[Side Arts Certified Sponsored Listing] PleinAir Magazine announces a call for artists for their PleinAir Salon October Art Competition.
In the spirit of the French Salon created by the Academie des Beaux-Arts in Paris, this annual online competition, with 11 monthly cycles, leading to the Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition, is designed to stimulate artistic growth through competition.
The competition rewards artists with $50,000 in all cash prizes each year with the winning painting featured on the cover of PleinAir magazine.
Click here for the application / registration
Enter by: 31 October 2025
The PleinAir Salon is an online competition consisting of 11 monthly cycles of competitions and one annual competition. They award a total of $50,000 in cash prizes each year for this competition.
- Annual Grand Prize winner receives a check for $15,000 and is featured on the cover of PleinAir Magazine
- Additional awards totalling $11,050 to the annual winners
- Awards totalling $2,250 in the monthly competitions.
Each of the 22 monthly winners will be automatically entered into the Annual Competition. Each of the monthly winners receive cash prizes, promotion in PleinAir Magazine, both print and digital. Winners are promoted in the digital edition of Fine Art Connoisseur, a magazine for art collectors. Artists receive editorial coverage in newsletters and websites. The annual awards are presented live at the Plein Air Convention & Expo each spring.
PleinAir Salon Testimonials
“It is always so exciting to win something, and also such an honor. I really like participating in the Plein Air Salon Competition for many reasons, but one is that you are so great about sharing and promoting the award winners. It makes me want to keep painting the best I can and to enter every month.” – Sheryl Knight
“PleinAir Salon has such a wonderful reputation for attracting world class artists that I was so impressed when I found out I was amongst the top 100 finalists. Then when I discovered I had won the Animal and Bird section I was completely speechless. I know I have worked hard over the last few years to really improve my craft, but this has been an overwhelming honor.” – Angela Parr
“Entering this contest on a monthly basis is something I have come to regard as both essential and enjoyable. It seems like every so often one of my paintings catches lightening in a bottle, so that’s a thrill. Thank you and the staff for all the work to promote artists and the arts.” – Christopher Forrest
About PleinAir Magazine
PleinAir Magazine is for plein air artists, enthusiasts, and collectors showcasing a wide variety of plein air paintings, articles on the top plein air artists of today and past, and the latest information on events and shows. The PleinAir Salon Art Competition has been awarding cash prizes and promoting artists for 12 years. The PleinAir Salon is celebrating their 14th year and was created by PleinAir magazine publisher, Eric Rhoads.
For more information, contact pleinairsalon@streamlinepublishing.com
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[Side Arts Certified Sponsored Listing] CherryArts announces a call for artists for the 2026 Cherry Creek Arts Festival in Denver, Colorado.
Join one of the nation’s premier art festivals! The festival will showcase 250 exceptional exhibitors in Denver’s vibrant Cherry Creek North. Welcoming more than 150,000 visitors each year, the festival offers strong sales potential, 2025 artists averaged $17,470 in reported sales and consistently ranks among the top shows in the country. With an art-savvy audience, many of them collectors, this is an incredible opportunity to exhibit and sell your work. CherryArts, a Denver-based nonprofit, supports artists and arts education year-round, generating over $4.5 million in annual art sales.
Click here for the application / registration
Enter by: 1 December 2025
Cherry Creek Arts Festival Artist Benefits
- Keep 100% of your sales revenue – artists retain all proceeds and handle applicable state and local sales tax.
- Strong sales potential – 2025 Artist Survey reported an average of $17,470 per artist.
- Highly engaged audience – the Cherry Creek Arts Festival attracts over 150,000 visitors annually, including loyal collectors and art enthusiasts.
- Recognition opportunities – more than $30,000 in Purchase Awards available.
- Support for emerging artists – the Emerging Artist Program offers a $5,000 grant, mentoring, and exhibition support for artists early in their careers.
