Gallery (DC)
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.
Looking for artists: Printmakers (DC)
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].
Artist Rashad A. Muhammad, winner of The Art League’s Best-in-Show award for the March 2021 Line by Line exhibit, shares his thoughts on the creative process. Artists in the exhibit were asked to submit work based on or responding to poetry.
Finding Inspiration in Poetry
“I came across a poem by Helen J. Radford, In Simpatico, while looking online for love poems about partners that complete each other. The first stanza resonated the most with me:
We fit now; we complete one another.
Our lives have melted into one
and we dissolve into the unity
which consolidates our synthesis.
It perfectly captured the essence of my piece, Symbiosis — individuals coming together, learning each other’s ins and outs over time to become a powerful force together. While we maintain our individuality, we also know we’re greater together because we fill in each other’s weaknesses.”
Symbiosis
Winner of The Art League Best-in-show Award
Cultivating a Creative Atmosphere
“I took over a room in my home as my studio, but it’s about time to get a larger space with more storage — the more floor space the better! The end goal is to have a standalone studio in my backyard with large windows because natural light is simply amazing!
Music is my go-to while creating! When thinking of new ideas or planning out a layout, I love more uptempo music like Afrobeats, Deep House, and remixes of all kinds. They get my blood pumping and ideas flowing — they also make the best music for dance breaks! After I nail the composition and move on to adhering each piece I listen to a wide array of genres as long as the songs are downtempo to help me focus.”
Staying Motivated
“My core motivation to create is to leave my mark in the world, but we can chalk that up to being human, so beyond that, creating is a form of self-care to escape and uplift myself. There are always so many things in life happening fast, but creating gives me a chance to stop, process, and reflect. It’s like releasing negativity and feeding my soul with light.
Sharing my creations with the world has helped me find a purpose in creating art. Early in my art career, I felt internal strife because I wasn’t creating art that reflected social issues of the time. Once I stopped comparing my art, I learned to recognize and accept that that may not be my purpose for creating. Over time I discovered my purpose for creating is to share my zest for life and provide a sense of wonder. It’s like providing light in a world filled with darkness. I always want the viewer to come away with a sense of fascination from my dynamic use of diverse material and compositions — questioning, how did he create/think of that?”
Golden Lord
Giving Materials New Life Through Collage
“My absolute favorite thing about collaging is turning disparate materials into something unique and unexpected — it’s exciting to show people how my brain works. People’s shock and amusement are priceless! One of the best parts of creating is seeing how people react.
These recent collage pieces started as me exploring a new way to create. I noticed items around the house that usually get thrown out like magazines, greeting cards, and bags, so I wanted to find a way to upcycle them in my work. The focus of this beginning stage of my collage work has been fleshing out my style and process. In the next stage, I’ll concentrate on working larger and using more upcycled material to bring conservation more into my practice.
Beyond the material I collect around the house, I mostly gather materials from various craft stores. My favorite material so far has been faux flowers because they offer an ample mix of colors, textures, and shapes.”
Graphic Design Influences
“Color and composition are the most significant elements in my work, but color comes first, without a doubt! Having studied color theory for graphic design, I understand how color evokes visceral reactions. I noticed I gravitate more to rich hues of blue, red, and purples because they evoke regality and power. Composition is significant as well because I never want to overcomplicate a piece. Color and composition play vital roles in creating a vivid visual impact that balances simplicity and intricacy.”
Day Dream
An Opportunity for Growth During a Pandemic
“My collage work started thanks to COVID. My previous style of artwork leaned into painting and gilding portraits. I was getting bored and uninspired by painting and always wanted to try collaging again. I only dabbled with it in college for graphic design assignments, but I’ve always loved doing it. So COVID gave me a chance to step back from my usual painting and rack my brain on ideas of how to create the collages I envisioned. The first few collages I created combined prints of previous paintings, Ankara fabric I purchased while in Africa at the beginning of 2020, and other materials I found around the house including bags, greeting cards, and twigs used for interior decorating. It took me a few tries to learn the proper adhesives and application processes that worked, but luckily I’m a quick learner and don’t give up easily. COVID helped show me patience with myself and my art.”
