In search of an artist grant or opportunity? We have you covered.
With the world starting to open back up, we are seeing more opportunities for artists in the upcoming months.
Arts organizations are getting creative with how to host residencies, organize exhibitions and support the arts. New grants are popping up to distribute funds to artists during this time and new opportunities are getting created every day.
These opportunities can help keep your art business running—whether it’s an emergency grant, an open call, or even a residency down the road. To save you time searching, take a look at some of the opportunities for artists we’ve found with deadlines coming up in the month of April.
And, don't forget to download the Complete Guide to 2021 Artist Opportunities and save a copy of all the best opportunities this year to your desktop.
Ready to find the next big opportunity for your art business? Check out our April guide for artists (sorted by those deadlines coming up first):
Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants
New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) is proud to partner with the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation to administer a new emergency grant program called Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants. The Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants program provides one-time grants of up to $5,000 for unexpected medical, dental, and mental health emergencies experienced by artists in the past six months.
WHO: Open to visual and media artists and choreographers. Applicants must be 21 years or older at the time each cycle closes. Open to artists who reside in the United States, District of Columbia, or U.S. Territories.
AMOUNT: Up to $5,000
DEADLINE: January 6, 2021, for emergency treatment between May 1, 2020 and April 30, 2021.
FINE PRINT: Please review their artistic discipline definitions to determine that you are eligible before applying. Open to artists whose adjusted gross annual income is $75,000 or lower for an individual, or $150,000 for joint filers, averaged over the last two federal tax returns. Learn more here.
Artist Grant
Founded in 2017, Artist Grant is a new venture that aims to support and fund artists. To that end, this charitable organization funds the efforts of artists to continue their important work and contributions to society, providing a modest competitive grant of $500 to one artist every quarter.
WHO: Visual artists 18 and older from anywhere in the world
FIELD: Painting, drawing, printmaking, photography, stills of video/film, sculpture (of any type of material), ceramics, mixed/multiple media, installation, and other new or alternative media.
AMOUNT: $500 each grant cycle
DEADLINE: There are four grant cycle deadlines per year – January 15, April 15, July 15, and October 15.
FINE PRINT: There is an application fee of $25 USD that helps defray the costs of administering this grant so that they may continue to support and fund artists’ important work. You can learn more here.
The Harpo Foundation Grants
The Harpo Foundation seeks to stimulate creative inquiry and to encourage new modes of thinking about art. Applications are evaluated on the basis of the quality of the artist’s work, the potential to expand aesthetic inquiry, and its relationship to the foundation’s priority to provide support to visual artists who are under-recognized by the field.
WHO: Under-recognized US visual artists over the age of 21.
AMOUNT: The average grant is $6,000 and grant amounts do not exceed $10,000, with 7-10 grants awarded each year.
DEADLINE: April 2021
FINE PRINT: Students are not eligible. $15 application fee is required. You will need to submit an artist resume, artist statement, and work samples on the online application. Detailed FAQ here.
2021 NOT REAL ART Grant for Artists
The NOT REAL ART Grant encourages artists to explore, experiment, question and disrupt the status quo of today’s art world. While the Grant annually awards 6 artists $2000 with no strings attached, it also provides a platform to help them tell their story and promote their work to a wider audience. All grant recipients are featured on the NOT REAL ART Podcast and Blog and showcased in an annual Gallery Exhibition.
WHO: Visual artists 21 and older in the US and Canada
AMOUNT: 6 artists will receive $2000 each
DEADLINE: May 1, 2021
FINE PRINT: Grant recipients are selected based on their written application and artwork samples. Selected artists demonstrate a strong sense of ingenuity, emotion and craft in their work. Winners will be announced June 1, 2021. Learn more here.
ACS Studio Prize
The Artists’ Collecting Society (ACS) is offering one student or recent graduate £6,000 to contribute to the cost of an artist’s studio in a UK city of your choice. The Studio Prize was established by ACS in 2017 to help artists with the costs of rising studio rents. It recognizes the need for studio space and financial stability for emerging artists at the pivotal stage of beginning their careers.
WHO: UK art students and recent graduates
AMOUNT: £6,000 for a UK artist studio
DEADLINE: June 30, 2021
FINE PRINT: Prize opens April 1, 2021. The Prize is open to all final-year undergraduate and postgraduate students studying Fine Art and other creative courses. Artists who have graduated from such a course within the past four years are also invited to apply. Learn more here.
Sonoma Ceramic's Residence Program
Self-directed program for emerging or established ceramic artists. Two all-inclusive residencies offered each year for potters and ceramic sculptors.
