Black storytelling has long been part of the cultural fabric of Appalachia and the South. We’re proud to partner with the National Association of Black Storytellers (NABS) and Mid-Atlantic Arts to support culture bearers who preserve and share the rich storytelling traditions of Black Appalachia.

One fellow from each eligible state- Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia- will receive $5,000 in unrestricted funding, a one-year NABS membership, and national recognition. Fellows will be honored at the In the Tradition National Black Storytelling Festival and invited to return as a featured artist the following year.

Fees or awards
$5,000 award

Blue Koi Gallery invites you to join the Mellow Yellow International Art Competition. Whether your work is realistic or abstract, traditional or photography, shows us your yellow creations that evoke emotion, and bring your artistic visions to life.

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

FRESH is Artspace's biennial open survey exhibition, juried competition, and fundraiser featuring new work by North Carolina artists. Unlike a traditional juried exhibition, every eligible submission will first be exhibited in the FRESH Open Survey before juror Lia Newman makes selections for the FRESH Juried Exhibition.

Artists may submit one artwork. All submitted artworks must be available for sale.

Location
Raleigh, NC

Fees or awards
$25 application fee for Artspace Members / $35 for non-members. Prizes: 1st place ($1000), 2nd place ($500), 3rd place ($250), and People's Choice ($250).

The Sustainability Virtual Art Residency supports artists who imagine a more sustainable and equitable future. The program welcomes creators exploring the interconnected well-being of our lands, waters, oceans, and communities, along with the environmental, social, cultural, and economic systems that shape daily life. Through this global virtual space, artists can exchange ideas, develop new work, and contribute to more resilient and inclusive communities.

• 8 weeks
• 2 invited speakers
• Virtual Open Studio & Exhibition

Fees or awards
The total cost of this program is $450 USD.

Contemporary Art Room Gallery is proud to announce their 8th “Nature” Online Art Competition for the month of August 2026. This is an international competition and artists from around the world are welcome to submit their work. The Nature theme may include everything that is nature related, (landscapes, seascapes, skies, world of flora and fauna, etc). A variety of interpretations of nature theme can be submitted (representative, abstract, conceptional).

All visual art mediums are acceptable (painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, digital, prints, fiber art, collage or installation art) except sound and video art. Winning artwork (First place) will be on the poster of the show. Depending on the number and quality of all submissions received, Merit awards and Honorable Mention awards may also be presented. 

Fees or awards
Entry fees vary by number of images submitted, starting at $20.

Join Dance Project for a full weekend of classes designed for professional dancers and pre-professional dancers alike! Each day will consist of technique classes, Q&A sessions, networking, and more. Featuring special guest artists from all over, this intensive is aimed at Intermediate to Advanced dancers.

Event details
August 15 & 16, 2026
Tentatively 9am-5pm
Ages 13+

Fees or awards
$250 per person. Discounted group rates are available. Early bird special: 10% off all prices if you register & pay by July 30th.

Help us make our crosswalks more Scrappy! We are looking for one or multiple artists to transform a few crosswalks in our parking lot into colorful and eye-catching works of art. Stipends range from $500-700 for each crosswalk. Plus your artwork will be viewed by thousands of Scrap Exchange visitors each week! Deadline to apply is August 14th. 

Location
Durham, NC

Fees or awards
$500-$700 stipend

The Schwa Show is Emerge Gallery & Art Center's iconic show. The gallery's logo is a schwa, which is part of the phonetic spelling of emerge. This juried exhibition has grown to a national presence and includes artwork of all mediums and subject matter.

Location
Greenville, NC

Fees or awards
$20 entry fee; up to $1,000 in awards

The Blu Sky Artist Award: August 2026 Edition is an international art award hosted by Ten Moir Gallery, created for artists seeking meaningful visibility, professional recognition, and real promotional value. Two artists will each receive a $500 cash award, one in traditional or mixed media and one in photography or digital, with additional finalists selected for feature opportunities. The award package includes artist interviews, press releases, collector-focused catalogue inclusion, certificates, and permanent feature in our archive of past winners and finalists.

Fees or awards
$28 entry fee; $1,000 in awards

The Literary Arts Fund will award a total of $1 million in grants in 2026 to literary arts nonprofits for new, one-time, and forward-thinking projects that aim to address critical infrastructural/structural challenges that, if improved or solved, would ultimately strengthen literary arts nonprofits’ abilities to serve creative writers. Proposed projects, which may be collaborative, should align with this description and goal and have impact beyond the project timeline.

Projects must commence some time after January 1, 2027, and conclude before or by December 31, 2027.

Fees or awards
Grant requests may range from $25,000 to $100,000 as determined by the project budget.