Free Open Calls for Artists
Open calls with no entry fee. Free exhibitions, grants, residencies, and submissions for photographers and visual artists.
Solstitium: Incandescent — Summer Solstice Exhibition · Griffin Museum of Photography
Free global online exhibition for the summer solstice — light as the subject. Juror: Crista Dix, Griffin Museum.
Self — Carlotta Gallery
Self-portraiture virtual exhibition — how one appears and is held by the camera. Free to apply, pay if selected.
Landscape 2026 · Glasgow Gallery of Photography
Photography exhibition on the theme of landscape. Glasgow gallery exhibition Nov 2026, plus online gallery and catalogue.
Stories 2026 · Glasgow Gallery of Photography
Photography exhibition on the theme of stories — documentary, reportage and street narratives. Glasgow exhibition Nov 2026, plus catalogue.
F-Stop Magazine Issue #138 — Documentary 2026
Documentary photography issue. Longer-term focus than photojournalism. Up to 12 images with project statement.
FineArt Igualada 2027 — Open Call
Propose an exhibition project for the 15th FineArt Igualada photography festival (Feb–Mar 2027, Catalonia).
Photography 4 Humanity / Fotografiska Global Prize 2026
Theme: HOME. Selected work exhibited at UN Headquarters NYC, curated by James Nachtwey. Free entry.
Home · Photography 4 Humanity
Exploring home — safety, belonging, dignity. Selected works exhibited at the United Nations HQ in New York.
Fotografiska HOME — Global Open Call
Global open call exploring home. Exhibition at UN Headquarters. Guest curator: James Nachtwey. No AI.
Suboart Magazine — August & September 2026 Issues
Independent Lisbon print magazine seeking emerging visual artists for in-depth interviews and features.
Guest Room: Sunyoung Kim & Shinwook Kim · Der Greif
Theme: "Hyperobjects: Archipelagic Memories" — how photographs circulate across digital and material networks.
Pioneer Works Visual Arts Residency 2027
5-month Brooklyn residency at Pioneer Works. $5,000 award, free studio & darkroom access. Free to apply; photographers eligible.
Joan Wakelin Bursary 2026
£2,000 bursary for overseas documentary photo essays. RPS x The Guardian. Free entry, open worldwide. Named after Joan Wakelin.
Art Moves 2026 — International Billboard Art Competition
Free billboard-art competition — 8 works shown in Toruń's public space during the festival, PLN 6,500 main award. Theme: fear or courage.
Dog Days of Summer · Griffin Museum of Photography
Free global online exhibition on the human–dog bond. Juror: Crista Dix, Griffin Museum of Photography.
Chester Photo Festival 2026 — Making Voices Heard
2nd edition photo festival across Chester venues. Free entry; selection fee only. Exhibition + festival book.
21c Artadia Award 2026 — Northwest Arkansas
Unrestricted $15,000 for one visual artist in Bentonville/Washington Counties, AR — Artadia × 21c Museum Hotels. Free.
EPF 2026 Photobook Exhibition · Ephemere
Bound photobooks for a dedicated exhibition at Ephemere Photo Fest in Tokyo — free digital review; selected books join the archive.
IVI 4th International Photo Contest
Free global contest on vaccination and health equity from the Seoul-based International Vaccine Institute — $2,000 grand prize.
The Fridge Show · Blue Sky Gallery
Free online show of refrigerator-interior photographs — Blue Sky Gallery's 50th-anniversary series honoring its 1990 Refrigerator Show.
Manipulation & Illusion · Co-Ex Collaborative
Explore perception, belief, identity, and power through illusion and manipulation. All disciplines. Free, open worldwide.
Fashion Regenerated 2026 · Textile Exchange
Textile Exchange and Atmos commission photographers documenting regeneration in fashion — $10,000 winning commission, free entry.
CNY Artist Initiative 2027 · Everson Museum of Art
Solo exhibitions at Syracuse's Everson Museum for artists within 75 miles. Curator-selected from 20-image applications.
