Open calls: painting
182 open right now, from the institutions we follow.
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CompetitionNew9th John Moores Painting Prize (China)John Moores Painting Prize (China)The 9th John Moores Painting Prize (China) is now open, inviting submissions from artists and creators aged 16 and above who live and work in China.ExhibitionRoyal Institute of Oil Painters | Annual Exhibition 2026Royal Institute of Oil PaintersThe ROI promotes and exhibits work of the highest standard exclusively in oil paint, inviting artists to submit for the Annual Exhibition 2026.ExhibitionRoyal Institute of Oil Painters – Open Exhibition 2026Royal Institute of Oil PaintersOpen exhibition for oil painters to exhibit alongside members of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters at the ROI Annual Exhibition 2026 in London.ExhibitionThe Royal Institute of Oil Painters Open Call 2026Mall Galleries, LondonThe Royal Institute of Oil Painters invites artists worldwide to submit oil paintings for its 2026 Annual Exhibition at Mall Galleries, London, with a £10,000 prize pool.CompetitionLive Body Painting Competition – Human X NatureGlowIn VancouverGlowIn Vancouver invites professional body painters, makeup artists, and fashion designers to compete live at Heritage Hall, offering a $600 CAD cash prize and extensive exposure.ResidencyFour‑day Artist Residency and Painting Workshop in ItalyJuan TardivoA four‑day residency near Bergamo offering accommodation, studio space, life‑drawing, painting and ceramics workshops, with individual artistic guidance.CompetitionFree Painting Competition – Online – India 2026Art for AwarenessAn open, free online painting competition for artists of all ages and skill levels in India, with a cash prize and certificate for winners.CompetitionNational Arts & Painting Competition | UKHashtag KalakarAn online UK‑based art and painting competition open to artists worldwide, offering cash prizes and media exposure.CompetitionNational Arts & Painting Competition | Trinidad & TobagoHashtag KalakarHashtag Kalakar presents the National Arts & Painting Competition 2026, an online platform for artists worldwide to showcase their talent and compete for cash prizes and media exposure.ResidencyThe Two Coats of Paint Residency ProgramTwo Coats of PaintArtist residency program providing a short-term space for artists to hang their work and have studio visits with curators, other artists, collectors, and gallerists.AwardThe Bennett Prize Opens Fifth Call for EntriesThe Bennett PrizeWomen figurative realist painters can enter to win $75,000 and a traveling solo exhibition.WorkshopWorkshopsBeartzJoin award-winning artist and educator Helen Dannelly for a transformational week of painting, inspiration, and connection in the enchanting Pyrenees-Atlantiques region of Southwest France.ExhibitionTelluride Plein Air – Call for Artists (2027)Sheridan Arts FoundationOpen call for plein‑air painters (18+) to exhibit and sell work at the 24th annual Telluride Plein Air celebration, with a $55 submission fee.CompetitionKao International Environment Painting Contest for ChildrenKao CorporationKao aims to realize a world in which all life lives in harmony by creating a cleaner, more beautiful and healthier life for all people and the planet.AwardThe Bennett Prize 5The Bennett PrizeThe Bennett Prize is a biennial award of $75,000 for women figurative realist painters, offering a solo exhibition, traveling show, and a $50 entry fee; applications close on September 19, 2026.ExhibitionArtist Opportunities #734The Art LeagueEvery week we gather a variety of artist opportunities from the DC area and beyond. Find one below and apply today — good luck! Click… [ Keep reading ](https://www.theartleague.org/blog/2025/06/24/artist-opportunities-734/)CompetitionPastel 100 – 28th Annual Painting CompetitionPastel Journal & Artists NetworkThe 28th Annual Pastel 100 competition, organized by Pastel Journal and Artists Network, invites pastel artists worldwide to submit works in five categories for cash prizes, art materials, membership benefits, and