Wayne Art Center seeks applications for the 18th Annual Wayne Art Center Plein Air Festival. Invited Artists will stay and paint in a 35-mile radius of Wayne Art Center from May 3-9, 2026. All paintings remain on exhibit through June 20, 2026.

Location
Wayne, Pennsylvania

Fees
$50 application fee; $25,000+ in cash and industry awards
 

Help us celebrate over 30 years of conservation in North Carolina. Conservation Trust for North Carolina was established in 1991 to advance the pace of land conservation in the state. The Blue Ridge Parkway launched our conservation journey and today is the backbone of our work to achieve a resilient future statewide.  

This year, we’re launching our first ever digital art contest, in celebration of the species, landscapes, and vistas found along the Blue Ridge Parkway in Western North Carolina. Open to both professional and amateur artists (16+) statewide, your art has a voice in our story. To enter, create a unique original design celebrating a native species, landscape, or trail in Western North Carolina.  

Your art will be shared with over 20,000 people through our social media, as well as in our web gallery, and in external communications, all with full attribution for your work. You may also see your design on a limited edition gift for our Conservation Celebration sponsors in 2026. No entry fees are required.  

Call For Professional And Amateur Photographers Based In The USA

THEME: Stronger Together: Family. Community. Connection.

The National Council on Aging (NCOA) invites photographers to showcase adults aged 60+ thriving through family, friendship, and community. Celebrate empowered individuals, supportive families, and the vibrant connections that bring joy, purpose, and vitality—demonstrating that aging well means staying active, engaged, and connected.

Location
Arlington, Virginia

Fees or awards
Entry Fee: Free. AWARDS: NCOA will grant the following awards: First Place Award: $1,000; Second Place Award: $600, Public Vote Award: $500; Eight Merit Awards: $300 each; Ten Honorable Awards: $150 each

The South Arts Southern Prize and State Fellowships acknowledge, support, and celebrate the highest quality artistic work being created in the American South. The program is open to individual artists living in the South Arts region: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. 

The cohort of nine-state fellows will be selected through a two-tiered selection process by a national jury. A second national jury will select the Southern Prize Winner and Finalist. Jurors will make their selections based on artistic excellence that reflects and represents the array of artistic expression of the region. This program is open to visual artists in several categories.

State fellows for Visual Arts, including the Southern Prize winner and finalist, will have their work featured in a traveling exhibition that will tour throughout the region. 

Fees or awards 
Awards include the South Arts State Fellowships: $5,000 (awarded to nine state fellows, each representing an eligible state in the South Arts region) and the South Arts Southern Prize: $25,000 and $10,000 (awarded to the winner and finalist, respectively). Fees: A $25 online application fee. Please note: If the application fee creates a barrier, the applicant may request a waiver from South Arts by contacting southernprize@southarts.org.

Awe Snapp invites global artists (18+) in 2D and 3D media to enter its annual awards. Win your share of $1,000 in cash and prizes, plus digital awards, gallery features, social media promotion, and global exposure to curators and collectors. Prizes of $250, $150, and $100 are awarded in Traditional and Photography categories. Submit original, high-res images (no watermarks).

Fees or awards
Fees: $20 Early Bird (by Sept 30, 2025), $30 Standard (by Mar 31, 2026)

 

Our virtual residency offers the chance to expand your global presence, showcase work internationally, and collaborate with peers from around the world, all from home. In this program, artists develop a project that aligns with the residency’s theme and results in a clear, tangible outcome. Their work explores the many dimensions of the OCEAN through technical approaches, conceptual inquiry, personal reflection, and experiential research.

Inspired by the UN Ocean Decade, each project should thoughtfully engage with ocean conservation, education, and the broader efforts to protect and sustain our marine environments.

Location
Virtual

We invite anyone working with fiber or using traditional fiber art techniques to enter our juried exhibitions as part of the Handweaver's Guild of America's Convergence 2026.

International Fiber Art Experience on August 13-16, 2026

• Krewe of Threads: Let the Good Times Roll, Wearable Art Exhibit
• Lagniappe: The Art of Everyday Beauty, Functional Art Exhibit
• Creative Spirits of the River, Yardage Exhibit
• Threaded Revelry: Throw Me Something, Mixed Media Exhibit

Fees or awards
Cash prizes provided by HGA include: $500 First, $250 Second, $100 Third Winning works will be published in future edition of our magazine. Fees range from $0 for students to $25 for non-members

Location
Louisiana, New Orleans
 

South Arts recognizes the importance of professional development in building artists’ careers. Even with stipends or payments, overall expenses can make participating in these opportunities inaccessible. South Arts offers Artist Creative Practice Grants (formerly Individual Artist Career Opportunity Grants) to ensure that artists from our region can take advantage of a variety of career enhancing opportunities.

The Artist Creative Practice Grant supports a variety of professional development opportunities including milestone activities in an artist's career that will likely lead to substantial career growth.

Grants up to $3,000 are available for opportunities taking place between November 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026.

Individuals receiving this award are eligible to apply for other South Arts funding including the Southern Prize and State Fellowships, Jazz Road, and others for projects unrelated to the proposed activity. However, you cannot use South Arts' funds as a match for this program.

South Arts is committed to ensuring that all artists in the region regardless of background or economic status are provided with an opportunity to apply.