Below is a main list of the competitions that many of our artists have entered in the past. This list is organic and will be updated as new opportunities are presented. If you have any competitions to add, please send me a message or post the link below in the comments section and we will add it to the list. Also, some of the links may be open entry pages that are expired/past–however, the links will often lead to the updated entry pages as new competition schedules/cycles begin.
COMPETITIONS
ALLIED ARTISTS OF AMERICA 112th Online Annual Exhibition
DEADLINE: TBA
Their site states, "Open to all artists from around the world 18 years and older. You do not need to be a member of Allied Artists of America to enter the exhibition. Original 2-dimensional original artwork in oil, watercolor, pastel, acrylic, graphic, mixed media, and sculpture, NO photography or digital art.
THE ALMENARA ART PRIZE
DEADLINE: 30 June 2024
Their site: “The Almenara Art Prize is an international online painting competition…We encourage the international participation in diverse genres, styles, mediums and substrates including hyperrealism, photorealism, contemporary realism, surrealism, imaginative realism, impressionism, and plein air painting.”
Categories include: Portrait / Drawing / Landscape, Plein Air Painting / Still Life / Wildlife and Animal / Fantastic Realism / Young
THE AMERICAN ART AWARDS
DEADLINE for American Art Awards: 31 August 2024
DEADLINE for Art Collectors Choice Awards: TBA
DEADLINE for World Art Awards: TBA
Their site: “Mission Statement: To introduce upcoming contemporary artists in 70 countries to the most established galleries in the world, by doing this, we will promote creativity and growth of the artist’s career and foster an appreciation for the arts within our global community.”
American Galleries decide the World’s Best Artist for the ‘American Art Awards’ Art Collectors decide the World’s Best Artist for the ‘Art Collectors Choice Awards’
International Galleries decide the World’s Best Artist for the ‘World Art Awards’
ART & COLOR 365
DEADLINE for Competitions based on specific medium: TBA
DEADLINE for Competitions featuring a theme: TBA
Their site: “It’s part of Art and Color 365’s mission to celebrate artists for the unique perspectives, amazing skills, beautiful imagery, and creativity they contribute to the world. We do this through regular feature stories in our magazine about significant artists and with monthly art competitions that showcase artists to bring them greater attention and offer broader outreach for their work.”
‘Specific Medium’ categories: watercolor / acrylics / pencil - ink / pastel oils
‘Themes’ categories: wildlife - animals / landscapes / waterscapes / abstract - non objective / figurative
ART COLLIDE
DEADLINE for Emerging Artists: 2025 TBA
Their site: “Emerging artists are defined as follows: An emerging artist is typically someone who is in the early stages of their artistic career, often characterized by a growing body of work, limited recognition (regardless of the skill level or content of their work), and a developing reputation within their artistic community or industry.”
“Our Mission: At Art Collide, our mission is to empower artists and foster creativity by offering an inclusive space to share their visions. We believe art has the power to provoke dialogue and positive change.”
ART FLUENT
DEADLINE for Minimal: 16 August 2024
Their site: “Each exhibition features a unique theme, offers cash prizes, and provides artists a permanent spot in our online art gallery.”
“Our journey, which began in 2020, marks the inception of our commitment to empower the arts. We allocate a portion of our entry fees to support the arts and artists through donations to dedicated nonprofit organizations.”
ART RENEWAL CENTER INTERNATIONAL SALON
17th International ARC Salon Competition
Deadline: 1 July 2024
Their site states, "The most prestigious realists art competition in the Americas and, perhaps, the world. The International ARC Salon offers over $130,000 in cash awards and international recognition through partnerships with prestigious magazines, galleries, museum exhibitions, and a strong online presence.
Categories include: Figurative, Portraiture, Imaginative Realism, Drawing, Landscape, Still Life, Plein Air Painting, Fully from Life, Sculpture, Animals, and a special category for teens.