publication in the Spring 2027 issue of Pastel Journal.ExhibitionOpen Call: Summer Show Jul 22 – Sep 12, 2026Francis GalleryFrom the gallery's outset, I've been looking for ways to support a wider group of artists beyond our main program, and this open call is the fullest expression of that intention so far.AwardShirley Hannan National Portrait Award 2026South East Centre for Contemporary Art (SECCA)SECCA invites artists from across Australia to submit entries for the Shirley Hannan National Portrait Award 2026, a $50,000 non-acquisitive award for realistic portrait painting.AwardBasil Sellers Art Prize 2026Basil Sellers Exhibition CentreThe Basil Sellers Art Prize is a major national Australian art prize celebrating 2D works across painting, drawing and printmaking, offering a prize pool of over $55,000.ResidencyResidency ApplicationThe Helene Wurlitzer Foundation of New MexicoApplications for artist residency grants in 2028 will open on January 19, 2026. Applications submitted by January 18, 2027 at 11:59 PM [MST] will be considered for the residency sessions shown below.CompetitionGolden Demon at SPIEL Essen 2026SPIEL EssenGolden Demon is the premier miniature painting competition at SPIEL Essen 2026, offering medals and the Slayer Sword to winning artists.ExhibitionOpen Call for Artworks – Ukrainian Art in Prishtina 2027 CalendarHave you created a painting inspired by Ukrainian decorative art?ResidencyBurnt Sienna Berlin Artist Residency & Mentoring ProgrammeBurnt Sienna BerlinBurnt Sienna Berlin offers a one‑month residency for painters and visual artists, providing studio space, mentorship and a supportive community.WorkshopNewOpen Call | Waterford Artist Group Mentoring Scheme 2026 from Waterford City & County CouncilWaterford City & County CouncilA subsidised mentoring scheme for emerging visual artists in painting and drawing, offering online group sessions and in‑person meet‑ups over 12 weeks.ScholarshipNSHSS Visual Arts Scholarship 2026National Society of High School ScholarsThe NSHSS Visual Arts Scholarship 2026 offers two $2,000 awards for photography and two $2,000 awards for painting, drawing, mixed media, and digital art.GrantThe Adolph & Esther Gottlieb Emergency GrantAdolph & Esther Gottlieb FoundationThe Adolph and Esther Gottlieb Emergency Grant program is intended to provide interim financial assistance to qualified painters, printmakers, and sculptors whose needs are the result of an unforeseen, catastrophic incident, and who lack the resources to meet that situation.AwardTip #1: Read the rulesThe Bennett Prize (Muskegon Museum of Art)Don't change your style to match what you think jurors are looking forCompetitionSir William Orpen Prize – The Orpen Prize 2026Sir William Orpen PrizeThe Sir William Orpen Prize 2026 invites Irish artists living in Ireland or abroad, as well as overseas artists residing in Ireland, to submit a self‑portrait (painting, drawing or sculpture) for a total prize fund of €5,000.CompetitionSugar Land Arts Fest - Murals (2026) Open CallSugar Land Cultural Arts FoundationThe Sugar Land Cultural Arts Foundation (SLCAF) is seeking four accomplished muralists to participate as live mural painters for the 2026 Sugar Land Arts and Music Fest.GrantArtist Support Grant for IndividualsRegion 2 Arts CouncilThe R2AC Artist Support Grant program, made available with funding from the McKnight Foundation, replaces our Individual Artist Grant program from prior years. This grant provides financial assistance to artists/creators/artisans/craftspeople (painters, writers, musicians, dancers, woodcarvers, knitters, filmmakers, sculptors, jewelry makers, poets, potters, basketmakers, etc.) or culture bearers in any stage, beginning to expert, of their creative development.ResidencyArtists in Residence program at St. Andrew's CastleSt. Andrew’s Castle (Szent András Kastély)A one‑month residency for four painters at St. Andrew’s Castle in Hungary, offering private studio, accommodation, meals and wellness facilities.ResidencyRoutes 2 Roots Launches One-Year Certified Cultural Courses to Promote Indian Arts and HeritageRoutes 2 RootsA one‑year