WHO: Ceramic artists in the US
DATES: July - December 2021
LOCATION: Sonoma, CA
DEADLINE: April 5, 2021
FINE PRINT: Studio space and apartment provided. Solo exhibition at the end of the term
Halcyon Arts Lab Fellowship
At the intersection of art and social change, Halcyon Arts Lab is a five-month residential fellowship designed to provide support and resources to emerging artists working on projects which address issues of social justice, civic engagement, and community building. Arts Lab fellows strive to expand their practices and grow as leaders in their respective fields.
WHO: Emerging artists worldwide who are interested in further investigating a socially engaged practice and creating lasting connections and partnerships in Washington, DC.
DATES: August 31, 2021 - February 14, 2022
LOCATION: Washington, DC
DEADLINE: April 8, 2021
FINE PRINT: Halcyon defines emerging artists as an early-career artist who has demonstrated promising artistic development and demonstrates dedication to their practices but is at a pivotal point in their career where they could benefit from further training and support. Learn more here.
Artist-in-Residence LUX Center For The Arts
LUX Center for the Arts has been the heart of creativity in Lincoln for more than 40 years. We provide an inclusive, community-focused environment for artists of all ages and skill levels. Our artists in the residency program allow us to teach and grow emerging artists by offering them studio space, quality teaching experience, and exhibiting work in our gallery. Our diverse programs, events, classes, and memberships are what make art happen in our community.
LUX Center for the Arts began its residency program in 2003 to provide emerging artists with opportunities to hone their studio skills and gain an appreciation for teaching public art classes for youth and adults. Residencies are offered in ceramics, painting, drawing, mixed media, fibers, metals, and darkroom photography. These opportunities are tailored to artists who have an appreciation for the community both at the LUX and within the larger context of Lincoln.
WHO: MFA or BFA in studio art. Residencies are granted based on the quality of work, community-mindedness, and experience. Residents teach a variety of classes to all age levels, so experience teaching and artists with more than one area of expertise are preferred.
LOCATION: Lincoln, NE
DEADLINE: April 8, 2021
FINE PRINT: Residency Benefits include: Studio Access – All residents are entitled to a free private studio space, 24-hour access to the building, and use of equipment in the studio area to which they applied. Ceramics residents have access to regularly stocked clay and glaze materials and free use of kilns in exchange for studio maintenance duties. All residents can buy materials from the LUX at cost.
Exhibition Opportunities – All residents are offered representation in the sales gallery for the duration of their residency. Residents of a year or longer are also given a solo exhibition during one of the final months of their residency. There are also two experimental galleries where residents can try their hand at curating group exhibitions as well as student and community shows.
Teaching Experience – Residents have priority for paid teaching opportunities including community art classes for youth and adults. Residents with an MFA or BFA in metalsmithing or ceramics may have the opportunity to teach college art classes for Doane College-Lincoln campus, held at the LUX.
Materials Stipend – Residents receive an $80 a month stipend that is intended to help purchase art supplies.
Conference Support – Residents can attend one conference each year of their residency. The maximum registration fee LUX will cover is $300 per resident per year.
Carbondale Clay Center Residency Program
The Carbondale Clay Center Ceramic Artist Residency Program is designed to encourage the creative, intellectual, and personal growth of emerging and established ceramic artists. This program is an ideal opportunity for a developing artist who is looking for a place to pursue focused work while gaining teaching experience and valuable technical skills. The selections are based on the quality and artistic merit of the work, and the diversity of the prospective group in terms of commitment, work, background, and stage of career development. There are two residents at a time. Ceramic artist residencies range from one to two years, starting September 1st and ending August 31st each year.
DEADLINE: April 9, 2021
DATES: September 1, 2021 - August 31, 2022
Entry Fee: 35
Eligibility: International
Categories: Craft/Traditional Arts, Sculpture
Location: Carbondale, CO 81623
MacDowell Colony Residency
The MacDowell Colony is the nation’s leading artist colony. The Colony nurtures the arts by offering creative individuals of the highest talent an inspiring environment in which they can produce enduring works of the imagination.
The MacDowell Colony provides time, space, and an inspiring environment to artists of exceptional talent. A MacDowell Fellowship, or residency, consists of exclusive use of a studio, accommodations, and three prepared meals a day for up to eight weeks. There are no residency fees.
WHO: Emerging and established artists may apply in the following disciplines: architecture, film/video arts, interdisciplinary arts, literature, music composition, theatre, and visual arts. Applicants who are enrolled in undergraduate or graduate degree programs as of the date of application are ineligible for a residency and therefore cannot apply. Doctoral candidates who have finished all coursework may apply.
DURATION: While artists may request residencies of up to eight weeks; the average stay is 30 days. There is no minimum length of stay; however, a recommended stay is no less than a two-week residency, if possible.
LOCATION: Peterborough, NH
DEADLINE: April 15th for the Fall period (October 1st – January 31st); and September 15th for the Winter-Spring period (February 1st – May 31st).
