Currently 22 active visual and media arts grants, fellowships and residencies open to applicants in the US. Hand-curated and updated weekly. Almost every entry is funded; a few notable unpaid open calls and festival submissions are included as clearly flagged exceptions. Browse the list below, or use the interactive desk for filtering and shortlisting.
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Experimental Sound Studio (ESS) seeks proposals for four-channel sound compositions for installation in the Lincoln Park Conservatory Fern Room in Chicago, as part of its Florasonic series. One of the only ongoing sound-installation programs in the U.S., Florasonic has commissioned 47 original works since 2001, and in celebration of its 25th anniversary is launching the first open call in the series' history. Proposed projects should showcase the unique potential of multichannel sound in this highly public context and consider the location, which serves as a sanctuary and space of meditative calm for visitors of all ages; the strongest proposals support and enhance the atmosphere of the Fern Room (both plants and people). The selected work(s) play throughout open hours at the Conservatory. SUPPORT: a USD 1,500 artist fee per artist/team; the call is open to anyone in the world, but ESS can only support domestic (US) travel; there may be additional paid opportunities for live performance or activations during the run. ESS can provide up to 8 hours of technical support with mastering, spatialization and speaker distribution for artists with a clear vision who need help realizing it, but will NOT assist with production (recording, mixing, editing, arrangement). TECHNICAL: works 10 to 60 minutes long (with a period of silence between playback), using the full 4-channel system; selected artists submit a 4-channel interleaved audio file or 4 mono .wav files. TIMELINE: proposals due 14 June 2026; results 1 July; sound works due 10 August; soundcheck 10-15 August; opening 23 August; closing 11 October 2026. Supported by the Paul M. Angell Foundation.
Experimental Sound Studio (ESS) seeks proposals for multichannel sound compositions for the overhead trellis loudspeaker array at the Frank Gehry-designed Jay Pritzker Pavilion in downtown Chicago, presented as part of its annual Sonic Pavilion Festival (the ninth series of works on the pavilion's latticed 24-zone, 60-loudspeaker 'canopy of sound'). Sonic Pavilion is part of this year's America250 programs marking the 250th birthday of the United States, supported by the National Endowment for the Arts. PROPOSALS SHOULD: showcase the potential of multichannel sound in this public context using all 24 channels; consider the location and architecture of the system; and address the theme of community sound portraits, broadly reflecting or interpreting life in a U.S. community today or over the past 250 years (from musical compositions to field recordings). Narrative/voice works are tricky in this space, so ESS seeks more experimental, abstract interpretations with minimal spoken word. The 2026 Festival features 4-6 artists, each work played multiple times; each artist/team receives a USD 2,000 fee. ELIGIBILITY: artists living and working in the United States and its territories; artists travel to Chicago to work on the piece and participate in at least one engagement activation (live performance, workshop, artist talk, etc.), with additional funds for activation partners. ESS provides limited technical support for a small number of artists with a clear vision, but will NOT assist with production (recording, mixing, editing, arrangement). TECHNICAL: works around 14 minutes using the full 24-channel system; submit a 24-channel interleaved file or 24 mono .wav files. TIMELINE: proposals due 14 June 2026; results 19 June; sound works due 24 August; public soundcheck 30 August; final works 7 September; public showcase 12-14 September; 8-channel gallery iteration in December 2026. Presented with the City of Chicago DCASE and supported by the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation and the NEA.
Hennepin County Library (working with Forecast Public Art) is commissioning permanent artworks at the rebuilt Westonka Library in Mound, Minnesota. Two opportunities, with artists or teams applying to only one: Opportunity 1 - Commerce Porch ($60,000) for a sheltered outdoor gathering space (sculpture base up to 3' x 6', extending out up to 3', up to 10' high); Opportunity 2 - Concrete Shear Wall (5'6" x ~15') above the service desk plus a curved Trash Enclosure mural (~25' x 8'), with a combined fee of $75,000. The library is being rebuilt as a net-zero-energy facility, slated to open Spring 2027. Suggested themes include honouring Indigenous histories and relationships to land, revealing invisible systems (pollination, water cycles, soil life, migration), light-and-shadow play, knowledge/story/nature/memory/community, and narratives of sustainability and renewal. ELIGIBILITY: mid-career and established individual artists and teams who live within the geographical boundaries of Minnesota, including those from Native Nations whose homelands are in what is now Minnesota. Open to 2D and 3D media (sculpture, mosaic, murals). Info session and virtual site visit 4 June 2026, 5:00-6:30 pm CST (registered participants receive the recording). Contact: taylan@forecastpublicart.org. Deadline 14 June 2026, 11:59 pm CT.
