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!
December 19, 2025 12 days left
Blue Sky 2026 Pacific Northwest Drawers
Exhibition
- Submission Deadline: December 19, 2025
- Eligibility: Regional
- Categories: Photography
- Location: Oregon, United States
Blue Sky, Oregon Center for the Photographic Arts, is now accepting submissions for the 2026 Pacific Northwest Drawers. Photographic artists based in Alaska, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington are welcome to apply. There is no application fee to enter. Since 2007, with the establishment of the Pacific Northwest Drawers (PNW Drawers) program, Blue Sky has been showcasing the diverse photography coming out of the region. Annually, photographers from the Pacific Northwest are selected by an outside jury to exhibit 10 prints in accessible drawers for a year. The role of the juror is to determine from the submissions the strongest and the most evocative work representing a wide range of styles, subject matter, themes, and photographic processes.
December 22, 2025 15 days left
Threshold Gallery 2026 Call for Submissions
Exhibition
- Organization: Threshold Gallery
- Submission Deadline: December 22, 2025
- Eligibility: Regional
- Categories: Craft/Traditional Arts, Photography, Drawing, Film/Video/New Media, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Painting, Sculpture
- Location: Seattle, WA, United States
Threshold Gallery is seeking emerging or established artists for the upcoming 2026 exhibit season. The season includes four seven-week exhibit periods open to individual or collaborative artists. Visual artists and collaborative visual teams of no more than three members are eligible to apply. Threshold Gallery was established by Mithun in 2008 to connect people with art, artists and the built environment, as well as to inspire and drive our work as designers. It is a multi-level gallery space located within the lobby of Seattle’s historic Pier 56.
Ongoing
Price Sculpture Forest Exhibition Opportunity
Exhibition
- Organization: Price Sculpture Forest
- Submission Deadline: Ongoing
- Award Info: Early participants receive 100% of sales proceeds with no commission; marketing support provided
- Eligibility: International
- Categories: Sculpture
- Location: Coupeville, Washington
Price Sculpture Forest in Coupeville, Washington, invites sculptors to exhibit their work in a natural forest setting. The park features two themed trails: "Nature Nurtured," showcasing sculptures inspired by natural elements, and "Whimsy Way," highlighting playful and imaginative pieces. Sculptures should be durable for year-round outdoor display.
Ongoing
Breck Create Artist in Residence Program
Residency
- Organization: Breck Create
- Submission Deadline: Ongoing
- Award Info: $600 stipend biweekly; Live/work studio in the Breckenridge Arts District
- Eligibility: National
- Categories: Craft/Traditional Arts, Photography, Drawing, Film/Video/New Media, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Painting, Sculpture
- Location: Breckenridge, Colorado
Breck Create’s Artist-in-Residence program offers artists across all disciplines the opportunity to focus on their creative process while engaging meaningfully with the local community. Residencies span 2 to 4 months, during which artists reside in a live/work studio within the Breckenridge Arts District, an intimate campus of historic structures nestled under majestic snow-capped peaks in cozy downtown Breckenridge. During the school year, artists serve as guest instructors in Summit County schools, providing support and supplemental curriculum to teachers. In the summertime, artists identify and collaborate with a community partner or organization on educational programs. Artists are expected to facilitate two weekly open studios on campus, instruct weekly lessons in schools and on campus, participate in on-campus public events, and collaborate with a community partner. Priority is given to artists with teaching experience.
Ongoing
2025 Open Call for Exhibits at The Gallery at Graphite Arts Center
Exhibition
- Organization: Graphite Arts Center
- Submission Deadline: Ongoing
- Eligibility: National
- Categories: Craft/Traditional Arts, Photography, Drawing, Film/Video/New Media, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Painting, Sculpture
- Location: Edmonds, WA, United States
The Gallery at Graphite is seeking proposals for high quality art exhibits for their 760 sq ft gallery space in downtown Edmonds. Curators and established art groups (societies, associations, clubs, leagues, etc.) are encouraged to apply with a proposal. The Gallery at Graphite is a program of the non-profit organization Art Start Northwest.