ART ROOM GALLERY
DEADLINE: TBA
On their site: “Art Room Gallery was created to promote the emerging and established artists from all over the world, and to help them in their future careers. Art Room Gallery is an online based contemporary art platform and the ultimate meeting place for sharing of art.”
“With our monthly online juried art competitions, artists have an opportunity to participate in our online exhibitions.”
ARTISTS MAGAZINE 41st ANNUAL ART COMPETITION
DEADLINE: 23 July 2024 [Early Bird: 15 June 2024]
The Artists Magazine 40th Annual Art Competition honors work from outstanding artists working in a variety of art media.
[ARTISTS MAGAZINE 4th ANNUAL ARTIST TO WATCH]
(https://www.artistsnetwork.com/art-competitions/?utm_source=gpn&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=art-competitions/)**
DEADLINE: TBA
Their site: “Calling all emerging artists! Whether you are a student, a recent graduate or an older artist newly focusing on your art-making, this art competition is an opportunity to shine a spotlight on your work!”
Five categories: Abstract Experimental / Animal & Wildlife / Landscape & Cityscape / Portrait & Figure / Still Life / Floral / Interior
Requirements: Must be at least 16 years of age at time of final deadline.
BEAUTIFUL BIZARRE
DEADLINE for RAYMAR Traditional Art Award: 17 July 2024
DEADLINE for Photography Award: 17 July 2024
DEADLINE for Yasha Young Projects Sculpture Award: 17 July 2024
DEADLINE for Digital Art Award: 17 July 2024
DEADLINE FOR 33PA Emerging Artists Award: 17 July 2024
Their site: “Beautiful Bizarre Art Prize, now in its 7th year, is an annual non-acquisitive international art prize that celebrates diversity and excellence in the representational visual arts…The Prize seeks to inspire creatives from around the world to pursue a life and career in the arts, and to help careers grow through funding and increased exposure of their work to galleries, collectors, and media globally.”
BOLDBRUSH ART CONTEST & EXHIBIT
DEADLINEs for Painting Competitions: 30 June 2024 and 31 July 2024
Their site: “BoldBrush Art Contest & Exhibit - over $38,000 of cash & service awards every month. Open to: Representational, Abstract, Digital, Mixed Media, Fine Art Photography, and Sculptors.”
BOYNES EMERGING ARTIST AWARD
A MONTHLY COMPETITION
**DEADLINE: TBA **
Their site: “The Boynes Monthly Art Award is a monthly art competition for artists worldwide. Every month, three artists will win $100 USD cash, a published interview, a winner’s certificate, and a feature in our newsletter!”
June 2024 Theme: Wildlife
Their site: “The theme “Wildlife” focuses on celebrating the diversity and beauty of animals in their natural habitats. Artists are encouraged to explore the rich and diverse world of wildlife through various mediums, including painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, and digital art. Participants may depict a wide range of animal species, from mammals and birds to insects and marine life, highlighting their unique characteristics, behaviour, and environments.”
CAFE - CallforEntry.org
CaFÉ (CallForEntry.org ), is the leading online application and adjudication system for managing calls for entry. Their mission, “CaFÉ strives to make art opportunities available to all by offering art organizations an affordable submission platform and artists an easy way to apply.” Launched in 2005, CaFÉ was designed for public art projects, artists fellowships, juried visual art competitions, and exhibitions.
The CaFÉ link provided lands on their Monthly Calender with oodles of listings.
[FUSION ART]
(https://www.fusionartps.com/)
DEADLINE for Lines, Shapes, & Objects: 1 July 2024
DEADLINE for Woman Artists: 5 July 2024
DEADLINE for Waterscapes: 1 August 2024
DEADLINE for Faces and Figures: 1 September 2024
Their site: "Fusion Art was envisioned and formed out of a passion for art and the artists who create it. The Fusion Art website hosts uniquely themed monthly and quarterly, solo and group, art competitions and exhibitions, while providing artists with worldwide exposure and the opportunity to compete for additional exhibition opportunities and awards.