Micro-grant program from A3 Art Alliance Austin offering small, unrestricted awards to Austin-based artists and community arts organizations. Two tiers: $1,000 Individual Artist Micro-Grants (for artist educators and emerging visual artists working toward their first major exhibitions) and $2,000 Community Organization Micro-Grants (for producing organizations with annual budgets under $500,000 providing free public arts programming in the Austin area). Disciplines include dance, design, film, folk and traditional arts, literary arts, music, musical theater, opera, theater, and visual arts. ELIGIBILITY: based in the five-county Austin Metropolitan area; demonstrate at least 3 years of consistent creative production (paid or unpaid); show evidence of local support through reviews or letters of recommendation. A 501(c)(3) status or fiscal sponsorship is not required. Pre-review corrections due 1 June 2026; final application deadline 15 June 2026, 11:59 PM CST (postmark date for mailed applications). Contact: info@a3austin.org.
The Rural Regenerator Fellowship is an 18-month fellowship that brings together rural artists, creatives, and culture bearers to deepen their relationships, grow their work, and support rural exchange and solidarity across the Upper Midwest. Since 2021, Springboard for the Arts has invested more than USD 1 million in rural cultural organizers across the Upper Midwest, building a lasting network of support, solidarity, and exchange; 44 Fellows have come together to support each other's work and share ideas. The fellowship brings rural artists into a supportive peer network, helping to sustain and deepen their existing work while cultivating geographic exchange, mutual support, and solidarity across the rural Midwest. CURRENT CYCLE - Organizing for Care, Safety, and Solidarity: this cycle supports artists who are organizing their rural places for care, safety, and solidarity. Six rural artists, creatives, and culture bearers will each receive an unrestricted award of USD 15,000, one in-person retreat, USD 3,000 to support travel for Fellow Exchanges, and the opportunity to attend and present at Springboard's Rural Futures Summit. Peers, collaborators, and supporters may nominate a rural artist, though nomination is not required to apply and all applications are reviewed equally (the selection committee does not know whether an applicant was nominated). Deadline to apply: 18 June 2026.
Unrestricted project-based grants of $2,500 from Artist Trust to 65 Washington State artists across all disciplines, including literary and media arts. Funds can support a specific project or career-advancing activity. ELIGIBILITY: Washington State residents who are originators of works of art and not current students; open to artist teams.
Prairie Ronde Artist Residency at The Mill at Vicksburg, a self-directed residency open to artists across disciplines including film, video and new media. ELIGIBILITY: artists of any discipline; open worldwide. Apply via the Prairie Ronde application page.
Open Access: Exploring 130 Years of American Design is a request for exhibition proposals that treats the Van Alen Institute archive (thousands of competition boards, jury records, photographs and correspondence) as living material to be questioned and reinterpreted through the lens of open and fair access. Van Alen invites emerging designers and creatives of all disciplines to engage the archive, either responding directly to specific materials (competition prompts, submitted drawings) or thematically. A wide range of media is welcomed, including architectural models, drawings, images, projections, video, photography and writing; direct engagement, interaction and multi-disciplinary collaboration are encouraged. Five projects will be selected and shown together at Van Alen Institute, 28 September to 13 November 2026. ELIGIBILITY: open to emerging creatives across disciplines (architects, artists, designers, filmmakers, photographers, researchers, writers and others); no formal architectural training required. Applicants must be at least 18; be legally authorized to work in the United States OR capable of receiving an artist honorarium (so non-US applicants able to receive an honorarium may apply, though the Brooklyn exhibition and hybrid check-ins make it US-practical); be available for hybrid check-ins July to November 2026; and commit to delivering exhibition-ready work on the project timeline. Collaborative proposals are permitted, though the honorarium may be shared among collaborators. Selected participants receive a USD 3,000 honorarium, archival access and curatorial support, mentorship from Van Alen staff and advisors, free materials through Materials for the Arts, and professional documentation. Supported by the National Endowment for the Arts and the New York State Council on the Arts. Application deadline: 28 June 2026.