Testimonial
“I’m truly grateful for an extraordinary experience. This was far away the best heart fear I have been part of. I can certainly see how it has earned a reputation of being the holy Grail of art fairs! I sincerely hope to return, should I be fortunate enough to be selected.” 2025 Artist
About CherryArts
CherryArts is a Denver-based nonprofit organization that believes access to art is for everyone and artists are essential. We are committed to supporting artists and arts education through year-round outreach programs and this iconic festival. With an estimated $4.5 million in annual art sales, the Cherry Creek Arts Festival continues to be a vital platform for artists’ success. CherryArts provides equitable access to the arts to nurture future generations of artists, learners and supporters through meaningful and authentic connections with art and artists. CherryArts ignites creative and critical thinking for over 40,000 students annually.
For more information, contact hello@cherryarts.org
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[Side Arts Certified Sponsored Listing] The Mulvane Art Museum announces a call for artists for the 2026 Mulvane Art Fair in Topeka, Kansas.
The 32nd annual Mulvane Art Fair will feature artists from across the country for a two-day event that is a favorite of the community and artists alike. Be a part of this exciting event and submit your application today! With a focus on quality and variety, the fine art event is a favorite in the community and region. Proceeds from the event support the mission and programs of the Mulvane Art Museum, which is Topeka’s only art museum and is on the Washburn University campus. High standards for art are key to the success of the 2026 Mulvane Art Fair.
Click here for the application / registration
Enter by: 23 February 2026
Artist Amenities:
- Monetary artist awards and a purchase award
- Patron program
- Saturday morning coffee & breakfast
- Sunday morning coffee & pre-packaged snacks
- Booth sitters
- Water bottles delivered to your booth
- Event map/guide
- Overnight security
- Booth signs
- Food trucks
- Clean, convenient restrooms on site
- Assistance with move-in/move-out
- Drastically price-reduced accommodations on campus
Patron Program: In 2025, patrons pledged in advance to purchase $18,000 worth of art and ended up spending over $45,000. Purchase patron pledges to be even greater in 2026.
Mulvane Art Fair Cash and Purchase Awards
On-site judging of the artists’ booths will take place 10am-1pm the Saturday of the Mulvane Art Fair. The award presentation the same day will give out a total of $4,600 to winning artists.
- $1000 Best of Show
- $500 Best of 2-Dimensional
- $500 Best of 3-Dimensional
- 2 Honorable mentions of $300
- $2000 Purchase Award
About Mulvane Art Museum
The Mulvane Art Museum at Washburn University offers free admission to a nationally accredited facility with six exhibition galleries, two sculpture gardens, an interactive artmaking space, and over 6,000 works of art.
Vision: The Mulvane Art Museum empowers our community by providing art experiences that inspire creativity, encourage intellectual engagement, and connect us to each other and the world.
Mission: The Mulvane Art Museum creates pathways to learning, creativity, and connection through the visual arts. As a university museum, the Mulvane collects, preserves, and interprets works of art for the educational benefit and enjoyment of Washburn University, Topeka, and the region. The Mulvane’s collections, exhibitions, and programs support creative and scholarly work, cultivate community, promote cultural understanding, and advance the mission of Washburn University.
For more information, contact stacy.ash@washburn.edu
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[Side Arts Certified Sponsored Listing] The New York Center for Photographic Art (NYC4PA) announces a call for artists for Animal Kingdom, an online photography competition.
Our world is filled with animals. Whether your first thoughts are about lions, tigers, bears, elephants working in the Asian lumber industry, or two/four legged pets, there are so many options. Don’t forget the fish tank and reptiles.
So, if life takes you on an exotic African safari, traveling in Southeast Asia, visiting a local zoo or aquarium, or just looking around in your own home/neighborhood, the animal kingdom offers huge photographic opportunities. Puppies that play joyfully, the migration in the Serengeti, your parakeet pecking at your glasses and dolphins gracefully jumping out of the ocean are just starting points. The finish line at a horse race, mice munching cheese, and a bee or butterfly collecting nectar from a flower – the possibilities go on and on.
Click here for the application / registration
Enter by: 2 November 2025
As with all contests, submit your best. All 2D photo processes are welcome. Images awarded an NYC4PA prize within the past 2 years are not eligible. Images submitted that were not selected for a prize may be submitted at any time. NYC4PA uses a blind jury process. Do not submit images with signatures or watermarks on the submitted files.
