Guide to the Best Artist Grants and Opportunities in the Western 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 Western 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 West.
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!
October 12, 2025 1 day left
Oregon Contemporary Curator in Residence
Residency
- Organization: Oregon Contemporary
- Submission Deadline: October 12, 2025
- Award Info: curatorial honorarium is $8000 with an additional stipend of $500 per week
- Eligibility: International
- Categories: Craft/Traditional Arts, Photography, Drawing, Film/Video/New Media, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Painting, Sculpture
- Location: Portland, OR
Oregon Contemporary invites proposals for its Curator in Residence (CIR) program for the 2026–27 exhibition season. The CIR program offers a unique opportunity for mid-career curators to deepen their practice through a research residency that culminates in a major group exhibition in FY2027. Designed for curators with an established body of work, the program supports rigorous research, interdisciplinary exchange, and engagement with contemporary discourse, with a special emphasis on Oregon’s artistic landscape. The curator will visit Portland in late spring of 2026 and be in residence for up to a month at Sitka in fall of 2026 as they prepare for a 2027 exhibition at Oregon Contemporary. The exhibition curatorial honorarium is $8000 with an additional stipend of $500 per week available during the Sitka residency.
October 16, 2025 5 days left
2025 Members' Exhibition: Diptychs
Exhibition

- Organization: East Bay Photo Collective
- Submission Deadline: October 16, 2025
- Event Dates: December 5, 2025 - January 18, 2026
- Eligibility: Local
- Location: Oakland, California 94607, United States
This open call is guest juried by John Park.
October 17, 2025 6 days left
Modern Media
Exhibition

- Organization: Art Scene West
- Submission Deadline: October 17, 2025
- Event Dates: November 10, 2025 - January 4, 2026
- Entry Fee: $35
- Award Info: Gallery Exhibition
- Eligibility: International
- Categories: Photography, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Painting, Sculpture
- Location: San Diego, CA 92101, United States
Art Scene West invites artists worldwide to submit work for Modern Media, a curated exhibition celebrating innovative and non-traditional approaches in bringing their visions to life. This exhibition continues our commitment to spotlighting works that push boundaries and intrigues diverse audiences. Selected pieces will be displayed in our gallery in Seaport Village of San Diego, California—America’s Finest City.
If you create with acrylic, spray paint, collage, digital art, resin, wood, mixed media, photography, glass, fiber, or other non-traditional methods, this call is for you. Artists may enter up to 4 works, or a total of 4 images, per submission. Artworks are juried according to their originality, overall quality, and relevance to the exhibition theme, as determined by submitted images, compared to all other submissions.
October 21, 2025 10 days left
Peninsula Art League 23rd National Fine Art Show
Exhibition
- Organization: Peninsula Art League
- Submission Deadline: October 21, 2025
- Event Dates: November 14, 2025 - December 3, 2025
- Entry Fee: $40 an up
- Award Info: Prizes and gift certificates totaling more than $6,500
- Eligibility: National
- Categories: Craft/Traditional Arts, Photography, Drawing, Film/Video/New Media, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Painting, Sculpture
- Location: Gig Harbor, WA, United States
Peninsula Art League (PAL) is proud to present the 23rd National Fine Art Show (NFAS), their annual juried art exhibition celebrating excellence in two- and three-dimensional and photo/digital art. This prestigious show (formerly the Open Juried Show) has a long-standing tradition of attracting outstanding submissions from talented artists across the country. PAL invites local, regional, and national artists to submit their work to be juried for exhibition by noted Northwest artist, educator, and curator Cable Griffith. Prizes and gift certificates totaling more than $6,500 will be awarded.
October 23, 2025 12 days left
Art on the Street 2026 Call for Outdoor Sculptures
Public Art & Proposals
- Submission Deadline: October 23, 2025
- Event Dates: October 17, 2026
- Award Info: $1,200 honorarium for the selected winner. Three additional prizes are awarded each year: the $1000 Jean Mellblom Award for Artistic Excellence; the $500 People's Choice Award; and the $500 Most Inspiring! Award.
- Eligibility: National
- Categories: Sculpture
- Location: Lafayette, Colorado, United States
Exhibit your sculpture outdoors in downtown Lafayette, Colorado for one year. Artists who participate in Lafayette's Art on the Street (AOTS) sculpture on loan program tell them that we are one of the best programs they've experienced. They feature each sculpture on its own web page and brochures are printed in English and Spanish. If your sculpture is selected by the Public Art Committee the honorarium is $1,200 for a one year installation. Three additional prizes are awarded each year: the $1000 Jean Mellblom Award for Artistic Excellence; the $500 People's Choice Award; and the $500 Most Inspiring Award.
October 26, 2025 15 days left
City of Lynnwood Arts Commission: Exhibition proposals 2026
Exhibition
- Organization: City of Lynnwood Arts Commission
- Submission Deadline: October 26, 2025
- Eligibility: State
- Categories: Craft/Traditional Arts, Photography, Drawing, Film/Video/New Media, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Painting, Sculpture
- Location: Lynnwood, WA, United States
City of Lynnwood Arts Commission invite visual artists of ALL AGES who reside in Washington State to apply. Exhibits are held at beautiful City Hall Art Gallery. Artists are juried by the Lynnwood Arts Commission and will be notified by early December. (Youth artists can also apply to exhibit at the Lynnwood Rec Center. See www.LynnwoodArts.org).