Grand Prix de la Photographie Paris Match 2026
Paris Match's first national photo Grand Prix for the Bicentenary of Photography — submit a 4-image series capturing contemporary France.
Lenscratch Still Life Exhibition
Lenscratch's free juried online exhibition on the art of still life, selected by photographer Kimberly Witham. One image, no fee.
Art Shapes the Future · Fotografiska Emerging
Fotografiska Emerging × IFA Berlin × Volkswagen R call on the future. €1,500 each to 3 artists + IFA Berlin show. Free; video/AI eligible.
Traces — Volume 01 · The Slow Archive
Debut digital publication on slow landscape photography. Theme 'Traces' — signs of presence in the landscape. Free, open to all.
The Space Between Us · Decagon Gallery
Free online photography exhibition on the emotional residue of human connection. Catalog plus individual curatorial reflections.
Colours III — Carlotta Gallery
Third edition celebrating colour — from saturated compositions to subtle tonal variation. Free to apply.
Dek Unu Magazine — September 2026 Issue
Not-for-profit journal publishing one artist per issue in print and online. September issue window July 1–20. Free, email entry.
Homo Technologicus · LoosenArt
Exploring humans and technology — social, environmental, and emotional transformations. Exhibition in Rome.
Glasgow Photography Zine · Glasgow Gallery of Photography
Free open call for a Glasgow-celebrating photography zine; submit up to 5 images of the city. Worldwide submissions welcome.
Rock, Paper, Scissors — Golden Duck Gallery
Pop art and mixed media show at Golden Duck Gallery Budapest, photography welcome. €500 prize fund; ages 14–25 exhibit free.
Fidra Fine Art Professional Members Exhibition · Visual Arts Scotland
Sales exhibition for VAS professional members at Fidra Fine Art in Gullane. Up to two works shown, October 17 – November 29, 2026.
Revela'T Portfolio Review 2026
18 photographers get 3 hours of one-to-ones with 11 reviewers plus a festival pass; one wins an exhibition at Revela'T 2027.
TOKAS-Emerging 2027
Four artists 35 or younger based in Japan get solo shows at TOKAS Hongo plus ¥150,000 production support. Free; application in Japanese.
Susan McLaughlin Risograph Photobook Award 2026 · Penumbra Foundation
Penumbra Foundation's $5,000 award for risograph photobooks made worldwide in 2024–2026. Free to enter; mail one physical copy.
The Illume Awards 2026
Adventure and action sports photography awards (formerly Red Bull Illume). Free entry, 16 categories, camera gear, photobook, exhibition tour.
MUUS Collection Research Fellowship 2026
$20,000 grant for a curator or academic to develop an exhibition or publication using MUUS Collection's archives. Travel covered.
Camera Clara Photo Award 2026
Exclusively for large-format camera photographers. Unpublished series of 5-10 images. Prize money + exhibition.
Les Photographiques 2027 — Open Call
Free open call for the 2027 Les Photographiques festival in Le Mans. €500 fee + travel. General + landscape strands (200LUX bicentennial).
Outdoor Photography Magazine — Minimalist Landscapes
Submit minimalist landscape images for Outdoor Photography Magazine (UK). Winner receives Nikon Action Zoom binoculars.
Kometa Fellows Program 2026
€10,000 fellowships for photographers, journalists and writers documenting war, censorship, and political tension. Free to apply.
Source Writing Prize 2026
£500 + publication in Source for a 700-word piece of new writing on photography. Free; open to anyone who hasn't written for Source.
AFC Nature Photography Contest 2026
Free Southern California nature contest from a Pasadena land trust — 7 categories, winners printed and shown at a public awards event.
Standing Where Others Stood — Summer 2026 Online Exhibition · Analog Forever Magazine
Online exhibition on time spent outdoors — film/analog photographers. Guest-curated by Float Photo Magazine. Launches August 28.