January 2, 2026 26 days left
1st Annual Open Juried Exhibition
Competition
- Submission Deadline: January 2, 2026
- Event Dates: February 6, 2026 - March 6, 2026
- Entry Fee: $40.00
- Eligibility: Regional
- Categories: Craft/Traditional Arts, Photography, Drawing, Film/Video/New Media, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Painting, Sculpture
- Location: San Francisco, California
West Portal Gallery invites artists residing in the San Francisco Bay Area to submit artwork for consideration in their 1st Annual Open Juried Exhibition. This exhibition will showcase the depth and diversity of creative practice in the region and celebrate the role of art in community life. Works will be juried by volunteer members of Azgour Art Group (azgourartgroup.com), a community of artists dedicated to education, mentorship, and artistic growth. Selected works will be professionally presented in salon style in the gallery, accompanied by an opening reception, live music, and refreshments.
As a new community-based contemporary art space, West Portal Gallery is dedicated to presenting high-quality, accessible artwork and providing opportunities for artists and residents alike to connect through exhibitions, cultural events, and educational programs. With rotating exhibitions, cultural evenings, and professional development opportunities, the gallery is becoming a growing space for both artists and community members alike.
January 2, 2026 26 days left
Blue Line Arts Off Center 2026 Competition
Competition
- Submission Deadline: January 2, 2026
- Event Dates: March 21, 2026 - May 2, 2026
- Entry Fee: $35
- Award Info: $500 1st place
- Eligibility: International
- Categories: Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Sculpture
- Location: Roseville, California
Blue Line Arts invites artists to participate in its annual ceramics exhibition, Off Center. Recognizing ceramics as one of the world’s oldest art forms, the organization continues to champion innovation and experimentation within the medium. The exhibition seeks works that are “off center” in every sense—art that challenges, surprises, and redefines the role of ceramics in contemporary practice. From sprawling installations and bold multi-part sculptures to unconventional pieces that push beyond the traditional vessel, artists are encouraged to explore new perspectives and possibilities in clay.
January 2, 2026 26 days left
On the Rise 2026 Exhibition
Exhibition
- Submission Deadline: January 2, 2026
- Entry Fee: $25
- Eligibility: National
- Categories: Craft/Traditional Arts, Photography, Drawing, Film/Video/New Media, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Painting, Sculpture
- Location: Roseville, California
Blue Line Arts in Roseville, CA is thrilled to announce the return of On the Rise, our regional emerging artist exhibition! This exhibit is dedicated to showcasing exceptional artwork created by artists aged 14 to 24. On the Rise is the perfect opportunity to elevate budding artists and connect them with the wider community, or give young artists their first opportunity to show in a gallery space.
Submissions in any medium, including painting, sculpture, digital art, photography, and more are welcome
January 4, 2026 28 days left
51st Annual Juried University of Wyoming Student Exhibit
Exhibition
- Submission Deadline: January 4, 2026
- Event Dates: February 21, 2026 - May 16, 2026
- Award Info: scholarship and purchase awards
- Categories: Craft/Traditional Arts, Photography, Drawing, Film/Video/New Media, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Painting, Sculpture
- Location: Larimie, Wyoming
A highlight of the University of Wyoming Art Museum’s exhibition program, the 51st Annual Juried University of Wyoming Student Exhibition presents the artwork from selected University of Wyoming students. Open to any student currently enrolled at UW, including in-state students in the Distance Learning Program, the 2026 exhibition is juried juried by Lindsay Metivier, photographer, educator, and gallerist, Peel Gallery, Carrboro, North Carolina. In conjunction with the Art Museum’s larger exhibition Sympoiesis: Co-Creating Sense of Place, this year’s student juried exhibition will be organized around work exploring “entanglement.” This theme can be broadly interpreted to encompass work that investigates collaborative relationships, interdependence, and the ways that beings, ideas, and systems become intertwined through mutual influence and shared creation. The student exhibition provides a professional development opportunity for students to present their work in a museum setting.
January 4, 2026 28 days left
Gone to the Dogs 8
Exhibition
- Submission Deadline: January 4, 2026
- Event Dates: January 16, 2026 - March 1, 2026
- Entry Fee: $38
- Eligibility: Local
- Categories: Craft/Traditional Arts, Photography, Drawing, Film/Video/New Media, Mixed-Media/Multi-Discipline, Painting, Sculpture
- Location: Denver, Colorado
“Gone To The Dogs 8” January 16 - March 1, 2026.
8th Juried show of artworks depicting the dog.
(Each artwork must have at least one image of a dog or part of a dog)
Presented by Niza Knoll Gallery
NO AI OR GICLÉ
All other media accepted, oil, acrylic, watercolor, drawing, ink, assemblage, collage, prints, photography and sculpture (stone, clay, wood, paper, paper mache, bronze).
NO SHIPPING or delivery services
Juror: Niza Knoll