HOMIENS
DEADLINE: 31 July 2024
The Homiens Art Prize
From their site: “The Homiens Art Prize is an international, non-acquisitive art prize open to all artists and art forms. The Prize is free to enter. We celebrate our chosen artists across our media, exhibiting their art online where it is viewed by artists and collectors in the United States and throughout the world.”
"We are a proud friend of AWAD (Associaton of Women Art Dealers) and verified member of a-n (The Artist’s Information Company), ArtConnect, and the VAA (Visual Arts Association).
INTERNATIONAL ARTIST MAGAZINE COMPETITIONS
DEADLINE for Cityscapes Competition: 10 July 2024
DEADLINE for Seascapes, Rivers & Lakes: TBA
DEADLINE for Favorite Subjects: TBA
DEADLINE for Still Life: TBA
DEADLINE for People & Figures: TBA
DEADLINE for Wildlife: TBA
DEADLINE for Landscapes: TBA
Their site: “Enter our Art Prize Challenge and gain exposure to collectors and galleries worldwide…Our competitions are designed to encourage the best artists in the world today. We are open to any painting or drawing medium.”
THE INTERNATIONAL GUILD OF REALISM (IGOR)
DEADLINE: 15 July 2024
International Guild of Realism Fall Salon Online Exhibition
From their site: “This exhibition will be an online juried exhibition and will feature Cash Awards, National Art Magazine Articles, Prizes, and Gift Certificates! Most, if not all, award categories will offer a cash prize or a major award certificate. You will be able to enter paintings that are already sold and paintings that are for sale.”
“We believe the more realism artists succeed in the competitive art arena, the greater the benefit to the art lovers all around the world.”
MANIFEST GALLERY
DEADLINE for Corpus: 6 July 2024
Their site: “Manifest is much more than a gallery. Our organization is a 501(c)(3) charitable nonprofit founded on Woodburn Avenue in Cincinnati, Ohio in 2004 by professors and students from area universities seeking to make a positive community impact. Manifest continues to be operated by professors, students, and working artists to this day.”
“The organization seeks to engage students, professionals, and the public from around the world through accessible world-class exhibits, studio programs, and publications centered on the broader visual arts.”
[NOAPS BEST OF AMERICA 2024]
(https://www.noaps.org/)
DEADLINE: 31 July 2024
Opening & Awards Reception: 10 October 2024 at the Beverly McNeil Gallery
Their site states: "Celebrating its 34th “Best of America” International Juried Exhibition, the National Oil & Acrylic Painters’ Society (NOAPS) invites oil and acrylic painters from all across North America and International Artists to apply to our exhibit showcasing the talents of oil and acrylic painters since 1991.
26TH ANNUAL PASTEL 100 ART COMPETITION
DEADLINE: 9 September 2024 [Super Early Bird: 18 June 2024/Early Bird: 30 July 2024
Pastel Journal and Artists Network are pleased to present our 26th Annual Pastel 100 Art Competition! Don’t miss the opportunity to win cash prizes, premium art materials from our amazing sponsors, and publication in a magazine with a worldwide audience of passionate artists and pastel enthusiasts.
PLEIN AIR SALON ART SALON - 14th ANNUAL
DEADLINE: Competition is set up with 11 Monthly Cycles culminating in an Annual Grand Prize
Their site: “Monthly competitions: We host a new competition each month from April to March each year…will result in 23 winners [that] will be included as semi-finalists for the final judging of the year where we will announce our Annual Winners.”
Categories: Animals & Birds / Artists over 65 / Artists Under 40 / Building / Clouds & Sky / Drawing / Figure & Portrait / Floral / Landscape / Plein Air Oil / Plein Air Pastel / Plein Air Watercolor / Still Life / Vehicle / Water / Western
Requirements: (1) "Paintings in any of the Plein Air categories must have been 100% completed outdoors (in a single or multiple sessions) on location.