online certified cultural course offering live classes in Madhubani painting, Hindustani classical vocal music and Tabla, open to international students, ICCR alumni and foreign nationals.ExhibitionBeechers 2026 Open Exhibition - AutumnBeecher'sBeecher's Open Exhibition invites UK‑based artists working in painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, mixed media, photography or digital art to submit works for a group show in autumn 2026.ResidencyARTISTIC RESIDENCY - GuimarãesPousada Mosteiro em GuimarãesSeven-day tile painting residencyExhibitionArrival Gallery - Osaka Group ShowArrival GalleryArrival Gallery invites emerging, independent and mid‑career visual artists to apply for a group exhibition in Osaka, Japan. The call is open to painting, sculpture, mixed media, photography, digital and textile practices.ResidencyHwinzo Artist ResidencyHwinzo offers a rolling artist residency in Tofo Beach, Inhambane, Mozambique, providing studio space, outdoor areas, and community collaboration for painters, musicians, writers, and makers.Exhibition2027 Small Stones Festival of the ArtsWorcester County Camera Club and Blackstone Valley Art AssociationA juried exhibition for fine‑art painting and photography, offering catalogue publication and online gallery exposure, with a $10 entry fee and a deadline of October 1 2026.CompetitionPietra Prize 2026LIC‑Artists, Inc.Open call for collaborative drawings, paintings, collages or sculptures; exhibition at LIC‑A Art Space Oct 1‑Nov 10 2026; $30 (general) or $20 (members) fee.ExhibitionTarot and Oracle: The Art of DivinationPerry Lawson Fine ArtPerry Lawson Fine Art invites U.S.-based artists 18+ to submit paintings, drawings, photography, digital art, prints, and sculpture inspired by tarot and oracle for a juried group exhibition running Nov 21, 2026 – Jan 10, 2027.FellowshipA $90,000 Graduate Fellowship for Immigrants & Children of Immigrants in the Visual ArtsPaul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New AmericansThe Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans supports immigrants and children of immigrants pursuing graduate study in the United States — including visual artists, designers, architects, and filmmakers.WorkshopCelebrate French Textiles with Nichole Vogelsinger of wildbohoChateau DumasJoin Nichole Vogelsinger, of wildboho, for an immersive exploration of color and texture through embroidery.ResidencyParma launches AI Horizons: international call on art in the age of algorithms360° Creativity Events APSThe exhibition David Salle. Painting in the Present Tense, curated by Luca Massimo Barbero, director of the Giorgio Cini Foundation’s Institute of Art History, and on view from May 5 to Sept. 27, 2026, is supported by Thaddaeus Ropac Gallery.ResidencyBotanical Watercolor Retreat with Artist Lara Call Gastinger in ScotlandPaint with artist Lara Call Gastinger in ScotlandResidencyThe Pottery Workshop, Jingdezhen Jingdezhen/景德镇市The Pottery Workshop, JingdezhenEvery day is a different experience. In order to create work, one must form relationships with those who make molds, sell glaze, process clay, fires the public kiln, china painters, crack menders, box makers and the list goes on. Our program includes all these individuals who are steps away from The Pottery Workshop. Without them, we would not be here today. There is no residency in the world like The Pottery Workshop.ExhibitionColours of Humanity Arts Exhibition 2026The European Union Office to Hong Kong and Macao, the Goethe-Institut, and Eaton HKOpen call for Hong Kong and Macau artists to submit works exploring Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for a group exhibition at Goethe Gallery HK, with a residency prize and honorarium.CompetitionJuly 2026 Salon Art PrizeStreamline Publishing, Inc. (PleinAir Salon)Online art competition offering $65,000 in cash prizes, including a $15,000 grand prize.Exhibition2027 Waterfowl FestivalWaterfowl FestivalThe Waterfowl Festival is a premier wildlife art and conservation event in Maryland, inviting artists to exhibit waterfowl and wildlife‑themed works for sale.