"Manifestation," by Rifat, is on view in the March 2021 exhibit "Line by Line: Artists Interpret Poetry."
Welcome to Artful Weekend, our guide to fun and interesting ways to enjoy art in person or virtually.
This weekend: The final weekend of Line by Line at the League; Nekisha Durrett’s solemn tribute at Cody Gallery; reflective abstracts at Hemphill; DC through the lens of women photographers; and more!
Line by Line: Artist Interpret Poetry
“Eggs” by Noreen Brunini
This is the final weekend to see Line by Line: Artists Interpret Poetry, our March themed exhibit. League artists interpreted what poetry means to them using prose, song lyrics, scripture, nursery rhymes, and famous quotes, to traditional and contemporary poetry. Says Haven Ashely, our assistant gallery director, “Some artists even paired their work with original writing of their own.” It is juried by artist Jordann Wine.
Gustavo Forselledo: Urban Soul
“M Street” byGustavo Forselledo
Painter Gustavo Forselledo captures the vibrancy of Washington, D.C. and other cities worldwide in his solo exhibit Urban Soul. Inspired by impressionist masters Carols Paez Vilaró and Joaquín Torres García of his home country Uruguay, Forselledo’s acrylic and ink images on canvas and hardboard suggest movement that captures the rhythm and soul of the cities depicted; on view through April 30 by appointment at Gallery Underground, 2100 Crystal Drive, Arlington, VA. Call (571) 483-0652 or email [email protected] for appointments.
Nekisha Durrett: Magnolia
Washington, DC-based artist Nekisha Durrett seeks to hold space for Black women to not only be seen, but celebrated as worthy of justice, gender parity, and inclusion in the narratives they so profoundly inform. In Magnolia, the artist presents a more intimate experience, calling viewers to engage with the stories and lives of 30 women murdered by law enforcement, using the magnolia leaf as metaphor. Says the artist, “Golden brown and tough as leather on one side, velvety soft on the other, fallen magnolia leaves possess an often uncelebrated radiance and resilience… Even after death, the leaf refuses to be erased and forgotten.” Magnoliais on view through April 16 by appointment at Cody Gallery of Marymount University, 1000 North Glebe Road, 2nd Floor, Arlington, VA. See Magnolia: An Intimate Conversationwith Durrett and curator Endia Beal.
Robin Rose: 19 Paintings and Hedieh Javanshir Ilchi: Listen to the night as it makes itself hollow
“Transpire” by Robin Rose
Hemphill features two concurrent exhibits by artists whose recent works serve as a reflection on the chaotic events of 2020. 19 Paintings, artist Robin Rose’s series of colorful encaustic abstracts, expresses his response to the conditions created by the pandemic and the political madness of the past year.
“Everywhere at the end of time” by Hedieh Javanshir Ilchi
During quarantine, Hedieh Javanshir Ilchi found solace and inspiration in the company of nature. Each piece in her exhibit Listen to the night as it makes itself hollow resembles an abstracted landscape, with suggestions of space and topographical imagery. Both exhibits are on view through May 28 at Hemphill, 434 K Street, NW.
Our City, Ourselves: Women Photograph Washington
Three Generations, Finley’s Gym, 1992 by Susan Muniak; Silver gelatin print, 16 x 24 in.
The DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities (CAH) presents a new online art exhibition titled, Our City, Ourselves: Women Photograph Washington, featuring 52 photographs by 25 women artists who capture the people, places, and interactions that define the District. The exhibition is presented online using a virtual gallery platform that replicates CAH’s physical gallery at 200 I (Eye) Street SE. Throughout the run of Our City, Ourselves, CAH invites the public to take pictures across all eight wards of the District and share them on social media. Use the hashtag #OurCityCAH and tag the ward in which the picture was taken. The exhibition’s closing event the evening of May 20 will showcase some of the most powerful images with remarks from their creators; on view through May 21.