FINE PRINT: Each year about 300 Fellowships, or residencies, are awarded to artists in seven disciplines. A Fellowship consists of exclusive use of a private studio, accommodations, and three prepared meals a day for two weeks to two months. MacDowell does not offer classes or instruction. Get the FAQ here.
Sleeping Bear Dunes Artist in Residence Program
The picturesque National Lakeshore is ideally suited for an Artist-in-Residence program. It is a hilly region fringed with massive coastal plateaus and sand dunes, and dotted with clear lakes. The residency program provides artists the opportunity to capture the moods of Sleeping Bear Dunes in their particular medium.
The program provides rent-free use of a park house located in the vicinity of the village of Empire (no pets). You may also choose to stay at a campsite in one of the developed mainland campgrounds.
WHO: Professional American writers, composers and visual artists, including photographers, whose work can be influenced and enhanced by this superb Michigan scene.
DATES: Two 3-week residencies are available during September and October 2021
LOCATION: Sleeping Bear Dunes, Michigan
AMOUNT: A stipend, or living allowance, of $800 per month is offered along with $100 for a spouse/partner and $200 per child living with the grantee. Housing provided.
DEADLINE: April 15, 2021 —letter submission
FINE PRINT: The artist is asked to donate to the park an original piece of work representative of their medium, produced during the residency, and to contribute to the advancement of the park's mission. This is done by sharing knowledge with the public during the final week of residency through a workshop, demonstration, reading, slide talk, etc. In addition, the artist must be willing to interact with park visitors when contacts are made in the field while working. Donated works will be displayed in the park or shared with the public through other appropriate means. Learn more here.
CultureHub Residency
CultureHub envisions a world where technology amplifies our humanity rather than diminishes it. We support artists who critically examine technology from a diverse array of mediums and creative perspectives. The residency program is designed to support artists as they take risks and target specific areas of their project’s development.
WHO: Professional American writers, composers and visual artists, including photographers, whose work can be influenced and enhanced by this superb Michigan scene.
DATES: Year-long residencies will take place between July 1, 2021–June 30, 2022, and will be anchored in either New York or Los Angeles, using a hybrid approach that uses both in-person and online methodologies for collaboration and public engagement.
LOCATION: New York or Los Angeles
AMOUNT: A $2500 stipend for the development of their project, which can be used how the artist sees fit (i.e.: to obtain materials, pay collaborators, and to compensate the resident for their participation in the program).
DEADLINE: April 18, 2021
FINE PRINT: Inlcluded in the residency: Access to the CultureHub studio, equipment, and technical support, including the option to have 1 full week of dedicated time in residence at the studios in New York and Los Angeles, which are flexible spaces equipped with reconfigurable lighting, audio, video, and projection systems.; Assistance with photo and video documentation of the project; Organize at least one public offering for the CultureHub community, which may take the form of a talk, performance, workshop, exhibition, etc.
Studio Museum Artist Residency
Since 1968, the Studio Museum has earned recognition for its catalytic role in advancing the work of visual artists of African and Afro-Latinx descent through its Artist-in-Residence program. The program has supported over 100 graduates who have gone on to highly regarded careers.
Every year, the Museum offers an eleven-month residency for three local, national, or international emerging artists working in any media. Each artist receives institutional guidance and professional development, research support, and a stipend of 20K paid out on a bi-weekly basis over the course of the residency.
WHO: Artists should not currently be in school or committed to another residency while in the Studio Museum Artist-in-Residence program.
DEADLINE: April 19, 2021
LOCATION: Harlem, New York
FINE PRINT: At present, the Museum is not able to guarantee the offering of physical studio spaces due to the ongoing restrictions and limitations as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; the Museum will continue to keep applicants informed as updates develop. Learn more here.
Triangle France
This opportunity will enable early/mid-career artists to undertake a residency at Triangle - Astérides, Centre d'art Contemporain in Marseille for 14 weeks. Triangle - Astérides’ residencies are opportunities for self-led professional development, artistic exchange, and experimentation.
WHO: Residency program dedicated to French and international artists.
DEADLINE: April 29, 2021
LOCATION: Marseille, France
DATES: Session #1: 5 January - 12 April, 2022; Session #2: 20 April - 26 July, 2022; Session #3: 6 September - 12 December, 2022
FINE PRINT: Residency details: An individual 60 sqm studio space, an individual room in a 90 sqm apartment shared with other residents;1 000 euros artist fee. Prior to the residency, Triangle - Astérides is available to assist the selected artists in their additional fundraising endeavours; Administrative, logistical and curatorial assistance; Studio visits with professionals are organized by Triangle - Astérides during the residency.
Chinati Foundation’s Artists in Residence Program
The Artists in Residence program provides an opportunity for artists from around the world to work in a striking, natural environment. Exhibitions are often held at the conclusion of the residency. These become an important part of the museum’s temporary exhibition program, and provide a vital counterpoint to the permanent collection.