Men Asleep — 2026 Book & Exhibition Open Call · Memory Version
Book and exhibition expansion of Jordanna Kalman's 2025 'Men Asleep' zine. One photograph of a man sleeping. Free, open to all.
Photography of Place · Robert A. Peck Gallery
Free juried show at CWC's Robert A. Peck Gallery — images shot in Wyoming, the Dakotas, or Montana. $10,000 in awards, no entry fee or commission.
Arty Rat Magazine Open Call — July 2026
Vienna indie art magazine's summer call for contemporary visual work. Two cover features; one artist joins a Vienna group show free.
Eamonn McCabe Bursary 2026 · Royal Photographic Society
£3,000 RPS bursary for photographers under 30 on 'sporting endeavour'. Grassroots, mental health, social issues welcomed. Free entry.
Living Space — Artdoc Magazine Open Call · Artdoc Photography Magazine
Artdoc's themed call on the spaces of everyday life — interiors, cityscapes, the built environment. Publication and online exhibition.
Future Photobook Award 2026 · Coventry University MA Photography & Fast Forward
Inaugural photobook award for HE students and recent grads. Open to any format including zines and handmade books. Free entry.
On Film — Carlotta Gallery
Celebrating film and analogue photography — every exposure a point of no return. Free to apply; virtual exhibition.
Lanesboro BIPOC Artist Residency 2026/27
1–2 week residency in rural Minnesota for MN-based BIPOC artists. $1,250/week + $500 supplies + housing. Lottery-based, free.
One in Eight · Fotografiska Emerging
Fotografiska Emerging × Estée Lauder call: emerging image-makers on the breast-cancer experience. €1,500 + exhibition in Berlin & Stockholm.
Blank Wall Gallery — Summer
Themed open call on 'Summer' — light, heat, stillness, travel. Free to submit; selected work exhibited at Blank Wall Gallery, Athens.
Royal Society Publishing Photography Competition 2026
£1,000 top prize for photography by working scientists — free entry, five science categories, open at graduate level and above.
Louvre Unbound Magazine — Volumes 8 & 9 Open Call
International art magazine's call for Volumes 8 & 9 across all visual media. Print-on-demand plus digital to 83+ countries, with features and promotion.
Are Men OK? · Fotografiska Emerging
Free Fotografiska Stockholm × MÄN call on masculinity in Sweden today; selected emerging work shown in a group exhibition.
European Month of Photography Berlin 2027
Propose a photography exhibition for the 2027 EMOP Berlin festival programme. Free entry; requires a Berlin venue. Runs March–April 2027.
FUJIFILM GFX Challenge Grant Program 2026
$100K grant program: 5×$10,000 and 10×$5,000 for personal photo/video projects, plus GFX gear loan and mentoring.
Solstice Magazine Issue 73 — Editorial Submissions
Fashion and editorial photography for Issue 73 of this London fashion magazine. Issue releases August 21, 2026.
Dek Unu Magazine — October 2026 Issue
Not-for-profit journal publishing one artist per issue in print and online. October issue window August 1–20. Free, email entry.
Central & South America — Carlotta Gallery
Respond to the region through brief, specific observations — a layered archive of diverse cultures and conditions. Virtual exhibition.
Brian Black Memorial Award 2026 — Adult Photo Competition · Yachting Monthly
Yachting Monthly + Coppercoat marine environmental photo award on 'Our Inspiring Seas'. UK only. £750 camera equipment prize.
FeelsZine Issue 27 — Belonging
Canadian creative zine's 10th anniversary issue. Theme: belonging. Accepts photography, illustration, collage, and more.
Nature in Gaudí — Ángeles Omedas Millán Prize 2026 · Antonio Gaudí Foundation
Antonio Gaudí Foundation's centenary contest on nature in Gaudí's architecture. €5,000 top prize, free, open to all.
Grant for a New Humanitarian Perspective 2026 · Action Against Hunger
One €5,000 grant for photographers & content creators documenting food systems and nutrition. Free, international entry.
