Guide to the Best Artist Grants and Opportunities in the Southwestern U.S.
The Artwork Archive team set out to find the best art opportunities, artist grants, and calls for entry for visual artists in the Southwestern United States.
Below you will find a list of the top artist residencies, international open calls, artist grants, exhibition opportunities and art competitions that we believe will benefit artists, specifically in the Southwest.
Remember, you can now save the important deadlines for your favorite opportunities right in your Artwork Archive account.
When you find a call that interests you, simply click ‘Add to Schedule' and the call's deadline will be automatically added to your Schedule. You'll also receive weekly reminders to keep you on top of your game.
We will be updating this list throughout the year, so make sure to bookmark the page, check back often, and let us know if there is an opportunity that should be listed!
December 5, 2025 Ends today
To Alter or Abolish: A Group Exhibition in Celebration of the 250th Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence
Exhibition
- Submission Deadline: December 5, 2025
- Entry Fee: $10
- Eligibility: International
- Categories: Craft/Traditional Arts, Photography, Drawing, Film/Video/New Media, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Painting, Sculpture
- Location: Arizona, United States
The Yavapai College Prescott Art Gallery will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence with a group exhibition on the art of protest, propaganda, and communication in the public sphere. They are looking for art that explores these essential social actions from historical and contemporary perspectives. Artists working in any medium, including painting, sculpture, photography, textiles, ceramics, printmaking, digital art, and beyond, are encouraged to showcase their work in a vibrant and inclusive gallery setting.
December 8, 2025 3 days left
Merry Kitschmas: a Nostalgic Holiday Art and Ornament Show Group Art Show Application
Exhibition
- Submission Deadline: December 8, 2025
- Entry Fee: $15
- Eligibility: Local
- Categories: Craft/Traditional Arts, Photography, Drawing, Film/Video/New Media, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Painting, Sculpture
- Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States
Mycelium Gallery presents "Merry Kitschmas" a Nostalgic Holiday, Ornaments, Kitsch Decor and Art, anything Christmas, Yuletide, and New Year Related. All mediums, formats and styles accepted, as long as it is in theme of Nostalgic Holiday, Ornaments, Kitsch, etc.
December 29, 2025 24 days left
"This Is Home" - Juried Art Call For Entry
Competition
- Organization: Palette of Roses Art League
- Submission Deadline: December 29, 2025
- Event Dates: January 9, 2026 - March 2, 2026
- Entry Fee: $35.00
- Award Info: Submission Limit: 3 pieces per submission. Submission Fee: $35 Awards: 1) Best In Show Cash Award & Ribbon in the amount of $250 and a 2) People's Choice Cash Award & Ribbon in the amount of $150 The winner of the Best Of Show will be announced at the artist reception and awards ceremony held on Friday, January 9th from 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm. People's Choice Winner will be announced on Monday, March 9th Juror: A professional juror (TBA) will select participating works and award distinctions for excellence in concept and execution. IMPORTANT DATES: Entry Deadline: is 11:59pm December 29, 2025 Notification of Acceptance: January 2, 2025 Delivery of Accepted Work: January 7, 2025 Exhibition Dates: January 9 to March 2 Opening Reception: Friday January 9th, 6 to 8 pm at Gallery Main Street 110 W Erwin Street, Tyler, Texas 75702
- Eligibility: Local
- Location: Tyler, TX 75702, United States
- What does home look, sound, or feel like?
- How do migration, memory, or change shape our sense of home?
- In what ways can home be both sanctuary and limitation?
- Can home exist in language, tradition, or connection rather than place?
Sponsored by:
Palette of Rose Art League, Rose City Art Gallery, and the Tyler Arts & Culture Collective
January 5, 2026 31 days left
APS Celebrating Pastels 2026 Annual Juried Member Exhibition
Exhibition
- Submission Deadline: January 5, 2026
- Event Dates: February 6, 2026 - February 25, 2026
- Entry Fee: APS Members only: $50 per artist for up to three (3) images.
- Award Info: Over $3,000 in Cash & Merchandise to be awarded!
- Categories: Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline
- Location: Austin, Texas
Celebrating Pastels!
2026 All Member Juried Exhibition
February 6 thru 25, 2026 - A05 Gallery
Award Reception Friday, February 6 from 4-6pm
Guests are welcome!
January 8, 2026 34 days left
"Rising Eyes of Texas" Juried Texas Collegiate Show 2026
Competition
- Submission Deadline: January 8, 2026
- Event Dates: February 20, 2026 - March 29, 2026
- Entry Fee: $5 for up to three artwork submissions
- Award Info: cash prizes including $500 for First prize
- Eligibility: State
- Categories: Craft/Traditional Arts, Photography, Drawing, Film/Video/New Media, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Painting, Sculpture
- Location: Rockport, Texas
Every year, Rockport Center for the Arts hosts a statewide, juried exhibition for undergraduate and graduate students emerging in the visual arts. Cash prizes are awarded for first, second and third place.
