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.

Wayne Art Center is seeking submissions for CraftForms 2026, the 31st International Juried Exhibition of Contemporary Fine Craft, in the following mediums: basketry, ceramics, fiber, furniture, glass, jewelry, metal, mixed media, paper, wearable art, and wood. Works created utilizing CAD/CAM technologies and 3D printing tools are also eligible.

Selected works will be on display in the Davenport Gallery of Wayne Art Center in Wayne, Pennsylvania from December 6, 2026 through January 23, 2027. This year’s jurors, Dr. Robert K. Liu and Patrick Benesh-Liu of Ornament Magazine, will present $12,000+ in prize awards funded by Wayne Art Center.

Location
Wayne, PA

Fees or awards
$50 entry fee; $12,000+ in awards

Waterworks Visual Arts Center is a nationally accredited, non-collecting art museum presenting three rotating exhibitions of contemporary fine art and craft each year by local, regional, national, and international artists. Submissions from established and emerging artists with credentials are accepted and reviewed within 60–90 days following the deadlines of January 30 and September 30. Exhibitions are planned 18–24 months in advance, and submission review does not ensure inclusion.

Location
Salisbury, NC

Fees or awards
Submission Fee: $10

Established to recognise and encourage creative writing and art and provide a platform for publication, the Anthology Creative Awards are open to original and previously unpublished written and visual work. There are eight competitions to enter: Short Story, Poetry, Flash Fiction, Personal Memoir, Nature Writing, Travel Writing, Photography, and Cover Art.

Individual competition info, entry requirements and prizes can be found on our website.

Fees or awards
€300-€1000 for winning entries and publication in Anthology Magazine. Fees differ by competition, €12-18.

Bridge is currently seeking submissions for its V26 N1 Journal and Bridge Magazine. We welcome submissions in poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction, visual art, cultural criticism, design, and hybrid work from established as well as emerging writers and artists. We are especially interested in work that embraces the world and continues, however subtly, the ongoing global conversation about culture and society that Bridge has championed from its beginning in 1999.

Location
Chicago, IL

Fees or awards
$5 to $25 submission fee

The City of Durham’s Cultural & Public Art Program is excited to invite artists and artist teams to submit portfolios for our Pre-Qualified Artist Registry! This registry serves as a valuable resource for selecting artists for future cultural and public art projects across the city. Whether you’re a sculptor, painter, photographer, or performer, your skills are needed to help bring the city’s public spaces to life! The Pre-Qualified Artist Registry has a rolling deadline for upcoming public art projects. Apply today!

Interested in learning more about the Registry or need tips or guidance to complete the application? See below for upcoming Workshops!

Workshop #1
When: March 17, 2026 12:00 PM
Click here to register.

Workshop #2
When: March 19, 2026 06:30 PM
Click here to register.

The Southern Artist Spotlight Grant is a pilot grant program designed to amplify work with exemplary Southern artists and increase access to arts programming in our Southern communities. These grants are an opportunity for arts and community organizations in South Arts' nine-state region to receive support to present Southern guest artists – visual and performing artists, traditional and folk artists, writers and poets, and film directors from South Arts’ roster. 

The roster includes artists working in:
- film (documentary)
- performing arts (music and dance)
- literary arts (fiction and poetry)
- traditional arts (music and visual arts/crafts)
- visual arts (crafts, drawing, experimental, painting, photography, sculpture, and mixed media)

Projects require a public presentation of the artist’s work and an educational/community engagement component. These grants are limited and awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

Fees or awards
Based on the artist fee, the maximum grant request is $8,000 for dance or $5,000 for film, music, literary arts, traditional arts, and visual arts. The grant requires a dollar-for-dollar cash match.