The City of Durham's Cultural & Public Art Program, in partnership with Participatory Budgeting, Durham Public Schools, and Durham Parks & Recreation, is seeking local and regional mural artists to join our Pre-Qualified Artist Registry for an exciting new mural initiative: Neighborhood Stories in Art. Each mural will celebrate the people, stories, cultures, and experiences that make Durham unique, with designs shaped through meaningful community engagement.

• 4 murals at Durham Public Schools will be located on street-facing walls and will include strong youth engagement, such as student paint days, workshops, and other hands-on activities.
• 4 murals at City-owned facilities will be located throughout Durham neighborhoods, creating welcoming public spaces that reflect the character, history, and identity of the surrounding communities.

Location
Durham, NC

Fees or awards
Estimated mural budgets will vary by project site, with commissions ranging from approximately $8,000–$20,000 per mural.

Chapel Hill Community Arts & Culture's looking for Triangle-based artists and teams to design original two-dimensional (2D) artwork to adorn the ceilings of Chapel Hill Transit buses. Selected artists/teams will each create a single final design to be printed three times as adhesive vinyl and installed on three bus ceilings by a Town contractor. The installed artwork will be displayed on the buses for at least 12 months. Vector designs are recommended, as the designs will be ~21 feet long.

Location
Chapel Hill, NC

Fees or awards
$700/selected artist; $100/chosen finalist

Get ready for an art-filled adventure at this year’s International Folk Festival! If you’re a creator, maker, or artist of any kind, this is your invitation to join the largest celebration of arts and culture in the area. Apply to be a vendor in our Arts Market and share your work with tens of thousands of festival-goers who are ready to discover something new, meaningful, and uniquely yours.

Your approved application secures one (1) 10x10 booth space at our 48th Annual International Folk Festival. As the Arts Vendor, YOU are responsible for tents, tables, chairs, merchandise, Wi-Fi access, and other equipment needed to sell your art/wares during the event.

Arts Market Vendor Load-in:
Friday, September 25th: 2 pm-7 pm

Arts Market Hours:
Saturday, September 26th, 12 pm-7 pm

Location
Fayetteville, NC

Fees or awards
$75 booth fee. Vendors will be charged the full amount of the application if/when the application is approved. The festival is a rain or shine festival and no refunds or exchanges will be allowed after submission. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to admin@theartscouncil.com or 910-323-1776.

Craven Arts Council & Gallery is seeking submission for the 2026 Ekphrastic Poetry Competition! This poetry contest is held in conjunction with our biennial Bank of the Arts National Juried Exhibition, and asks poets to submit up to three poems inspired by works in the exhibition. Poets may view the works online anytime, or in person beginning August 4th. Artwork and poems will be featured in the 2026 Ekphrasis book, to be released following the exhibition.

Location
New Bern, NC

Fees or awards
$10 submission fee per poem (max of 3). Prizes include 1st Place ($200), 2nd Place ($150), 3rd Place ($100), and Honorable Mentions ($25). Publication opportunity also offered.

North Carolina based artists may apply to one of the following opportunities. Please read the full eligibility requirements and FAQs before applying.

2027 Brightwork Fellowship: One artist will be selected to receive a year of free studio space at Anchorlight, a solo exhibition in our gallery, and unrestricted financial support of $50,000.

2027 Brightwork Professional Development Grant (Now open to artists in any NC county): One artist will receive $2,000 to use towards advancing the professionalism of their studio practice.

2027 Brightwork Studio Project Grant (Now open to artists in any NC county): One artist will receive $3,000 to use towards the creation of studio-based artwork.

Location
Raleigh, NC

Fees or awards
There will be a small application fee charged by SlideRoom, Anchorlight does not charge an additional fee to apply.

Baran Dance is a nonprofit contemporary dance company focused on performance, mentorship, and collaboration in the Charlotte community. Selected dancers are expected to actively participate in collaborative creative processes, a culture of reciprocal feedback, and consistent professional development. Choreographic and teaching opportunities may be available as well.

Baran Dance is comprised of a paid professional company, Baran Dance Company (BDC) and unpaid intern company, Baran Dance University (BDU). With few exceptions, all selected new/incoming dancers will be placed in BDU. Promotion to BDC is possible after one year of participation with Baran Dance. Please email abaran@baran.dance with any questions.

Audition details
Sunday, August 30th
1:00 - 3:00pm @ Open Door Studios
Charlotte, NC

Fees or awards
Audition Fee: $10 via Venmo or Paypal

ARTnNCevents proudly presents Abstracts in America, a premier National Juried Exhibition celebrating the creativity, innovation, and expressive power of contemporary abstract art. This national exhibition invites artists from across the United States to explore abstraction in all its forms, showcasing work that challenges convention and pushes creative boundaries.

Location
Wilmington, NC

Fees or awards
$45 entry fee

Blue Koi Gallery invites artists worldwide to submit to the Echoes of Abstract Art Competition. Explore the power of abstraction through color, form, texture, and emotion. Whether your work is abstract, semi-abstract, representational, or experimental, we welcome all artistic approaches that challenge perception and express a unique creative vision. All visual art mediums, including photography and digital art, are accepted.

Fees or awards
Entry fee is $20. $150 cash award for first place. Exhibition feature, social media promotion, and certificate offered to finalists.

The Caldwell Arts Council invites you to participate in the 40th Annual Sculpture Celebration on September 12, 2026. Join emerging and established sculptors to compete for a total of $11,000 in cash awards. Sculptors can enter up to three works.

Registration includes free admission to the Friday Night Welcome Dinner and a continental breakfast on Saturday morning. Sales of competition entries and commissions are encouraged, with 100% of proceeds going to the sculptors. All mediums are accepted, including metals, glass, stone, wood, paper, plastic, fiber, found objects, natural and recycled materials, etc.

Event details
September 12, 2026
Broyhill Walking Park
Lenoir, NC 28645

Fees or awards
Registration fees vary. $35 for students and $50 for non-students if registered by June 30, 2026. $11,000 in total cash awards.

Great art brings people together. Arts in Community Grants support organizations that host Southern artists for meaningful public experiences that go beyond a single performance or exhibition. Projects include a public presentation alongside a community engagement activity such as a workshop, discussion, lecture, demonstration, or masterclass, creating opportunities for audiences and artists to connect in lasting ways.

Fees or awards
Awards of up to $10,000 are available for eligible projects featuring Southern artists working across film, literary, performing, traditional, and visual arts. The grant requires a dollar-for-dollar cash match.