Thanks to a generous donation from the Christopher and Jessica Giesey - Rising Eyes of Texas Scholarship Fund, submission fees are now just $5 for up to three artwork submissions. The Giesey family wants to support fledgling artists as they begin on their upward journey in the art world.
January 9, 2026 35 days left
Sedona Entrepreneurial Artist Development Program
Workshops & Classes
- Submission Deadline: January 9, 2026
- Event Dates: March 14, 2026 - March 15, 2026
- Award Info: Participants who successfully complete the program and create their accepted strategic plan within a year will each be eligible to apply for a $500 grant for implementation.
- Eligibility: National
- Categories: Craft/Traditional Arts, Photography, Drawing, Film/Video/New Media, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Painting, Sculpture
- Location: Sedona, Arizona
The Sedona Entrepreneurial Artist Development Program (SEAD) is a 2-day intensive opportunity that empowers visual artists to see their creative practice through an entrepreneurial lens. The SEAD curriculum explores tools to organize, plan, and sustain a creative career, with the goal of developing an individualized business plan to prepare each artist to take their creative endeavors to the next level. Participants will learn about topics including strategic planning, creating your artist statement, resume and bio, marketing, accounting and more. Participants who successfully complete the program and create their accepted strategic plan within a year will each be eligible to apply for a $500 grant for implementation.
January 10, 2026 36 days left
49th International Watermedia Exhibition
Exhibition
- Submission Deadline: January 10, 2026
- Event Dates: March 3, 2026 - March 29, 2026
- Entry Fee: $40
- Award Info: $10,000 in cash awards
- Eligibility: International
- Categories: Painting
- Location: Houston, Texas
The International Watermedia Exhibition (IWE) is one of two juried exhibitions held annually, the other being the Annual Members Exhibit (AME). Whereas AME is open to only WAS-H members, IWE showcases the excellence of watermedia artists from as far away as Australia, Bulgaria, China, Germany, India and the Netherlands. Selected by a renowned juror and judge, the paintings receive exposure in a month-long, open-to-the-public gallery exhibit as well as an online exhibit that lasts through the end of the year. Winning participants receive substantial cash awards.
January 18, 2026 44 days left
Montello Foundation Summer 2026 Residency
Residency
- Submission Deadline: January 18, 2026
- Entry Fee: $20
- Eligibility: International
- Categories: Craft/Traditional Arts, Photography, Drawing, Film/Video/New Media, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Painting, Sculpture
- Location: Montello, Nevada
Montello Foundation is a foundation dedicated to support artists who foster understanding of nature, its fragility and the need to protect it. The artist retreat at the Montello Foundation is meant to be a retreat from the urban environment. It provides a new perspective for residents’ work and give residents space and time for undisturbed experimentation and reflection for two weeks.
January 18, 2026 44 days left
Call for Artists: The Other Art Fair Dallas (May 2026)
Art fair
- Organization: The Other Art Fair, presented by Saatchi Art
- Submission Deadline: January 18, 2026
- Event Dates: May 7, 2026 - May 10, 2026
- Eligibility: International
- Categories: Photography, Drawing, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Painting, Sculpture
- Location: Dallas, TX 75207, United States
The Other Art Fair brings together over 130 independent artists to showcase boundary-pushing yet always accessible works, alongside immersive installations, live performances, and unexpected encounters.
Whether you’re at the beginning of your artistic journey or a seasoned pro, The Other Art Fair offers a unique platform for creative game-changing artists to share and sell their work directly to engaged collectors and passionate art lovers.
The Fair package includes a booth at the fair from May 7-10, 2026 with gallery-grade spotlights and a professional nameboard; 20 VIP tickets and unlimited discounted tickets for clients and guests; exclusive pre-fair workshops covering curation, operations and marketing; booth curation feedback, and more. Booths start at 16 linear feet (U-shaped, 4x8x4) for $2,050 + tax.
January 23, 2026 49 days left
Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours RI Annual Exhibition 2026
Exhibition
- Submission Deadline: January 23, 2026
- Entry Fee: £20 per work
- Award Info: prizes and awards worth over £10,000
- Eligibility: International
- Categories: Painting
- Location: London, United Kingdom
Artists are invited to submit work for exhibition alongside members of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours at the RI Exhibition 2026
The Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours (RI) seeks the best in contemporary watercolour and water-based media painting for the RI 214th Exhibition.
The show, in spring 2026, offers the opportunity to win prizes and awards worth over £10,000 and have your work seen by thousands of visitors to Mall Galleries. The exhibition is the largest of its kind, featuring over 400 of the finest works from around the world.