These are free opportunities for artists and creatives with zero tolerance for fees. Just like you, I’m fed up with all the fees that organizations charge to support their businesses at artists’ expense. In my opinion, expenses must be covered by the sponsors, not the artists. So, I’ll be adding new, free contests, grants, and opportunities for artists on this page.
Art Contests:
Jerry’s Artarama Art Contests: https://www.jerrysartarama.com/art-contests
High Art Contest: https://highartgallery.com/a/faq
Syracuse Cultural Workers: This organization pays for art and gives a few free publications. https://syracuseculturalworkers.com/pages/call-for-art
Public Art:
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Grants & Residencies:
The Bellagio center Residency program: Based in Lake Como, Italy, the 26-day residency offers participants the opportunity to unleash their creativity and advance groundbreaking work. Residents can take advantage of focused, uninterrupted work time in this unique environment while participating in an interdisciplinary, cross-cultural cohort. They form lasting bonds and stay connected to The Rockefeller Foundation long after their residency ends as members of the Bellagio Network. https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/fellowships-convenings/bellagio-center/residency-program/
The Pollock-Krasner Foundation provides financial resources for visual artists to create new work, acquire supplies, rent studio space, prepare for exhibitions, attend a residency and offset living expenses. The Foundation welcomes, throughout the year, applications from visual artists who are painters, sculptors, and artists who work on paper, including printmakers. There are no deadlines. Grants are intended for one year. The Foundation will review expenditures relating to an artist’s professional work and personal expenses and amounts range up to $50,000. The individual circumstances of the artist determine the size of the grant. Professional exhibition history will be taken into consideration. Artists must be actively exhibiting their current work in professional artistic venues, such as gallery and museum spaces. https://pkf.org/apply/
The Sharpe-Walentas Studio Program awards rent-free non-living studio space to 17 visual artists for year-long residencies in DUMBO, Brooklyn. https://www.thestudioprogram.com/apply
The Artists Now Award: https://www.theedenartsfoundation.org/new-page-1 TWO exceptional artists will be selected to receive a one-time, unrestricted grant of $3,000 and studio space support for a four-week residency in New York at our cultural partner – The Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts studio program. Artists are responsible for all additional expenses, including but not limited to housing, travel, and materials. The selected artists will automatically become members of the foundation, with their artworks prominently featured on the foundation’s website, as well as across various marketing channels and printed materials.
Seattle Art Prize: https://seattleprize.org/home Get paid to paint for a full year. $50K–$80K stipend, your own studio at the Occidental Fine Arts Center, and a cohort of serious painters dedicated to creating meaningful work.
Fellowship
New York Foundation for the Arts
https://www.nyfa.org/awards-grants
Global Arts Prize: https://www.globalleadersinstitute.org/gap/
Other related contests:
Swift Student Challenge by APPLE: https://developer.apple.com/swift-student-challenge
MOAH museum often has calls for local artists to exhibit art https://www.lancastermoah.org/ Sign up to their email to receive calls.
Your opportunity must be fee-free for artists to be included on this page. Contact: nika@veronicasart.com
Check out these art instruction books that make great gifts for any colored pencil enthusiast!