The Chinati Foundation provides a furnished apartment on the museum’s grounds and a studio in Marfa. Resident artists have access to Chinati’s collection and archive. A stipend of $1,500 is provided to assist with travel and art materials.
WHO:The residency supports the development of artists of diverse ages, backgrounds, and disciplines.
DEADLINE: April 30, 2021
LOCATION: Marfa, Texas
DATES: 2022 dates to be announced
FINE PRINT: $40 application fee. The Chinati Foundation maintains a casual environment, and it is up to the artists to develop their own work schedules. Marfa is a small town in a sparsely populated area of far West Texas, and artists may spend a great deal of time alone. A residency at Chinati is ideal for those artists who seek a quiet and sympathetic environment with few distractions. Residencies are two months long.
Off Center: An International Ceramic Competition
Since the first ceramics were created, like Venus of Dolní Věstonice, before 25,000 BCE and pottery vessels that were discovered in Jiangxi, China, which date back to 18,000 BCE, people have been fascinated with clay. Today, artists continue to astound us as they push the boundaries of our preconceived ideas of what ceramics represent. From playful pieces disguised as everyday objects to finely detailed vessels, ceramics delights and surprises us in its evolution. Whether you work in a more traditional style or prefer completely outlandish creations, we want to showcase your vision and techniques from around the world during this annual show.
WHO: International ceramicists
DATES: May 21, 2021 - July 3rd, 2021
LOCATION: Roseville, CA
AMOUNT: 1st Place: $500, 2nd Place: $300, 3rd Place: $100
DEADLINE: April 9, 2021
FINE PRINT: Application fee is $35 per entry, for up to 3 images. For each additional image, is it $5.
Healing From Within: Call For Art, Exhibition Curated By Tam Gryn, Head Curator Of Showfields
Create! Magazine Is Thrilled To Invite Visual Artists To Submit Their Work To A Juried International Virtual Exhibition With Tam Gryn, Current Head Curator At SHOWFIELDS.
Create! Magazine is an independent magazine that features contemporary art from around the world. This open call is an opportunity to submit your work for consideration for a curated virtual group show. If chosen, your work will be included in a virtual exhibition through Create! Magazine and promoted to our broad audience of international readers, collectors, and followers. Theme: Healing From Within. The broad theme, “Healing From Within” is open to the artist’s interpretation. Healing can mean medical, physical, emotional, spiritual or any other definition.
WHO: Artists from any country are welcome to apply with works in any medium: painting, sculpture, digital, printmaking, fiber, photography, mixed media, installation, and more.
DATES: July 1 - August 31, 2021
LOCATION: Online
DEADLINE: April 30, 2021
FINE PRINT: Entry Fee: $22. Artists may submit up to 10 individual (different artworks) pieces of work for consideration. You must complete the application via Submittable to be eligible for this opportunity. Learn more here.
Request for Proposals: The Kintsugi Spirit
The Japanese American Cultural & Community Center invites artists of all creative disciplines to interpret KINTSUGI, the Japanese philosophy of ‘golden repair,’ and showcase their art through a final video. Poetically translated to “golden repair,” kintsugi is the centuries-old Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold. As a philosophy, it treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise.
Consider how your art and art-making process can use kintsugi as an approach to individual or collective healing, and explore how your art can be shared using video in an innovative way.
WHO: All U.S.-based artists who are eligible to work in the United States. Artists across all creative disciplines are welcome, including, but not limited to: music, dance, theater, comedy, visual art, essays, poetry, video art, etc.
DATES: Commissioned artwork development period: June 1 - August 31, 2021; Virtual exhibit: September 25 - October 31, 2021
DEADLINE: April 30, 2021 at 11:59PM PST
FINE PRINT: Up to 5 artists will receive $2,000 to showcase their art through a final video (3-10 minutes) for a special virtual exhibit on JACCC’s website and social media. Learn more here.
Are you ready to apply?
Don’t miss out on the perfect call for your art business just because you can’t get your application together in time.
With Artwork Archive, you can manage jury-ready photos of your work, their inventory details, and up-to-date documents like artist statements and bios that make submitting easy. Plus, track the locations of your artwork so you never submit a piece that’s supposed to be showing somewhere else.
The best part is you can add the application and show dates to the “My Schedule” feature and receive email reminders before it’s time to submit and send off your work. You’ll never forget these opportunities or appear unprofessional again.
And, don’t forget to check out our Call-for-Entry page!
We showcase the best opportunities for artists, from juried shows and artist grants to public art commissions and residencies, with more opportunities being posted each day.
It’s free to use for artists across the globe. And, you can filter by opportunity type, location, event dates, eligibility, and more to find exactly what your art career needs to thrive.
Plus, find the Complete 2021 Opportunity Guide for Artists here.