Ian Parry Photojournalism Grant 2026
£10,000 + Giles Duley mentorship for photojournalists 24 or under (or full-time photo students). Patron: Sir Don McCullin.
Künstler*dorf Schöppingen Fellowship 2027
2–6 month funded residencies at the Münsterland artists' village. €1,500/month; applications for 2027 open June 27 – August 31.
Willet Art Prize 2026
Free national art prize from the 1898 stained glass studio — $7,000 top prize ($10,000 pool) for work on the theme Quest for Gold, any medium.
Black & White Images — Photobook Open Call · Soft Publishing
Soft Publishing seeks black-and-white images of any subject for a limited-edition photobook — up to 10 photos, free entry.
Liu Shiming Artist Grants 2026
Foundation grants of $5,000 to five early-career visual artists (2–10 years) for projects bridging tradition and contemporary practice.
Der Greif × Fondament — I Spy With My Little Eye
Der Greif × Fondament call: photographs of social life in Germany that tell more than one story. Theme: I Spy With My Little Eye.
Copenhagen Photo Festival — Call for Solo Artists 2027
Solo-exhibition call for Copenhagen Photo Festival 2027 — theme 'Free Hands'. €537 fee, travel support, PR. Window July 8 – Sept 1.
Legacy · Ajanaku Gallery
Ajanaku Gallery's founding photo-and-text show on Afro-Caribbean heritage. Free; up to two works pairing image and text. Neuilly-Plaisance, France, Dec 2026.
People — Carlotta Gallery
People in everyday life, captured without staging — human presence as traces rather than conclusions. Free to apply; virtual exhibition.
PhotoVogue Global Open Call 2026 — Brave New Visions
PhotoVogue's 2026 global open call. $12,000 in three grants, festival exhibition, Vogue publication. Free; deadline 11 September 2026.
F-Stop Magazine Issue #139 — Food 2026
Food-themed issue of the long-running online photo magazine. Free, up to 12 images; publishes October 1, 2026.
Eurazeo Photo Prize 2026
Eurazeo's relaunched photography grant: a €20,000 award plus mentorship and industry connections to develop an ambitious long-term project.
Artadia Awards 2026 — Boston
Unrestricted $15,000 grants for contemporary visual artists in Greater Boston. Two-round jury with studio visits.
Rauschenberg Medical Emergency Grants — Cycle 37 · New York Foundation for the Arts
Up to $5,000 in emergency relief for US artists (photography included) facing unexpected medical costs. Free; closes September 15.
Red — Carlotta Gallery
Red as a force within the image, not just a colour — its weight and intensity across bodies, objects and memory. Virtual exhibition.
19th Fòrum Fotogràfic Can Basté
Barcelona's Can Basté forum: free grants — 3 × €2,000 exhibition production plus a €3,000 photobook. For Spain-based emerging artists.
Eurostars Valladolid Photography Award — Valladolid Unveiled
€1,500 for images that unveil the city of Valladolid — free entry, up to 3 photos, from the Eurostars hotel group's award series.
PhotoVogue Regional Open Call — MENA Panorama
Free Condé Nast call for MENA artists and diaspora. $8,000 in grants, 2027 PhotoVogue Festival feature, regional Vogue publication.
Eidolon Grant 2026
€25,000 grant pool for research and projects on vernacular and everyday photography. Two categories: contemporary and historical.
Immagini e trame d'acqua — Le Stanze della Fotografia Open Call
Free open call from Venice's Le Stanze della Fotografia on water in cultural & landscape heritage. Photography+text or video.
SCG Artist in Residence & Teaching Program 2027 — Regional · Blue Line Arts
$10,000 three-week teaching residency at Blue Line Arts for Northern California artists (six-county region).
CitiesToBe Photo Award 2026
Free urban-photography award by Anteverti on the theme 'Third Places'. Series of 10–20 images; €1,500 winner plus five €500 finalists.