The Exploratorium's Artist-in-Residence Program (AIR), running since 1974, works with individuals and artist groups who are drawn to collaboration, interested in interdisciplinary dialogue, and open to developing new working methods. Projects have taken many forms: multimedia performances, theatrical productions, animated filmmaking, immersive installations, walking tours, and online projects. The program lets artists embed within the culture of the institution (a renowned San Francisco science museum), with access to its staff and a diverse public for cross-pollination. Residencies typically unfold over two years and include both an exploratory phase and a project-development phase. The program is designed for artists who begin with curiosity and experimentation rather than a fully formed idea, working co-creatively with the Exploratorium; applicants should be inherently curious and deeply invested in inquiry as part of their practice. SUPPORT: a USD 15,000 annual stipend, travel support, project management and financial support for residency projects, and access to Exploratorium facilities and staff expertise. Apply via the Exploratorium SlideRoom portal by 29 June 2026.
Light Work, an independent non-profit founded in 1973, offers a long-running artist-in-residence programme dedicated to the development of experimental and contemporary photographic practices. Over 400 artists have participated in the residency, with many going on to gain international recognition. ELIGIBILITY: artists working in photography or image-based media, from any country and at any career stage. Apply via the Light Work SlideRoom portal.
One-month artist-in-residence programme at Light Work in Syracuse, New York, for artists working in photography or image-based media. Residents receive a $7,500 stipend, furnished apartment-style accommodation, 24-hour access to Light Work's lab and equipment, and editorial/curatorial engagement (publication, exhibition, archival inclusion). ELIGIBILITY: open to artists from any country working in photography or image-based media; current students are not eligible. Submit via SlideRoom. Applications for the 2027 cycle are open through 1 July 2026.
Direct-to-individual artist grant from the City of West Hollywood aimed at nurturing the long-term development of an artist's practice: realising work, advancing conditions of creation, and navigating the complexities of making art and making a career. The City's goal is to keep artists in West Hollywood, attract new artists, and contribute to the city's economic and social well-being. Awardees produce a 3-5 minute film describing the project and its contribution to quality of life in WeHo, and present publicly at City Hall in November 2027. ELIGIBILITY (strict): legal address must be in the City of West Hollywood (no exceptions; proof of residency may be required); applicants must be registered on the West Hollywood Artists Registry; previous WeHo Artist Grant recipients are NOT eligible; students cannot apply in their discipline of study; cannot also be funded by another City Division or Department or co-sponsored by a Council office for the same project; only one grant category per artist per calendar year; City elected/appointed officials, employees and immediate family ineligible. PROJECTS NOT FUNDED: fundraisers, capital campaigns, murals, or religious-based programmes/events. REVIEW CRITERIA (40 points): vision and clarity of project (10), impact of funding on the applicant and WeHo community (10), portfolio (10), professional resume (10); peer-review panel forwards recommendations to the Arts and Cultural Affairs Commission. TIMELINE: deadline 3pm Wed 1 July 2026; panel reviews August 2026; ACAC approves September 2026; notifications and mandatory orientation November 2026; earliest award of funds March 2027 (subject to contracting compliance). Submit two work samples (news clips do not count) plus a clear creative process and budget.
Residency on a working 260-acre ranch in Sisters, Central Oregon, near Bend and Redmond, for artists, ecological scientists and scholars exploring connections to nature, land conservation, historic preservation, agriculture and community building. THEME 2027: Process and Material - investigating the fundamentals of practice on a working ranch; materials as memory and meaning; cross-disciplinary work welcome including ceramics, photography, textiles, arborology and beyond. STUDIOS: 9 studio spaces adapted to different mediums (Tent Cabin, Kiln Room, Pickle Room, Old Shop, Tack Room, two Hammond House studios, Cooper's Penthouse with flatbed scanner/inkjet/GlowForge laser cutter; Studio 6000 off-site for printmaking; the Dairy Barn is unavailable in 2027). 24/7 access; private studio per resident plus shared Hammond House (private room with shared/private bathroom, kitchen, dining, laundry). Wi-Fi in main spaces and select studios. The property is NOT ADA-accessible (historic site). Residents contribute via a community-engagement element (workshop, artist talk, or Studio Tour for the public; participation in Studio Tour is required). ELIGIBILITY: US-based applicants only; emerging and established artists/scientists; no specific educational qualifications; collaborations submit one joint application. Alumni may re-apply every two years. COVID-19 vaccination required (or medical exemption discussed in advance); pets not allowed; ranch equipment and farm machinery off-limits without permission. TIMELINE: application opens 1 May 2026 (Slideroom); virtual info session 15 May; application closes 6 July 2026 at midnight PST; finalist interviews 12-14 August; references due 24 August; decisions announced September 2026. Selected by panel of external reviewers active in PMRCAA's mission areas.