(2) Digital Images
THE RICHESON75 INTERNATIONAL ART COMPETITIONS
DEADLINE for Figure/Portrait (Online): 6 August 2024
DEADLINE for Animals, Birds, and Wildlife (Online): 8 October 2024
DEADLINE for Small Works: TBA
DEADLINE for Still Life & Floral (Online): TBA
DEADLINE for Landscape, Seascape, and Architecture (Online): TBA
Their site states: “The Richeson75 competitions are meant to offer a venue in which established and emerging artists may show their latest, best work to a wide and appreciative audience. The 75 finalists for each regular contest will exhibit their work in the beautiful Richeson Gallery and in the online exhibit.”
SPIRITUAL ART AWARDS
DEADLINE: 31 October 2024 [Early Bird: 31 July 2024
Their site states: “The Annual Spiritual Art Awards is an international online art competition that recognizes and honors outstanding art that embodies a spiritual theme or message.”
“By offering these awards annually, it is our hope to create a space for outstanding spiritual art that stirs the soul and touches the heart and to give that art and the artists who creates it, exposure to an audience that appreciates this genre of art.”
STROKES OF GENIUS 17 THE BEST OF DRAWING
DEADLINE: TBA
Their site states: “The Best of Drawing is our only drawing-specific competition and your opportunity to be recognized as the best of the best in contemporary drawing!”
WAUSAU MUSEUM OF CONTEMPORARY ART
DEADLINE: TBA
9th Annual National Juried Exhibition
On their site: “Our Mission & Vision: The Wausau Museum of Contemporary Art is a place where people from Northern Wisconsin can experience the work and ideas of artists - both living and deceased - to understand the historical, social, and cultural context of the art of our time…Our goal is to unleash our region’s creative energy and to engage a broad and diverse audience in conversation about how art connects us, allowing us to grow and thrive as a community.”
GRANTS
The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes
Region: New York State
$100,000+ for all grants
The 2024 Round 2 Grant Cycle is now open [as per their site on May 2024]
The 2024 Community Arts, Teaching Artist, & Individual Artists Grants
Their site: "Annually, The ARTS Council of the Southern Finger Lakes distributes more than $300,000 in funds from New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) and the Community Foundation of Elmira-Corning and the Finger Lakes to local artists and cultural activities and professional development opportunities.
The ARTS Council administers grants to Cattaraugus, Chemung, Steuben, Schuyler, and Tioga counties. Visit NYSCA’s Statewide Community Regrant webpage to see which arts organization administers grants in your country."
National Endowment for the Arts
Grants for Art Projects
Region: United States
Matching grants from $10,000 to $100,000.
DEADLINE for Second Grants for Art Projects: 11 July 2024
DEADLINE for First Grants for Arts Project: TBA for 2025
Their site: “The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is proud to support the nation’s arts sector with grant opportunities so that together we can help everyone live more artful lives.”
“Grants for Arts Projects (GAP) provide expansive funding opportunities to strengthen the nation’s arts and culture ecosystem. Through project-based funding, the program supports opportunities for public engagement with the arts and arts education, for the integration of the arts with strategies promoting the health and well-being of people and communities, and for the improvement of overall capacity and capabilities within the arts sector.”
“We fund art projects in the following disciplines: Artists Communities, Arts Education, Dance, Design, Folk & Traditional Arts, Literary Arts, Local Arts Agencies, Media Arts, Museums, Music, Musical Theater, Opera, Presenting & Multidisciplinary Works, Theater, and Visual Arts.”
FELLOWSHIPS
ARTSLINK
Region: Worldwide
$2,500 to $10,000
DEADLINE: 20 January 2025 for ARTSLINK International Fellowships in 2026
Their site: “The ArtsLink International Fellowship program supports pioneering artists, curators, and art leaders from our network countries in developing their community-engaged practices in the US and transnational. The program emphasizes the value of independent artist networks and sustained dialogue around the urgent issues facing our societies.”
“Priority is given to artists and arts leaders whose work expands people’s awareness, understanding, and active participation in environmental and/or social justice issues.”