NYC4PA offers opportunities to participate in themed calls for photographers. Each call has a different theme and 50 images win. The prizes total $4,000. There is a grand prize, 3 first prizes, 3 second prizes, 3 third prizes, 20 juror’s selections, and 20 honorable mentions. All 50 winners are posted in a gallery on the NYC4PA website and included in an exhibition gallery. The call is open to any photographers worldwide and of any age, amateurs or professional. A professional photographer, gallery owner, or photography teacher is the juror.
About New York Center for Photographic Art
The mission of the New York Center for Photographic Art is to provide exhibition opportunities in the vibrant New York City gallery world to photographers around the globe. NYC4PA offers international, themed, open call competitions juried by recognized experts in the field of photography. Prizes include cash awards, online gallery, catalog, and New York City gallery exhibits.
For more information, contact nyc4pa@gmail.com
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[Side Arts Certified Sponsored Listing] Decagon Gallery announces a call for artists for Forgotten Architecture, an online photography juried competition.
Abandoned buildings are more than relics of the past—they are silent monuments to history, memory, and the passage of time. Their peeling paint, fractured walls, and quiet interiors hold stories that have slipped into stillness. In this juried exhibition, Decagon Gallery invites photographers to explore the strange allure and poetic resonance of architectural spaces left behind.
Click here for the application / registration
Enter by: 31 October 2025
Decagon Gallery seeks images that engage with the theme of abandoned or neglected structures—buildings overtaken by nature, spaces weathered by time, or interiors echoing with absence. Both documentary and interpretive approaches are welcome. Whether your work is rooted in urban exploration, formal composition, or surreal reinterpretation, the gallery wants to see how you find beauty in decay.
The Juror, Andrew Moore, is widely acclaimed for his long term photographic series, which record the effect of time on the natural and built landscape. These series include work made in Cuba, Russia, Bosnia, Times Square, Detroit, The Great Plains, the American South, and most recently the Hudson Valley.
Forgotten Architecture Awards and Features
- First Place: $500 cash prize and an online Solo exhibition
- Second Place: $300 cash prize
- Third Place: $200 cash prize
- Juror’s Awards and Honorable Mentions
- All the above awards include a FREE exhibition catalog.
- All selected photographers will receive a digital award badge suitable for social media.
- Selected work will be published in a printed exhibition catalog available for purchase.
- A short video presentation will be created and shared on our YouTube channel and the gallery website and social media.
About Decagon Gallery
Decagon Gallery is an innovative online photography platform dedicated to making fine art exhibitions accessible to a global audience. What makes it especially interesting is its balance of professionalism and inclusivity: it hosts juried exhibitions with distinguished photographers while keeping entry fees affordable so emerging artists can participate. Each exhibition is thoughtfully curated, presented with professional catalogs, videos, and press materials, and shared widely to maximize exposure.
Beyond showcasing photography, Decagon Gallery fosters community, offering digital badges, artist features, and supportive communication. Its unique model blends artistic integrity with accessibility, creating opportunities for photographers worldwide to be seen and celebrated.
For more information, contact info@decagongallery.com
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[Side Arts Certified Sponsored Listing] Decagon Gallery announces a call for artists for Planet Earth – Reflections on the Planet We Call Home, an online photography juried competition
From the vast deserts and dense rainforests to bustling city streets and remote mountain villages, Planet Earth invites photographers to explore the extraordinary diversity of life and land on our planet. This exhibition calls for work that reveals the beauty, complexity, and vulnerability of the world we inhabit—both its natural wonders and human narratives.
Click here for the application / registration
Enter by: 30 September 2025
Decagon Gallery seeks images that evoke awe and admiration, document fragile ecosystems or resilient communities, or capture quiet moments of coexistence or urgent stories of change. Whether through sweeping landscapes, intimate portraits, or abstract interpretations, this is an opportunity to reflect on what it means to live on Earth in a time of environmental and cultural transformation.
Photographers are encouraged to interpret the theme broadly.