Artadia's roving Award in collaboration with 21c Museum Hotels, providing unrestricted financial support to contemporary visual artists in cities where 21c has a presence (e.g. Louisville, Cincinnati, Bentonville, Durham, Kansas City, Lexington, Nashville, Oklahoma City, Chicago, Saint Louis). Three Awardees receive $15,000 each (use freely); Finalists receive an honorarium. Process and general eligibility match Artadia's standard rules (two-year residency in the relevant city, contemporary visual-arts practice, not a student, no prior Artadia award of $10,000+). Open call 15 June - 15 July 2026. Apply via Submittable only; check Artadia's FAQ for the specific 21c eligible cities for this cycle.
Residency for Minnesota-based BIPOC artists (Native American/American Indian/Native Alaskan, Asian, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino/Chicano/Latinx, Middle Eastern/North African, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, SWANA) and their families, run by Lanesboro Arts in rural southeastern MN. NO OUTPUT OR PRODUCT REQUIRED: the residency provides whatever the artist needs (restoration, family getaway, connection to nature, access to rural community, artistic practice) within the context of the community; only one community share-back event is required (workshop, school visit, small gathering, or blog post; arranged with Lanesboro Arts staff after selection). HOUSING: private bedroom + bath in either the St. Mane Theatre Artist Residency Center (sleeps 1-4) or the Art Loft above the Gallery (sleeps 1-5); kitchenette/full kitchen, studio space, laundry, Wi-Fi; neither space is currently ADA-accessible. COHORT OPTION: solo, OR apply with a specific BIPOC artist collaborator, OR apply open to being matched with another BIPOC resident at the same time (both receive the stipend; lodging split between St. Mane and the Art Loft). Spouses/partners only get a stipend if they themselves are applying as artists in the cohort model. SELECTION: lottery process (no traditional artistic-merit gatekeeping); 6-12 residents chosen depending on session lengths; lottery is recorded and shared with applicants for transparency. ELIGIBILITY: BIPOC artists currently based in Minnesota. APPLY via the Lanesboro Arts website. TIMELINE: initial deadline 11:59pm Monday 10 August 2026; lottery the week of 10 August 2026; rolling applications thereafter if slots remain, until 1 April 2027 or until full. Lanesboro Liaison (staff or vetted community member) optionally available for tours, grocery delivery, and outdoor recreation (biking, kayaking, hiking, state parks, etc.).
CALI Futures supports artists and cultural workers across California, individually and in teams, who are meaningfully contributing to alternative efforts outside of conventional nonprofit and for-profit arts and culture systems. The Fund encourages work focused on income, ownership, and care, and uplifts the role of artists and cultural workers in shaping and sustaining alternative efforts that provide greater financial stability, strengthen creative ownership, and deepen mutual support across the broader arts ecosystem. Project-restricted grants of USD 5,000 are awarded through a competitive process. Competitive applicants present (a) a clear project request; (b) proof of an active, current artistic or cultural practice; (c) a description of their contribution to an alternative effort that improves financial sustainability, creative ownership, or mutual support and addresses challenges not sufficiently solved by conventional nonprofit or for-profit sectors; and (d) framing that ambitiously describes the larger implications of this work for transforming artists' lives and future cultural possibilities. The Fund supports individuals and teams at every stage, from initial ideas to research, implementation, experimentation, and reflection. ELIGIBILITY: applicants must be individual artists or cultural workers (cultural producers, culture bearers, creatives, cultural practitioners); must reside full-time in California; must be contributing to an alternative effort improving financial sustainability, creative ownership, or mutualistic social support within the arts and culture sector; and that contribution must have occurred or begun on or after 1 January 2020. Teams are eligible, but all team members must meet the criteria and only one application is accepted per team (one member applies and is responsible for grant requirements). INELIGIBLE: individuals without an active practice; organizations seeking operating or program support; arts administrators; individuals living or working outside California; past CALI Catalyst grantees describing the same project funded in 2021-2025; incomplete applications; and those with a conflict of interest with CCI or Hewlett Foundation board, staff, or directors. The Fund is administered by the Center for Cultural Innovation (CCI) with funding from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. TIMELINE: applications open 9 June 2026 at 9:00 a.m. PT; deadline 28 August 2026 at 11:59 a.m. PT; review September to November 2026; notifications by 17 November 2026. Submitted via Submittable. Questions: grants@cciarts.org (include CALI FUTURES in the subject line) or 415.288.0530.
