Open Call for Artists: The Complete Guide to Call for Artists, Art Submissions and Exhibition Opportunities

If you are searching for an open call for artists, a call for artists, art submissions, artist opportunities, or where to exhibit your art, this is the complete guide. It covers what open calls are, how to find the good ones, how to apply, and where the current opportunities are.

What is an open call for artists?

An open call for artists is an invitation from a gallery, art fair, museum or arts organisation for artists to submit their work for consideration. Also called a call for artists, call for entries, call for submissions or artist opportunity, it is the most accessible route into exhibiting. No gallery representation, no agent, no art degree required. You submit images of your work, a curatorial team reviews them, and if selected, you exhibit.

Types of open calls

Exhibition open calls invite artists to show in a physical gallery. Digital exhibition open calls display work on screens with no shipping. Art competitions and art prizes award a winner. Juried exhibitions select a limited number of works. Residency open calls offer studio time. Public art open calls commission work for a location. Magazine open calls publish selected artists. Most artists searching for an open call want the first two: a real wall, or a real screen, in a real city.

How to find open calls for artists

Search "open call for artists" plus your city or medium. Follow galleries that run open calls year-round. Check listing sites such as ArtConnect and CaFÉ. Join artist newsletters. Follow hashtags like #callforartists, #opencall and #artistopportunity. The Holy Art runs open calls year-round across 20+ cities and announces every one on Instagram at @theholyartgallery and by newsletter.

Free open calls versus paid open calls

A free open call means it is free to apply. Some are also free to exhibit, usually funded by grants or institutions, and highly competitive. Most gallery open calls are free to apply and charge an exhibition fee if selected, which covers the venue, curation, installation, marketing and catalogue. The question to ask is not whether there is a fee, but what the fee buys and whether the gallery takes commission on top. The Holy Art is free to apply, charges a transparent exhibition fee only if selected, and takes zero commission on sales.

How to apply to an open call

Read the brief. Note the deadline, medium, theme and any size limits. Choose your strongest three to six works, not your newest. Photograph them properly: daylight, straight on, plain background. Write a short artist statement, three sentences is enough. Submit before the deadline, since most galleries review as they arrive. Then follow up if you have not heard back within the stated time.

What curators look for

Clear images. A coherent body of work rather than one of everything. Work that fits the show. An artist statement that sounds like a person. Applications that follow the brief. Talent matters, but the majority of rejected applications fail on presentation, not quality.

Open calls by city

Open call for artists London: A Room of Rivers, 16 to 19 October 2026, central London. Open call for artists New York: 13 to 16 November 2026, Mriya Gallery, Tribeca. Open call for artists Tokyo: 6 to 9 October 2026 and 26 February to 1 March 2027, Harajuku. Open call for artists Amsterdam: 30 October to 2 November 2026. Open call for artists Milan: 22 to 25 January 2027. Open call for artists Paris and Athens: September 2026. Plus the Times Square billboard in New York, digital only, no travel required.

Open calls by medium

Open calls for painters, photographers, illustrators, sculptors, digital artists, video artists, printmakers, mixed media and installation artists. Every Holy Art open call accepts all mediums with an open theme.

Open calls for emerging artists and self-taught artists

Open calls exist precisely for artists without representation. No degree is required and none is ever asked for. 25,000+ artists have exhibited with The Holy Art, and the majority had never shown in a gallery before.

Open calls for international artists

Every Holy Art open call is open to artists from every country. Physical works can be shipped, or you can exhibit digitally from anywhere with nothing to send. Attendance is never required.

Frequently asked questions

Is it free to apply? Yes. How long until I hear back? Submissions are reviewed as they arrive. Do I need to attend? No. Can I apply to more than one city? Yes. Do you take commission? No. Where do I apply? theholyart.com.

Apply now

Open calls are live now across London, New York, Tokyo, Amsterdam, Milan and more. Free to apply. All mediums. Open theme. Every country welcome. Where art meets the world.

Apply at theholyart.com