Planet Earth Awards
- First Place: $500 cash prize and an online Solo exhibition
- *First, Second, Third Place awards include a FREE exhibition catalog (to only countries Blurb delivers)
- All selected photographers will receive a digital award badge
- Selected work will be published in a printed exhibition catalog available for purchase
- A short video presentation will be created and shared on YouTube, the gallery website, and social media
- Winning photographs will be promoted in social media, newsletters, and press releases
About Decagon Gallery
Decagon Gallery celebrates photography in all its dimensions. Just like the ten angles of a decagon, each exhibition reeals a distinct perspective—diverse, dynamic, and thoughtfully curated to expand the way we see.
Decagon Gallery is an online photography gallery based in Brooklyn, New York, specializing in contemporary photography. It offers curated platforms for photographers to showcase their work and connect with art enthusiasts worldwide. The gallery maintains a robust online presence through its website and social media. It promotes itself via email marketing, social media, and collaborations with other art organizations.
For more information, contact info@decagongallery.com
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[Side Arts Certified Sponsored Listing] The New York Center for Photographic Art (NYC4PA) announces a call for artists for Reflections, an online photography competition.
As our life experiences mature, reflections become so much more than a copy of our own image. Virtually everything can be placed near a reflective surface and, as if by magic, you get to see two, or three and the possibilities are endless. From a skyline reflected in a park lake, to the flash of sunlight reflected on a steel pipe, pedestrians in a department store window, and waves of sunlight reflected off the ocean that show as playful lines on a child’s face.
Click here for the application / registration
Enter by: 14 September 2025
This call is about all types of reflections. Images can show both an object/person/animal and its reflection, or it can be one with just the reflection, and that reflection can be a clear copy or distorted with ripples, oil deposits, or curved glass. As with all NYC4PA calls, all 2D photographic images are welcome.
NYC4PA offers opportunities to participate in themed calls for photographers. Each call has a different theme and 50 images win. The prizes total $4,000. There is a grand prize, 3 first prizes, 3 second prizes, 3 third prizes, 20 juror’s selections, and 20 honorable mentions. All 50 winners are posted in a gallery on the NYC4PA website and included in an exhibition gallery. The call is open to any photographers worldwide and of any age, amateurs or professional. A professional photographer, gallery owner, or photography teacher is the juror.
About New York Center for Photographic Art
The mission of the New York Center for Photographic Art is to provide exhibition opportunities in the vibrant New York City gallery world to photographers around the globe. NYC4PA offers international, themed, open call competitions juried by recognized experts in the field of photography. Prizes include cash awards, online gallery, catalog, and New York City gallery exhibits.
For more information, contact nyc4pa@gmail.com
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[Side Arts Certified Sponsored Listing] PleinAir Magazine announces a call for artists for their PleinAir Salon August Art Competition.
In the spirit of the French Salon created by the Academie des Beaux-Arts in Paris, this annual online competition, with 11 monthly cycles, leading to the Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition, is designed to stimulate artistic growth through competition.
The competition rewards artists with $50,000 in all cash prizes each year with the winning painting featured on the cover of PleinAir magazine.
Click here for the application / registration
Enter by: 31 August 2025
The PleinAir Salon is an online competition consisting of 11 monthly cycles of competitions and one annual competition. They award a total of $50,000 in cash prizes each year for this competition.
- Annual Grand Prize winner receives a check for $15,000 and is featured on the cover of PleinAir Magazine
- Additional awards totalling $11,050 to the annual winners
- Awards totalling $2,250 in the monthly competitions.
Each of the 22 monthly winners will be automatically entered into the Annual Competition. Each of the monthly winners receive cash prizes, promotion in PleinAir Magazine, both print and digital. Winners are promoted in the digital edition of Fine Art Connoisseur, a magazine for art collectors. Artists receive editorial coverage in newsletters and websites. The annual awards are presented live at the Plein Air Convention & Expo each spring.