Residency for artists across seven disciplines (architecture, film/video, interdisciplinary, literature, music composition, theatre, visual arts). Sole selection criterion is artistic excellence. Applications open 15 August 2026. February deadline of the following year covers the Fall/Winter cycle.
Artadia's open call for Boston, providing unrestricted $15,000 awards to three contemporary visual artists. Finalists not chosen as Awardees receive an honorarium. Two-round jury (curator review + 45-minute virtual studio visits). ELIGIBILITY: living and working in Boston's eligible counties for at least 2 consecutive years prior to deadline; contemporary visual-arts practice; not currently enrolled in an art-related degree programme; no prior Artadia award of $10,000 or more. Open call 15 August - 15 September 2026. Apply via Submittable only.
$75,000 prize for women figurative realist painters, awarded by a five-member jury. The winner receives $37,500 each year for two years to create a solo exhibition that travels nationally; one finalist additionally receives $10,000. Open to emerging artists who have not yet achieved full professional recognition.
Artadia's open call for Atlanta, providing unrestricted $15,000 awards to three contemporary visual artists. Finalists receive an honorarium. ELIGIBLE COUNTIES: Barrow, Bartow, Butts, Carroll, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Hall, Henry, Morgan, Newton, Paulding, Pickens, Rockdale, Spalding, and Walton. Must reside in an eligible county for 2+ consecutive years prior to deadline, contemporary visual-arts practice, not a student, no prior Artadia award of $10,000+. Open call 1 September - 1 October 2026. Apply via Submittable only.
Lighthouse Works' Fellowship Program supports a diverse range of cultural producers working at the vanguard of their creative fields. Fellowships are six weeks in length, occur year-round, and provide fellows with housing, food, studio space, and USD 1,750 in financial support. Fellows enjoy a private bedroom and share a kitchen, bathrooms, and living space in a 3-story Victorian house; all dietary needs are accommodated, and on most nights Lighthouse Works staff cook for and eat dinner with the fellows. Studios are located about 1.5 miles (a 30-minute walk) from the fellowship house, are private and flooded with light, and face the ocean adjacent to Silver Eel Cove where the island ferry arrives. Lighthouse Works also maintains a wood and metal fabrication shop and a kiln. While in residence, a fellow's primary obligation is to pursue their own work, though every fellow participates in two events, an Artist Talk and Open Studio, that bookend the fellowship; the program's intimate size allows for conversation, critique, and collaboration. Artistic excellence is the primary criterion for acceptance. Artists at any stage of their career are encouraged to apply through the online Slideroom system. SELECTION: staff review applications for completeness, a jury of experts in each artist's field reviews complete applications and identifies finalists, interviews are scheduled in early January, and applicants are notified in mid-January. The program is supported in part by a grant from the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation. APPLICATION CALL: Lighthouse Works accepts applications each year from September to October (the 2026 portal was open 15 September to 15 October 2025). The deadline shown here is the anticipated close of the next annual call for the 2027 cycle; confirm exact dates on the Lighthouse Works site when the portal reopens. Apply at http://thelighthouseworks.slideroom.com.
Artadia's open call for Houston, providing unrestricted $15,000 awards to three contemporary visual artists. Finalists receive an honorarium. Two-round jury (review + 45-minute virtual studio visits). ELIGIBILITY: living and working in Houston's eligible counties for at least 2 consecutive years prior to deadline; contemporary visual-arts practice; not currently enrolled in an art-related degree programme; no prior Artadia award of $10,000+. Open call 1 October - 1 November 2026. Apply via Submittable only.