October 30, 2025 19 days left
Trailblazer art show
Exhibition
- Organization: Nuwave Gallery
- Submission Deadline: October 30, 2025
- Event Dates: December 4, 2025 - March 2, 2026
- Eligibility: International
- Categories: Craft/Traditional Arts, Photography, Drawing, Film/Video/New Media, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Painting, Sculpture
- Location: Ellensburg, WA, United States
Nuwave Gallery invites artists working in painting, drawing, photography, sculpture, mixed media, and digital works to submit to Trailblazers. Submissions should reflect the theme of pioneering spirit, exploration, or modern reinvention of the West. Both literal and abstract approaches are encouraged. From the rugged ranges of Central Washington to the vast Pacific shores, trailblazers have always shaped the way we see and experience the world. This show celebrates the spirit of those who forge new paths—whether cowboys and pioneers of the past, modern explorers pushing boundaries, or individuals who challenge convention in bold new ways.
October 31, 2025 20 days left
2026/2027 Outdoor Sculpture Gallery
Public Art & Proposals
- Submission Deadline: October 31, 2025
- Event Dates: March 27, 2026 - March 27, 2027
- Entry Fee: $25.00
- Award Info: $1,000 stipend
- Eligibility: National
- Categories: Sculpture
- Location: St. George, Utah, United States
The Art Around the Corner Foundation (AACF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the arts, enriching the community, and bringing fine art to Southern Utah. AACF works in close partnership with the City of St. George to curate its nationally recognized annual outdoor sculpture show. Now in its 22nd year, AACF recruits world-class, professional artists to participate in a unique “art-on-loan” program. Each year, the Foundation solicits, selects, and installs approximately 35 new sculptures throughout Historic Downtown St. George, creating a vibrant cultural experience that is freely accessible to the public year-round. Sculptures are exhibited for one year and are available for sale or lease to public and private collectors. More than $1,000,000 in sales have been generated to date, including acquisitions by local businesses and the City of St. George for its permanent collection.
October 31, 2025 20 days left
2026 – 2028 Pre-Qualified Artist Pool: The Salt Lake City Arts Council’s Public Art Program
Public Art & Proposals
- Submission Deadline: October 31, 2025
- Eligibility: State
- Categories: Craft/Traditional Arts, Photography, Drawing, Film/Video/New Media, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Painting, Sculpture
- Location: Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
- Online Only: Yes
The Salt Lake City Arts Council’s Public Art Program invites artists and artist-led teams residing in Utah to submit qualifications for potential inclusion in the 2026 – 2028 Pre-Qualified Artist Pool for upcoming public art opportunities located in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Pre-Qualified Artist Pool supports Utah-based public artists by integrating more artwork and artistic elements into citywide infrastructure. It also serves as a community resource for recommending artists for a variety of new public art commissions. In recent years, the Public Art Program has received increased interest from private developers, local businesses, other Salt Lake City divisions and departments, and community members seeking to collaborate with local artists. Artists in the Pool will be featured on a public roster that is publicly available to anyone looking to commission public art.
November 3, 2025 23 days left
Go Figure: The Art of the Human Form
Exhibition
- Submission Deadline: November 3, 2025
- Event Dates: November 20, 2025 - January 30, 2026
- Entry Fee: Submission Fee $30 or $25 for OHCA members
- Eligibility: International
- Categories: Craft/Traditional Arts, Photography, Drawing, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Painting, Sculpture
- Location: California, United States
- Online Only: Yes
O’Hanlon Center for the Arts invites you to submit work for their Online show: GO FIGURE - The Art of the Human Form. For this online exhibition they are looking for creative and imaginative expressions of the human form, whether it be abstract or representational. All media except video welcome and encouraged. Deadline to apply is Monday Nov 3 by 11 pm Pacific Time.