“It is always so exciting to win something, and also such an honor. I really like participating in the Plein Air Salon Competition for many reasons, but one is that you are so great about sharing and promoting the award winners. It makes me want to keep painting the best I can and to enter every month.” – Sheryl Knight
About PleinAir Magazine
PleinAir Magazine is for plein air artists, enthusiasts, and collectors showcasing a wide variety of plein air paintings, articles on the top plein air artists of today and past, and the latest information on events and shows. The PleinAir Salon Art Competition has been awarding cash prizes and promoting artists for 12 years. The PleinAir Salon is celebrating their 14th year and was created by PleinAir magazine publisher, Eric Rhoads.
For more information, contact pleinairsalon@streamlinepublishing.com
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[Side Arts Certified Sponsored Listing] Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center announces a call for artists to submit original artwork to the Chronicles: Storytelling Through Imagery art exhibition. Since the dawn of human existence, people have been using visual art to communicate stories. From the cave paintings of Lascaux to intricate hieroglyphs of ancient Egypt, art has been a fundamental way for people to document their experiences, beliefs, and feelings.
Chronicles: Storytelling Through Imagery will explore the power of visual narratives by bringing together artworks that weave compelling stories using symbolism, composition, and emotion. These works will highlight how contemporary artists engage in this age-old tradition by capturing moments, myths, and their personal histories in striking and imaginative ways.
Click here for the application / registration
Enter by: 24 August 2025
This exhibition will be installed inside the Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center galleries during their busiest season, the holidays. During the Garden In Lights program, the garden sees about 55,000 visitors over a month-long period. There will be more gallery goers this time of year than at any other time.
Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center creates a media package for each exhibiting artist. The media package includes a customized social media graphic, along with a full virtual exhibition booklet which details juror information, selected shots from the gallery, as well as an individual page for each artist.
Three $150 juror awards will be awarded for this exhibition.
About Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center
Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center is located in scenic Solomons, Maryland, where the Patuxent River meets the Chesapeake Bay. The sculpture garden features a shady walking path that meanders through the woods past permanent and loaned sculpture, including over thirty works on loan from the Smithsonian Institution and the National Gallery of Art. Artists in the collection include: Antonio Tobias Mendez, Barbara Hepworth, Cesar, Robert Engman, Jean Arp, Kenneth Snelson and Fransisco Zuniga. Young guests can frolic in the Fairy Lolly Creative Play Space and explore the many trails, including the Tree-mendous Trail.
The award-winning Arts Building includes rotating exhibition space, the Nature Nook, the artLAB Creative Reuse Studio, the Annmarie Gift Shop, and lovely wrap around patios. Annmarie presents a variety of popular annual festivals, rotating exhibitions, family activities, and creative public programs. The Studio School offers classes for all ages and abilities – from pottery to dance – taught by professional artists and arts educators.
For more information, contact exhibits@annmariegarden.org
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[Side Arts Certified Sponsored Listing] The Carlsbad Oceanside Art League (COAL) and North Coastal Art Gallery announce a call for artists for the Abstraction of Reality open annual abstract art cash awards show.
North Coastal Art Gallery invites artists to submit artwork where colors speak louder than words and shapes defy logic. Emerging and established artists may submit artwork that explores identity, emotion, and perception through non-representational forms where bold strokes, fluid movements, and unexpected compositions come together to challenge traditional ideas of beauty and meaning.
Each piece should encourage the viewer to look beyond the surface and find their own interpretation within the chaos and calm of abstraction.
Click here for the application / registration
Enter by: 23 September 2025 (DEADLINE EXTENDED)
Judge: Lucas Smith
Show dates: October 5 – November 1
An awards reception will be held on October 11th, 2025, at 3 – 5 pm at the North Coastal Art Gallery located at 300 Carlsbad Village Dr., Suite 101, Carlsbad, CA 92008.
Abstraction of Reality cash award, ribbons, and certificates in the following categories
- Best of show – $175
- 1st place – $100
- 2nd place – $50
- 3rd place – $25
- President’s award
Art removal: November 1st at 5 pm.
About North Coastal Art Gallery
North Coastal Art Gallery, voted as one of the best galleries in North County, 2023 and 2025, is interesting because it serves as a cultural cornerstone that empowers the local community, provides opportunities for artistic expression, and fosters a creative environment where artists and the public can connect.
For more information, contact northcoastalartgallery@gmail.com