Artadia Awards 2026 — Atlanta
Unrestricted $15,000 grants for contemporary visual artists in Greater Atlanta. Two-round jury with studio visits.
World Cyanotype Day · AlternativePhotography.com
Annual international celebration of the cyanotype process. Submit your cyanotype work to be featured.
Earth Partner Prize 2026
Free climate-art prize for creatives 14–30 with GEF and Re:wild. Eight finalists win $10K, $5K or $2K; jury incl. Hans Ulrich Obrist.
Raccont'Arti: Contemporary Photography Award 2026 · Castelfiorentino Prize for the Arts
Free call on 'the image of absence' — €3,000 Open and €500 Student awards plus a fully produced group exhibition in Tuscany.
XXIV Eurostars Grand Marina Photography Award — Josep Juanpere 2026
24th edition. Theme: Barcelona, World Capital of Architecture. €5,000 first prize. Submit photographic triptychs.
sƛ̓x̣etkʷ Artist-in-Residence Program — Round 3 · Spokane Falls Community College
Funded 3-month residency at Spokane Falls CC for emerging Native American artists: $9,000 stipend, housing, studios.
Emerging Artists 2027 · Fotografiska Tallinn
Fotografiska Tallinn open call for emerging photographers from the Baltics & Finland — autumn 2027 group exhibition plus mentorship.
World Anthotype Day · AlternativePhotography.com
Annual celebration of plant-based photographic printing processes. Entries open August through October.
Artadia Awards 2026 — Houston
Unrestricted $15,000 grants for contemporary visual artists in Harris County, TX. Two-round jury with studio visits.
Women's Studio Workshop — Artist's Book Residency Grant
WSW residency to print & bind a limited-edition artist book; stipend, materials, travel & housing. For photobook & book artists.
John Chervinsky Emerging Photographer Scholarship 2026 · Griffin Museum of Photography
Annual Griffin Museum scholarship for emerging photographers without solo shows — $3,000, a solo exhibition and a book. Free to enter.
Lanesboro Early Career Artists Show 2027
Three or more early career MN/IA/WI artists exhibit at Lanesboro Arts, Feb 6 – Mar 20, 2027. All visual media. Apply by Dec 7.
Lanesboro Juried Sales Gallery 2027
Year-round sales-gallery representation at Lanesboro Arts for Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin artists — 60% consignment, free to apply.
ADEX Dugong Photo of the Year 2027
Free dugong-conservation photo campaign. Winner hosted at ADEX 2027 Singapore; shortlist exhibited at the expo.
SCG Artist in Residence & Teaching Program 2027 — National · Blue Line Arts
$10,000 three-week teaching residency at Blue Line Arts (CA) with housing and travel covered. US artists nationwide.
Lanesboro Exhibition Gallery 2028
Solo shows (~8 weeks) in Lanesboro Arts' 2028 gallery series. Open to Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa artists in all visual media.
Sony World Photography Awards 2027
Free-to-enter global awards from the World Photography Organisation — Series ($25k + solo show, Jan 12) and Single Image ($5k, Jan 5) competitions plus Student & Youth.
13th Eurostars Madrid Tower Photography Award — Madrid's Facades
€5,000 for photographs of Madrid's facades — free entry, up to 3 photos, from the Eurostars hotel group's award series.
Fotografiska Emerging Artist Platform
Multiple open calls for emerging photographers. Exhibitions at Fotografiska museums and the UN Headquarters.
Analog Forever Magazine — Calls for Entry
High-quality print magazine for film and analog photography. Also runs themed online group exhibitions.
Open Doors Takeovers
Discovery account featuring artist takeovers. Connected to UNSEEN art fair and Approche.
Zone Magazine — Open Submissions
International photography zine. No genre restrictions. Open to all ages worldwide. Year-round submissions.
Burn Magazine — Open Submissions
Photography magazine founded by David Alan Harvey (Magnum). Photo essays and multimedia on any subject.
Phases Magazine — Open Submissions
International contemporary photography magazine publishing 3 portfolios per issue.